*A+ Cosplay Updated - 06/06/2009.*
*Featured Cosplayer updated - 05/17/2009*

It's been a while since I tossed out a journal entry so here we go. I've been doing a lot of soul searching on the whole Cosplay Photography thing and trying to motivate myself to do it in 2010. I never thought the idea of selling off my camera and moving on to something else would ever enter my mind but it has a few times recently. Of course, I've slapped that evil idea back into the closet, for now. I love cosplay and I love cosplay photography. I think what my problem is that I am not enjoying the type of cosplay that is out there right now and part of that is because I haven't watched a new anime show in almost two years and I am not up on any of the characters. I have sampled episodes but I have not committed to buying any of them because frankly I don't like the kind of anime that is on the shelves right now, at least not the main stream stuff that EVERYBODY and their Cousin wants to cosplay; FMA, Bleach, Naruto, Death Note... For the most part, I find the characters very bland to shoot from a photography point of few. All the L's, and the Bleach squads and the ninjas that are in no way shape or form ninjas... they are just not interesting to me and so when I have to do a photoshoot from one of these series I produce less than stellar photo work. I wish these series would die out... just go away... the anime industry needs something.. earth shattering to reenergize it.

So, with that said, it is time for me to put my foot down for my own sake. I don't want to get burned out and walk away from cosplay permanently. So I am implementing a BAN list for myself. This list is subject to additions as I get burned out on doing photos from that series. For now, I will no longer take scheduled photoshoot requests from the following series:

O - Full Metal Alchemist
O - Naruto
O - Bleach
O - Death Note
O - Any Character that wears just plain clothes you can buy at a Walmart (If your not sure, let me see a photo of the character you want. I'll accept or reject at my personal discretion)

Now, for cons in 2010. Con hoping is becoming far too expensive for me to maintain. My credit is maxed. My income is BREAK EVEN with the crappy economy and this is not going to improve in 2010. Don't let Congress and Super Obama fool you. It will HOPEFULLY remain the same at the very least and maybe improve in the 4th quarter. But for now, don't get your hopes up. With that said, I need to focus on getting my debt reduced to ZERO. This means dropping almost every con. As it stands now, I have plans to do just one con; AnimeFest. Others might pop on if a miracle occurs between now and then. I might ‘Ghost’ a few local cons too if the prospect of good cosplay photography opportunities present themselves.

Most of my photo work in 2010 will come from private shoots with Dallas/Fort Worth cosplay locals. My camera will thank me for this as it is in need of service now. It's filthy on the inside (dust spots on all my photos now) and I think my flashgun is finally starting to wear out. It's eating batteries for lunch which means a power short in all likelihood and of course I have no money to service said camera or replace the gun. So when it goes out that's it for photography period for however long it takes to get a new unit.

For those curious about where the heck their photos are from AnimeFest and Onicon... The lack of motivation has caused me to really not want to work on photos when I get home from a crappy day at work. It feels too much like work when it is suppose to be fun so I have been dragging my feet. I wanted to be done with all photos before 2009 was up but I don't know if I can achieve that with just 10 days to go. I want to at least get AnimeFest out of the way before 2010 rolls up on me. The list below is what I have left for AnimeFest. I am going to try and push through 5 shoots today as I have already done the prelim work on tossing out the garbage shots I know I won't use. There are about 46 photos to do today. I think I can handle that.

Check out my new poll too and answer if you can. I need to know if I am wasting my time.

PHOTOSHOOTS LEFT FOR ANIMEFEST
==============================
Soul Eater (Blackstar and Death) - TBD
Phoenix Wright (Jean, Maya and Maggey) - TBD
Orochimaru - TBD
Coraline and Wybie - TBD
Repo! The Genetic Opera - TBD
Iris/Dhalia - TBD
Summer Lolita - TBD
Frollo - TBD
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni - TBD
D. Greman (Lenalee and Friends) - TBD
Left 4 Dead Mass Shoot - TBD
Chihiro - TBD
Rainbow Brite - TBD
Ume - TBD

*A+ Cosplay Updated - 06/06/2009.*
*Featured Cosplayer updated - 05/17/2009*

Still chugging along. Holidays are getting busy and delaying me further. I hope to have all of AnimeFest 2009 photos done by the 1st of Decemember. Only 1800 more photos to look at. Then I have to bust out photos from Onicon (aka Sailor Moon TF2 CON) and then I can finish off the year with my private Moment of Zen III photoshoot I did at the Fort Worth water gardens at the beginning of Novemember.

A word on 2010. As 2009 comes to a close (THANK GOD. What a SUCKTASTIC year for me...) plans are forming for 2010. Right now only ACEN in May and AnimeFest in September are confirmed conventions for me. This may be the only cons I attend. My financial situation has gotten so bad that I can barely afford to pay my bills and put any food in the fridge. I haven't had a full tank of gas in weeks. Con hoping is just not in the immediate future unfortunately. A-Kon is a possible but I won't officially 'BE' at the con. I figure it's just up the road from me at least I can drive up during the day to do photowork.

Who knows. Maybe I'll win a bazillion dollars next year, start my own con and live happily ever after. Here's hoping 2010 doesn't suck.

============================================================

As far as AnimeFest photos, the following list will be updated each time I complete a set. The projected completion date of the set and its posting on Otakuhigh.com are listed. These are projected and will change if I get behind or get ahead.)

PHOTO PRODUCTION SCHEDULE (Projected, Not Actual)
=========================
Gurren Lagann - COMPLETE
DC Villains - COMPLETE
Elisbeta - COMPLETE
Kuroshitsuji - COMPLETE
Decora Girls - COMPLETE
Mobster Lolitas - COMPLETE
Hikaru - COMPLETED
Princess Serenity - COMPLETED
Graverobber - COMPLETE
Tenchi Muyo - COMPLETE
Sailor Moon (Chibi, Sernity, Mamoru) - COMPLETE
Izzy - COMPLETE
Soul Evans - COMPLETE
Starbuck - COMPLETE
Nono - COMPLETE
Fatal Frame - COMPLETE
Vampire Knight - COMPLETE
FF8 (Zell and Library Girl) - COMPLETE
Soul Eater (Blackstar and Death) - TBD
Phoenix Wright (Jean, Maya and Maggey) - TBD
Orochimaru - TBD
Coraline and Wybie - TBD
Repo! The Genetic Opera - TBD
Iris/Dhalia - TBD
Summer Lolita - TBD
Frollo - TBD
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni - TBD
D. Greman (Lenalee and Friends) - TBD
Left 4 Dead Mass Shoot - TBD
Chihiro - Nov. TBD
Rainbow Brite - TBD
Ume - Nov. TBD

*A+ Cosplay Updated - 06/06/2009.*
*Featured Cosplayer updated - 05/17/2009*

Well I am back from Onicon in Houston and wasn't real impressed with what they had done to the place. The last time I went was in 2007 when it was at the George R. Brown convention center. When it was there it was a bit too spaced out but that is fine by me. It is better to have too much space then not enough and that is exactly the problem Onicon suffered from at this new location. The hotel was just too small and from a photographer's point of view, a terrible place to shoot. There was no where to shoot indoors and there was nothing truly eye popping outdoors either. The best place I found to shoot was at the restruaunt row a block from the hotel but even that had its issues.

The lack of locales and the over crowdedness made me so uninspired that I didn't do a lot of photo work this weekend. What I did do though, despite the con and its many shortcomings, was have fun.

Friday, I changed the name of the con to Sailor Moon Con because most of my photos I did throughout the day were Sailor Moon related which I never get tired of.

On Saturday the con got renamed again to Team Fortress 2 Con because I spent most of the day and night hanging out with the TF2 group doing all manner of crazed TF2 related antics. Had a blast!

So once again, a con proves itself Sucktastic but the people I met, the new friends aquired and the old friends I raised hell with made it worth the trip. I have a feeling that Onicon will not be at that hotel next year. It got trashed, an officer was assaulted and the usual idiots destroyed and defaced the hotel.

Some shoutouts to the special peeps I chilled with this weekend:
----------------------------------------------------------------
CrescentBunny - Hehehehehe... Got to see you all weekend unlike usual. I loved playing with your heart light board. Nothing like shouting into your boobs to start a light show worthy of Mordor. XD

Nick and Erin - You my friends are awesome. Thank you for the room and the good company! We shared a life and death moment at Chilie's together that has strengthened our bonds of friendship. Food poisoning at the hands of our host! What a jerk off! @_@ Erin, your outfit was stunning! Your best work yet! You shoulda got an award! You get one from me! Nick, my IT man with the master plan... save my computer from AIDS! T_T

Count D - You make Chinese Dresses sexy. You are always fun to hang with and we are going to raise hell at MechCon in the Big Easy next year.

Ian - You make kimonos sexy. Sorry you got the raw deal from the con. @_@ Organization was seriously lacking. On to the next con, yes? See you soon my friend!

Donnelisa - Curse you and your puppy dog eyes. I said NO to MechaCon in 2010 and you made me say yes. You are a siren. Love working with you girl and I hope your girl loves the photos we did at 2 in the morning. ^_^ Sailor Moon forever!

Holly - Onicon FAIL.. TF2 Con WIN! Didn't get much time to play at AFest because of scheduling but I think we made up for that at TF2 Con, ne!? Had a blast all day with you and the TF2 crew.

Miyu - It was great to meet you finally. There are three Master Level cosplayers I've always wanted to meet and you were one of them. Two down, one to go! Photos look stunning!

All the Cosplayers that Shot With Me - You are what I come for! It was great meet new faces and do some photo magic! To those I already know, good to see you again! Keep the costumes coming!

And with that... my 2009 con season is concluded. I might make a show at Yulecon for a day but no promises. It's nothing but private shoots until next year. I have no idea what I am going to do in 2010 for cons. I said I was going to take time off and I am. I will not have a very busy schedule for next year (Unless people want to house me for free ) as I need to pay down some bills and restore my savings account. For now, I know that I am going to ACEN in Chicago and AnimeFest in Dallas. There is a high chance that I will hit MechaCon in New Orleans as well thanks to the smooth talking of Donnelisa and Justin. But beyond that I can say no more. Many want me to come to Ikkicon but that's too early in the year this time around and no money for the trip or the stay. If I suddenly get rich I'll reevalute the sitatuion but until then don't expect much from me in 2010 con wise.

Okay! BACK TO WORK!

============================================================

As far as AnimeFest photos, the following list will be updated each time I complete a set. The projected completion date of the set and its posting on Otakuhigh.com are listed. These are projected and will change if I get behind or get ahead.)

PHOTO PRODUCTION SCHEDULE (Projected, Not Actual)
=========================
Gurren Lagann - COMPLETE
DC Villains - COMPLETE
Elisbeta - COMPLETE
Kuroshitsuji - COMPLETE
Decora Girls - COMPLETE
Mobster Lolitas - COMPLETE
Hikaru - COMPLETED
Princess Serenity - COMPLETED
Graverobber - COMPLETE
Tenchi Muyo - COMPLETE
Sailor Moon (Chibi, Sernity, Mamoru) - COMPLETE
Izzy - COMPLETE
Soul Evans - COMPLETE
Starbuck - COMPLETE
Nono - TBD
Fatal Frame - TBD
Vampire Knight - TBD
Soul Eater (Blackstar and Death) - TBD
Phoenix Wright (Jean, Maya and Maggey) - TBD
Orochimaru - TBD
Coraline and Wybie - TBD
Repo! The Genetic Opera - TBD
Iris/Dhalia - TBD
Summer Lolita - TBD
Frollo - TBD
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni - TBD
D. Greman (Lenalee and Friends) - TBD
Left 4 Dead Mass Shoot - TBD
Chihiro - Nov. TBD
Rainbow Brite - TBD
Ume - Nov. TBD

*A+ Cosplay Updated - 06/06/2009.*
*Featured Cosplayer updated - 05/17/2009*

Made the jump to Windows 7. Absoltey stunning work (FINALLY) from Microsoft. I am in the process of reloading all my software back in and that will take up the rest of the day for Friday so I won't get to resume photo editing till Sunday. Photo schedule updated with new projected times.

Get Win7 if you are looking to shed off the old (WinXP) or the crappy (Vista). They finally got it right in my opinion. All PCs in my house have been converted to Win7. Easy setup for home network, all hardware is functional. Boot up times are impressive and shutting down doesn't make you grow a beard while waiting.

Aero Shake and Snap are two of my favorite new features. WHOOT! Can't wait to play with it some more after work today.

============================================================

As far as AnimeFest photos, the following list will be updated each time I complete a set. The projected completion date of the set and its posting on Otakuhigh.com are listed. These are projected and will change if I get behind or get ahead.)

PHOTO PRODUCTION SCHEDULE (Projected, Not Actual)
=========================
Gurren Lagann - COMPLETE
DC Villains - COMPLETE
Elisbeta - COMPLETE
Kuroshitsuji - COMPLETE
Decora Girls - COMPLETE
Mobster Lolitas - COMPLETE
Hikaru - COMPLETED
Princess Serenity - COMPLETED
Graverobber - Oct. 29th
Tenchi Muyo - Oct. 29th
Sailor Moon (Chibi, Sernity, Mamoru) - TBD
Izzy - TBD
Soul Evans - TBD
Starbuck - TBD
Nono - TBD
Fatal Frame - TBD
Vampire Knight - TBD
Soul Eater (Blackstar and Death) - TBD
Phoenix Wright (Jean, Maya and Maggey) - TBD
Orochimaru - TBD
Coraline and Wybie - TBD
Repo! The Genetic Opera - TBD
Iris/Dhalia - TBD
Summer Lolita - TBD
Frollo - TBD
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni - TBD
D. Greman (Lenalee and Friends) - TBD
Left 4 Dead Mass Shoot - TBD
Chihiro - Nov. TBD
Rainbow Brite - TBD
Ume - Nov. TBD

*A+ Cosplay Updated - 06/06/2009.*
*Featured Cosplayer updated - 05/17/2009*

To those wondering where I’ve been and why no photos have shown up at Otakuhigh.com in over two weeks I must simply say I have been very much not in the mood to do photo work. It’s the first time I’ve felt burned out in 5 years so I took a break from photos to work on something I’ve put off for too long… my book.

I’ve spent the last few weeks writing again, something I gave up years ago when I started having a writing disorder that frustrated me greatly. On top of that, almost everything I have written has either been lost, damaged or destroyed but my girlfriend convinced me to try again and not worry about the writing disorder. That’s what proofreaders are for so I am at it again finally and I made a lot of progress. Four chapters in the bucket and ready for more but starting today, Monday the 12th, I am getting back to photos. I am going to shoot for releasing two photoshoot sets a day until I am done. Up next will be Elite Beat Divas and Ferngully; The Last Rain Forest. I am excited to work on both.

I’ll be hitting up Onicon this Halloween but I am going retro and will not be offering sign ups. I am going to do it the way I once did. I will wander the con with my camera and when I spot an outfit I find interesting I will mug the cosplayer and drag them off for a photoshoot. The benefit of shooting like this is that I end up shooting a larger variety of cosplayers and the big advantage is I get to shoot what I want and since I am not locked into a schedule I can hang up the lens at any time to hang out with my girlfriend and con friends that I usually do not have the luxury of doing when I am doing scheduled shoot work. So, if you are hitting Onicon and want a shoot, I’ll find you. If you have some insanely awesome outfit you just HAVE to have shot and you think I’ll be blown away by it shoot me a note and I’ll see but don’t get put off if I deny a scheduled shoot. It’s old school rules this con!
============================================================

As far as AnimeFest photos, the following list will be updated each time I complete a set. The projected completion date of the set and its posting on Otakuhigh.com are listed. These are projected and will change if I get behind or get ahead.)

PHOTO PRODUCTION SCHEDULE (Projected, Not Actual)
=========================
Gurren Lagann - COMPLETE
DC Villains - COMPLETE
Elisbeta - COMPLETE
Kuroshitsuji - COMPLETE
Decora Girls - Oct. 16th
Mobster Lolitas - Oct. 16th
Hikaru - Oct. 18th
Princess Serenity - Oct. 18th
Graverobber - Oct. 19th
Tenchi Muyo - Oct. 19th
Sailor Moon (Chibi, Sernity, Mamoru) - Oct. 20th
Izzy - Oct. 21st
Soul Evans - Oct. 26th
Starbuck - Oct. 26th
Nono - Oct. 27th
Fatal Frame - Ovt. 27th
Vampire Knight - Oct. 28th
Soul Eater (Blackstar and Death) - Oct. 28th
Phoenix Wright (Jean, Maya and Maggey) - Nov. 2nd
Orochimaru - Nov. 3rd
Coraline and Wybie - Nov. 4th
Repo! The Genetic Opera - Nov. 5th
Iris/Dhalia - Nov. 6th
Summer Lolita - Nov. 6th
Frollo - Nov. 8th
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni - Nov. 8th
D. Greman (Lenalee and Friends) - Nov. 9th
Left 4 Dead Mass Shoot - Nov. 10th
Chihiro - Nov. 11th
Rainbow Brite - Nov. 11th
Ume - Nov. 11th