Summary: No, unfortunately, this isn't Part 2 of "Anime on the Cheap" that I've been promising. Things have been just too hectic and I haven't been able to finish the research for this. However, I think you'll like this just the same. Think of it as a special Winter Holiday Season present from us to you. We're coming up on a new year, which means of course a new year of Anime Conventions! And what do we like to do at anime conventions? (Besides the obvious of course) Take PICTURES!!! To that end, friend of the show Dave "KirinDave" Fayram and I, being enthusiastic amateur photographers, decided to get together and share some of our favorite tips and techniques for getting those awesome cosplay shots that everybody fawns over. Speaking of conventions, Anime Los Angeles is coming up real soon now… Friday through Sunday, January 8-10, 2010, to be precise. Perhaps I will see you there? (look for the clueless looking guy handing out Otaku no Podcast business cards…) Today's Theme: "Shutter Speed" by Shinkichi Mitsumune (opening theme for the US release of Speed Grapher) (Fun fact: the 'real' theme for Speed Grapher is "Girls on Film" by Duran Duran; however, FUNimation was unable to secure rights to the song for the US release of Speed Grapher.) Cameras: Point and Shoot - Canon PowerShot G11, Panasonic Lumix LX3, Sigma DP2 DSLR - Canon Digital Rebel XS, Nikon D40 Micro 4/3 - Olympus E-P2 Lenses: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Canon EF 35mm f/2 Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Tamron AF 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD IF (for Canon) (for Nikon) Photojojo Fisheye Lens Adapter Flashes: Canon Speedlite 580EX II Canon ST-E2 Speedlite Transmitter Nikon SB-900 AF Speedlight Flash Orbis ring flash Bags/Straps/Etc.: Domke F-5XB Blackrapid RS-4 Scott E Vest photo vests Books: The Digital Photography Book, by Scott Kelby. A good book about digital photography, done in a "cookbook" style - rather than going into lengthy discussions of exposure theory and ISO and whatnot, a particular type of picture is presented with the "recipe" (type of lens, camera settings, any special gear required, etc.) for getting that type of shot. The Digital Photography Companion, by Derrick Story. A good general purpose digital photography book. The Hot Shoe Diaries, by Joe McNally. Joe McNally is one of the premier authorities on the use of small strobes for creative lighting. Websites: Photography Exposure Basics Strobist - another excellent resource for those interested in exploring the creative lighting possibilities of small off-camera strobes. LensRentals.com - one of the best gear rental sites I've found. Great selection, great prices, absolutely stellar service. One guy's outrageous portable lighting rig CHDK - free third-party firmware for many Canon point-and-shoots that enhances their functionality by adding many controls such as shutter-priority, aperture-priority, RAW, live histogram, and more Our Picks: Me - The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (season 1) (season 2), Denno Coil Dave - Time of Eve, Kurosaki Corpse Delivery Service Our Links: Me - DonaldBurr.com, Twitter Dave - Flickr, Tumblr, Twitter, XKCD Explained
