Cherry Convention 2013

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Dropped by the Cherry Convention at SM Megamall for another opportunity to practice shooting. The experience was a bit frustrating now that I'm even more acutely aware of my ignorance when it comes to using camera flash (and photography in general), but I intend to remember this as a learning experience.

New things to keep in mind:

1) Ensure that your primary SD/CF card is actually loaded in the camera before leaving the house.

My 16GB SD card decided to play a game of hide-and-seek without informing me, and I was already at the venue when I found out. I had to make do with the partially filled card in the backup camera, but that meant shooting JPEG images instead of RAW files.

2) Arrive early, know the event schedule, and pick a good spot.

Taking pictures isn't as convenient when there's a crowd and a sea of raised cameras between you and the subject you intend to photograph.

3) Never use live preview if timing is critical.

For conventional SLR cameras, using live preview introduces a delay (approximately 1/5 of a second) between the pressing of the shutter button and the actual picture being taken. Shooting at the correct moment would require an amazing amount of foresight. For Sony users, this might not be an issue due to the SLT technology utilized by their cameras.

4) Low angle shots don't work quite as well when flash is involved.

Low angle shooting worked somewhat last time at the 6th PCC because ambient light was used. Bouncing flash didn't seem feasible due to very high ceilings of the venue, and direct flash was out of the question because the light would have been too harsh.

In contrast to this, the venue of the Cherry Convention (SM Megatrade hall) had much lower ceilings. I suppose this should make diffusers and bounce flash more effective.

However, shooting from low angles while using any type of flash can make those black holes known as "nostrils" stand out too much.

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Warning:
Alodia image spam ahead

Perhaps the only bit of preparation that went without a hitch: I finally got her to sign this copy of Culture Crash Comics from waaaayy back in 2004 (though the C3 Convention itself was in 2003). A souvenir from an era with fond memories.

Besides being the final issue before the abrupt end of the magazine, I believe this also marked the introduction of the Gosiengfiao sisters to the general Filipino public.