Master Chief! -- Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 @ f/2.8 ISO 800 1/250th SB-800 hotshoe mounted
Long time friend and adopted mom, Ann, is high up in the Stone Hill SF Association which puts on the great Necronomicon convention, "Florida's Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Convention." Long ago I went to a Necronomicon, perhaps 1994, and had a great time, my first real exposure to such a science fiction culture and community. For Necronomicon 2010, photography gigs prevented me from really attending it, but I was able to at least stop by for an hour, visit Ann and of course make some photographs!
Master Chief (above) was a great surprise to me. In Japan, some friends and I had a Sunday night ritual of playing Halo 3 (after vigorous physicial exercise earlier, not all day inside!). In normal light, you could not see the guy's eyes under the visor. He said this was his first attempt at making the Master Chief costume. He used styrofoam because he knew once he worked out the kinks, he would then invest in more permanent materials to make the final version.
A very chill zombieZombies, according to their recent increase in popularity in pop culture, were well represented at Necronomicon 2010. There were even forces to counter them. Fortunately, all the zombies I encountered were nowhere near ravenous and actually rather sedate.
A very loyal fanThroughout the convention a number of panels and speakers, of varying popularity, were going on in adjacent rooms. Even though the panel in the above photo was not greatly attended, the people that were there listened intently to every word the two panelists were saying about anime.
Had visions of grandeur trying to make this image and it being some kind of cultural statement, haOne could sign up for a try in the gaming room and a chance for glory. In my quick visit in there some really young boy was talking trash to an adult letting him know how he was going to frag him before he did it.
I cannot fathom how long it takes to set this game upI have played a few complex board games in my life (Puerto Rico, Shogun, etc.), but I had no idea there were board games as complex as the one in the photo above. I really wish I would have asked someone how long it takes to get setup to play! It would have to be at least an hour with a whole group knowing what they were doing. Maybe the game is actually just setting up the game??
He must have had some interesting safaris in his timeEven the musical instruments get costumes at Necronomicon 2010! The above fellow and his two bandmates attracted an assortment of "dancers," which still photographs could not do justice to.
A zombie ghost hybrid perhaps? -- Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/2.8 ISO 800 1/320th SB-800 hotshoe mountedHopefully next year my calendar will be free and I can really attend Necronomicon, visit more old friends, avoid zombies, and of course make a few more photographs.
Ribbon Cutting for American Momentum Bank in St. Petersburg EventAmerican Momentum Bank is located at a great corner location in downtown St. Petersburg. I photographed the ribbon cutting ceremony sponsored by the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce. It was a very well attended Thursday evening event. The marketing team did their jobs well. It was one of the liveliest crowds I have seen at a networking event too.
New St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce CEO Chris Steinocher addresses the attendeesI am normally quite shy at these networking events, but even I talked to at least five people at length. It helped that I met the manager of the bank a few weeks earlier at another networking event and he took a liking to me. He was very generous with introducing me to people at the event trying to help me get new photography clients. It was greatly appreciated.
I was glad these people requested a photo because I loved that lady's glassesThe crowd was a mix of the regulars you see attending Chamber networking events, bank employees and their guests, as well as clients of the bank (pictured above). It was a very fun, productive, and tasty (sweet dates) event to photograph!
