2015 Ottawa Comiccon is done! Photos below.
Dropbox Folder
Bonus: Youtube video of photo slideshow from the convention – this has every customer that came to us that week-end.
A few things to ponder for the next time…
We were non-stop busy, and we actually made money for the first time at a con – but still not enough to make it worth while in a foreign city due to travel and hotel costs.
So how do we make it worthwhile if we go, say, to Montreal or Toronto? Do we raise prices? I feel that our $20.00 price point is good. Maybe we just need to adjust the service a bit.
Do we do smaller venues to keep building brand awareness?
Do we offer different packages, so that the customers who take up more time pay more, proportionately?
I would like to expand on the service, and bring in someone to process photos while I shoot, and shoot while I take a process photos or take a break. But that means paying someone to come in and work, someone with skills.
One expansion would be to sell photo shoot packages outside of convention hall hours. For example, a cosplay group would hire me for 30 minutes after the exhibit hall closes, and we find a spot outside the hall to set up the shoot, like in a hallway or mall.
We should push the $50.00 week-end photo pass to people who come back more often, or who are in large groups. We did a few of those this week end, and I think the customers were very happy with the amount and quality of pictures.
Do we offer printed photos? I still think not. Good printers, ink and glossy paper are very expensive, not portable, and would require the photos to be processed on the spot before printing. I think what I offer is a little too involved to get all that done on the spot. And frankly, you can get your pics printed on your own right from your computer by going to Black’s or any other online printer.
The backdrop is a constant source of frustration. Before, I had a grey carpet, and cloth backdrop. The problem is the seam between the carpet and the backdrop – looks terrible. So for this con I got a disposable paper infinity wall, which puts a gentle curve behind the subjects. Black, unfortunately, marks up terribly with all of the white dust everywhere in that place – and the backdrop kept shifting and buckling, and in the end, for over $75.00, we didn’t have enough on the roll to do three setups. The last day, only the top half was fresh. So I think we will buy a grey cloth backdrop for the next time, and a steamer to get the wrinkles out.
Studio lights were also a source of ennui – the ones I use are very big, and require power. Before the next con, I will use the profits to purchase smaller, battery powered lights. The booth was just too crowded with all those lights.
I shoot tethered, which customers love. They can see a preview on the 27″ screen, and all the photos are downloaded to my Mac as they are shot – nothing stays on the camera. The cable is a pain, however. My next camera will be the Canon 6D, which has wireless built-in. I will explore wireless tethering for the next convention.
I need to advertise my other services more aggressively at the cons, too. I do weddings, parties, graduation and school portraits, regular and corporate portraits, action photography (sports, paintball, etc), family photos, pet photography, product photos, boudoir, cosplay, etc. I love doing backup shooter work on weddings and other events – candids are so much fun to capture. I am very good at directing models. Contact me for more info!
Does anyone have any other comments or suggestions?
Bonus: Day One Photos are in this video treat.
Please remember…
The photos are copyright Richard Dufault
I permit you to use these photos for personal use. If you use them for promotional purposes, you must give me credit. Use www.richarddufault.com as the credit.
If you want to use these photos for commercial purposes, or for reselling, let’s discuss. I am very reasonable.
If you find any of these photos offensive, please let me know.
If you don’t want anyone to see your photos, please let me know, and I’ll either send them to you via email, or create a private folder for you on Dropbox.
41 comments
Hello! I’m so excited you were offering this service at Ottawa Comic-Con. I was the “Supernatural” character, Castiel, on Saturday. I am just wondering when photos and magazine covers would be ready in the Dropbox? Thanks so much! <3.
The response from cosplayers was so strong that we got a lot busier than at any previous convention… that means we’re going to be a little slower than anticipated getting the images out. Working on them now. Your images will be ready by midnight on Monday night, and the Supernatural covers maybe the next night. Don’t worry, they will look great.
I just noticed the magazine cover you put up – it’s Castiel not Raziel 😉 but ooo, wings!
I know, mea culpa. I don’t know why I put that name down. I fixed it since then.
By the way, is that ok instead of a “magazine cover”? I sized it to fit an HD desktop.
It’s all perfect now that it’s been fixed! I’m using them for my Google+/Facebook header photos, :-).
Hi Richard,
Have not yet seen our pics, taken Saturday afternoon.
There were three of us in the shots: I was wearing brown overalls and a welder’s mask, my daughter was wearing a pink and white dress, my son a blue hoodie almost masking his face
Looking forward to seeing them via dropbox.
Thanks Again!
J
Yep, I remember you. Your daughter really liked the Big Gun. I hope to have yours done tonight. Thanks for your patience. We were busier than at any previous convention, and we thank you all. This means we are definitely going yo OCC next year. And getting help in the booth for turning the photos around more quickly.
Wow. We did really well at this convention, so thank you all. So far, as I prepare to go into a coma-like sleep, I leave the photos done and uploaded as of about 1:15 on Saturday. The next one up, tomorrow night, will be the photos of the huge gang of Marvel heroes plus Deadpool.
Thanks for the update, much appreciated. Glad to see that you will be a Ottawa CC again next year!
AND I see them! wonderful! great pics of all us.
I love the evil glint in my daughter’s eye as she tightens her hands around my neck……that evil look was photoshopped… right? Right!!??
“oh good morning my darling gi… aaaaawwk!” <>
thanks again
No, it’s all her. I have three daughters, and I never have to photoshop any glints into their eyes either. 🙂
Hey Richard!
I was with the Black Butler cosplay group, in the pink dress 🙂
I am just wondering when our photos will be ready, they were taken saturday afternoon :3
Thanks,
Karli
I’m going to turbo through the work tonight, hoping to have all the simpler ones ready by end of night.
Glad to hear that business was booming! I keep checking the drop box every two hours… SUPER excited to see my pink haired Catwoman photos. Any idea on when I should be expecting them? Im super impatient and cant help myself but ask!!
Thanks so much 🙂
I got your email – I can send them to you direct if you like. Is it still ok to put them on Dropbox and Facebook? I hope to have all the easy stuff done tonight. If you want the background changed, I can do that. How does $10.00 sound? Let me know, and let me know what background you want.
Perfect! I would love for you to email them to me and you can post them wherever youd like! I would also love for you to use your own judgement and pick and awesome suitable background for one of the pics where I am crouching 🙂 (I only want one background in one photo) as for paying you, you can email me with the photos and let me know how youd like me to pay! (No rush on the background one, I would really love to see the regulars asap ! )
Superduper excited.
Thank you SO much.
All righty. I put the images up – let me know what you think. I believe there is one crouching image I did not use. You want sort of a catwoman-ish background, like a city rooftop or an alley?
They are wonderful! Yes the crouching one with the whip around my leg… Id love to use that one for the background. (Your judgement tho if you think a different one is better then use it) And yes! I loved the one you did on the DC girls page , so something similar to that! I think id like to be higher up on a building rather then on the ground 🙂
Thanks again !!!! 🙂
Hi Richard,
I didn’t see our group photos in the Dropbox, we were the Black Butler Cosplay group (the ones that were to serious) and I was just wondering when they would be up ^_^
Thanks.
Time for bed. I have now done all of Friday and Saturday’s photos… except a certain Twilek Jedi still not finished. Will finish tomorrow night.
Super Job !!! Your are very talented at what you do !!! Keep it up the good work !
Hi Richard,
the pics are looking great, cant wait to see my Spike pics, will keep checking religiously until they are up. so far the work looks excellent.
Yours is literally the next one I am doing tonight. You were the first customer on Sunday, and I’m doing Sunday next.
The Pics look amazing, Hope to see you next year. Maybe at the Montreal Comiccon later this year.
😉
Cant wait to see my picks when will Sundays be done ?
All righty. Now to FINISH IT.
Hey! Awesome photos! I know I was at your booth getting photos done as well. I was the white haired Harley Quinn with the tall boots and striped stockings! If you could post those, that would be perfect! Thank you so much, you’re very talented in photography!
Everything looks fantastic per usual! I can’t wait to see our pictures 🙂 (We were the creepy dolls and the blue cat with the ladybug shell-butt 😛 )
Thank you so much for coming to OOC! I love having the opportunity to take quality pictures at a convention 😀
Can’t wait to see how the pictures came out ^^
All righty. It’s all done but for a few stragglers. I will contact those to let them know how soon their images will be done. I still have Ocarina and Twilek to finish, among others. I appreciate your collective patience on this. I am thinking about Montreal, and I am also thinking about Niagara Falls Comiccon in a month… if they can find me space for a booth.
Hi Richard,
Fantastic photos! So glad you were at Comicon to help capture the work gone into the all those costumes.
Next year I’ll look to pull some other characters in, to do group shots. Thanks for those with both genders of Wolverine. Great suggestion. They look awesome.
I plan on contacting the organizers about having major theme group photos be part of the weekend as I discussed with you. Hope you can get some benefit out of it with the booth rate if not only the promotion of your service to attendees.
Thanks again,
Steven
a.k.a. Logan / Wolverine
Every time I do a wolverine shoot, I want to recreate some of the iconic Wolverine moments. I think one of the top three moments of all time, cinematically, for me, was when Wolverine pinned that guy to the fridge in X-Men 2. Such a simple trick. Snick/snick, the guy screams, then drops, and there are 6 holes in the fridge. It would have been awesome to grab a random cosplayer dressed in black tactical gear and do that scene in closeup. Oh well, next time.
For the next cons, I plan to offer “after hours” shoots. I have just ordered a pair of battery-powered studio lights to replace the huge ones I was using, and that will allow me to go mobile with lights to do those big group shots outside of the booth.
Hello Richard,
I had my picture taken on Sunday right after the woman who cos-played Han Solo. I noticed her pictures have been uploaded yet mine have not. I cos-played one of the classic doctors from Doctor Who if you remember.
Just wondering if you missed the pictures or if they will be soon uploaded.
Thanks
Looking at the images, I had Dr. Who with the fez and the mop. Was that you?
All righty – Hanna Solo messed with my mind, and I missed what came next. You’re the doctor with the celery! Photos are uploading now.
Yes! that’s me, thank you.
hello i was wondering where i could find the pictures that were taken at comicon on the Sunday at Ottawa comicon i was cat woman and i was told it would be posted and i cannot find it
Howdy. The links are all here: http://www.richarddufault.com/2014/05/09/2014-ottawa-comiccon-photos/
I also just posted a video, including all of our clients from that week-end. The video is here: http://youtu.be/LTssiZaY318
The dropbox link is not working
I have updated the link to the dropbox folder. Here it is in case you can’t get back to the page: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/m3xfjih6oi5bka6/AAB-xdTX3V_U8xzShOc7fu4na?dl=0