sunpech.blog

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

BlizzCon 2013

This past weekend I attended BlizzCon at the Anaheim Convention Center. I had a blast taking photos of cosplayers. I must say that Blizzard fans are some of the most dedicated super fans I've ever met. They love the games, the stories, and are really, really into the craft of cosplay. Other than at Anime Expo, these guys have the best cosplay I've ever seen.

This year there was some news on all fronts, minus Warcraft 3 and some other older games of course. The biggest news and events were of the following:

Warcraft movie is being filmed in Vancouver.
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls
World of Warcraft expansion
Starcraft II: WCS Finals
Heroes of the Storm (MOBA-game, formerly Blizzard All-Stars and Dota)

The last time I attended BlizzCon was in 2011. I've been dying to attend for two years since last year (2012) they didn't have one. Two years ago, I took photos with my Canon 60D, but was just starting to learn about photography. This year I went in more equipped and knowledgeable with what I wanted to photograph.

I've learned now that the area outside is the best place for photographers to hang out to take pictures of cosplayers. The convention floor is just too dark to get the shots that I wanted. A flash is almost necessary.

You may have noticed that I'm putting watermarks in my photos now. I've mentioned before that I don't like watermarks because they make photos, the art, a bit ugly. I'll probably have another blog post covering why I'm going in that direction now.

Anyway, below are some of my favorite pictures. To see more, follow me on my Facebook photography page.

BlizzCon 2013 (general cosplay, most pictures from Friday)
BlizzCon 2013 Contests (cosplay contest and other performances).

Convention and Panels Photos

Michael Morhaime (Blizzard president and co-founder)

Lots of food trucks both days

Starcraft 2 WCS tournament

Heroes of the Storm panel

Cosplay Photos

Alexei Stukov (Starcraft 2)

Kerrigan (Starcraft 2)

Monika Lee as a demon hunter from Diablo III

Lindsay Elyse cosplaying a blood elf

Jarod Nwbzpwnr as the South Park WoW griefer in Make Love, Not Warcraft episode

Jessica Nigri as a blood elf

Another blood elf (hired by Blizzard)

BlizzCon Contests Photos

Jay Mohr (@jaymohr37) was the host

1st runner up

Grand Prize winner of the cosplay contest: Kamui Cosplay

Monday, October 24, 2011

BlizzCon 2011

Over the weekend I went with my sister and friends to check out BlizzCon at the Anaheim Convention Center. Obviously we're all fans of the games that Blizzard Entertainment make, and it was everyone's first time attending. We had a blast!

It was a very tiring two days (Friday and Saturday, Oct 21-22, 2011). Doors opened around 9-9:30am, and the events lasted until midnight! I went around and snapped photos as much as I could, while attending some panels and Starcraft 2 tournaments. Some of the costume designs were extraordinary. Major props to the fans that hand made their own costumes.

On Friday, was the day attendees wore the intricate costumes. Major announcements were made as well as the GSL (Global Starcraft League) finals. IM_MVP and SlayersS_MMA were the finalists with the Terran vs Terran matchup. I was cheering for the underdog, MMA, who won.

On Saturday, the lines for the game demos were much longer. A lot more kids also came out too, as the previous day is a school day. I took it easier and watched more SC2 matches until the BlizzCon finals came up, pitting IM_MVP (Terran) against IM_Nestea (Zerg). Of course I cheered on the underdog as well as the Zerg player. The closing ceremony was fantastic, as the Foo Fighters came out to perform!

Overall, a super fun convention gathering the largest set of loyal game fans under one roof. I plan to attend next year!

The full album can be found here.

Here are some of my favorite pictures I took: