Comic Con

Jul

2023

ComiCon Niagara Falls, Canada 2023

ComiCon FanExpo Niagara Falls, Ontario

Was able to get to Comicon Niagara Falls for a few hours this year. Was touch and go as we were on an extended road trip and returned the day before, the Saturday. I was able to attend for a few hours on the Sunday. As the light is so much better outside and I there is more space to work with, I didn’t bother going inside. I may have missed a few but still, I got some good shots. I love that the players are so willing to pose for me.

Most don’t contact me. I do give out my card to all so if I’m at one of these things and you find your photo at this site, I’m happy to send you a copy.

I will be at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto August 2023. Taking photos. Likely on Saturday.

With Photoshop AI it is so much easier to cut out the backgrounds and install my own. Saves me hours of work. And way more fun.

My biggest issue is that I don’t always know the characters and their references or world or history. I occasionally have to do a bit of research to get at least close to the correct background. The phone box for the ‘Dr Who’ photo is a photo I took on the property here. It is a prop for one of the events. Check out the Haunt Manor photos for more.

Character: Spider Man, Junko Enoshima, Dr Who, The Mandalorian...

Also, I’m open to suggestions for more appropriate backgrounds, etc.

Enjoy!

Apr

2023

Comic Con, Cosplay with a touch of Photoshop

Comic Con Calgary 2017 Update

I’ll be there, in Calgary, again in 2023. April. And in Toronto 2023. August.

Calgary Comic Con 2017 was definitely a riot of fun taking photos. I spent two days there photographing an unbelievable number of creative individuals with their costumes.

I started recently to figure out some stuff with Photoshop. I’m an old guy and didn’t grow up with digital workings so it never came to me naturally. Not like with my kids.

I had a vision of what I wanted with some of the photos that I was taking in Calgary at the ComicCon event. I’ve been practicing and finally am able to use Photoshop to get what I want. At least it is a beginning.

For me the photos here are a big win. Not terribly complicated with the steps I’m using. Just a lot of grunt work. Which I don’t really mind.

With Photoshop, I’ve tried several different techniques. The ‘Eraser’, ‘History’, ‘Clone’ and ‘Blur’ are my main tools. Bizarre but I never really ‘understood’ layers until more recently. Once I twigged that learning other techniques were not that complicated.

ComicCon is really a hoot for a photographer. The folks in costume really want to be photographed. So, as a photographer it is a real treat. Your models know their characters and naturally go into appropriate poses.

Now that I have a even better idea of what I want as an end product, I can photograph individuals from the angles and distances, with the poses that I need.

Best advice that I could ever give photographer: You don’t need a reason to create!

I hope I find as many willing Cosplayers this year as years past. As I said, I should be in Calgary - April 30th, 31st. Toronto in August, and hopefully, will be back in time for the Niagara Falls Comic Con in June. (I live in Niagara Falls, Ontario)

You can follow my escapades on Instagram

@martysroadtrip1

@portraits.by.martin

Hope you like the photos. I’ll be editing more and add them here on in future on the blog.

ComiCon FanExpo Niagara Falls, Ontario

Click for slide show

Comic Con Calgary 2017 Update