Manual Shoot

Stereopony Rocks Santa Ana, CA

Stereopony (ステレオポニー) 

Aimi (vocals/lead guitar) - Shiho (drums) - Nohana (bass guitar)

April 12, 2012 in Santa Ana, CA – Stereopony rocked the Yost Theater on Thursday night in front of an enthusiastic crowd.  Before the shakedown, I met a couple hardcore Stereopony fans who traveled to see every US concert of the tour. These were very exciting times for the fans who finally got their chance to see Stereopony live in SoCal.  Armed with glow sticks, the audience whole-heartedly welcomed the Japanese rock band with cheers.  Santa Ana marked the last US stop for Stereopony as they headed back to Japan the following week to complete their More! More!! More!!! tour.  Once again, Stereopony played a number of fan favorites including Hanbunko and Sweet Blue as well as Stand by Me (ending theme to the anime sequel Eureka Seven AO).  During a concert break between songs, Shiho (drummer) talked to the crowd in English.  Since Shiho is so beloved by the fans, they began completing her sentences.  Shiho busted out with laughs and big smiles.  It was a quite a cherished moment.

I also had a chance to meet the band during the autograph session after the concert.  They remembered me from Sakura-Con in Seattle five days prior to that evening which definitely made my night.  In a short conversation with Aimi, she thanked me for coming to their concerts and expressed how happy the band was to tour the West Coast US.  I thoroughly enjoyed the concert.  Their tunes are so catchy that I found myself humming some of them on my drive back to San Diego.  Can’t wait to see them again on their next US visit.

Michael Cabusi

Stereopony concert gallery in Santa Ana, CA - http://gallery.manualshoot.com/Concerts/Stereopony-Yost-Theater-in/22491343_qVcs8Q

Wakeshima Kanon concert @ Sakura-Con 2012

April 7, 2012 in Seattle, WA – Wakeshima Kanon (分島 花音) graces the stage at Sakura-Con with her musical talents.  This beautiful singer and cellist from Tokyo, Japan began playing cello at age 3.  From middle school to high school, she began singing and at 19 yrs of age, she debuted her first single “Still Doll”; the ending theme for the anime Vampire Knight.  Later that year, Wakeshima released a second single “Suna no Oshiro” which was used for the ending theme of the anime series Guilty (second season).  One notable characteristic about Wakeshima is her love for lolita fashion.  She can easily be found in magazines, videos and even her music CD wearing lolita dresses.  In a single word, I would describe Wakeshima Kanon as lovely.  After attending her concert at Sakura-Con, I can only say that we will definitely see more of this unique singer-lolita-cellist in the future.

Click here or on the photos above for Manual Shoot’s Wakeshima Kanon concert gallery.  http://gallery.manualshoot.com/Concerts/Wakeshima-Kanon-at-Sakura-Con/22385290_MR8TDs

Sakura-Con 2012

Despite the chilly weather on the first day, we received a warm welcome from Sakura-Con. Sakura-con was a three days convention at Seattle, Washington. This year, the convention was held at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center.  Located in downtown Seattle, we were surrounded by many stores, tourist attractions, and restaurants.  One of our favorite restaurants was MOD Pizza.  I really wish we had one here in Cali.  We also had a chance on check out Pikes Place on day zero. 

We were very impressed by the convention center.  It is relatively huge compared to a lot of conventions in California. Being the 3rd largest anime con on the west coast, there was a lot of room for both indoor and outdoor photoshoots. But what stood out to us the most was the Artist Alley and Dealers’ Hall room.  Not only it was quite large with variety of booths, but there was also a lot of space between each aisle and the room was brightly lit.

Just like Fanime, we were very pleased to see that Sakura-Con ran 24/7, meaning more time for us to take pictures and enjoy all the activities it provided. The dance room every night was also amazing, with astonishing music, AMV, and sound system. We were able to use the convention center to its full extend. The Sakura-con and convention center staff were also very friendly and helpful.

With attendance nearing 20,000, we were able to meet cospalyers from all across the United States and other countries. And of course we got some great pictures of them and did some photoshoots! We also attended the Stereopony concert and Kanon Wakeshima concert, as well as, the h.NAOTO fashion show.

Event album: http://gallery.manualshoot.com/Events/Conventions/Sakura-Con-2012/22368310_svpSRV

Photoshoot album: Still in Progress

h.NAOTO fashion show: http://gallery.manualshoot.com/Events/Fashion/hnaoto-fashion-show-at-Sakura/22385924_pZ8xKK

Wakashima Kanon concert: http://gallery.manualshoot.com/Events/Concerts/Wakeshima-Kanon-at-Sakura-Con/22385290_MR8TDs

Stereopony concert: http://gallery.manualshoot.com/Events/Concerts/Stereopony-in-Seattle-2012/22370151_jQmXpb

Martin Wong and Michael Cabusi

Manual Shoot

Stereopony @ Sakura-Con 2012

Stereopony ステレオポニー

Aimi (vocals/lead guitar) - Nohana (bass) - Shiho (drums)

On April 6^th, 2012, Stereopony performed their first West Coast concert at Sakura-Con 2012 in the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA. The all-girl rock band from Okinawa, Japan blew up the stage in front hundreds of fans Friday night to lead their first US tour.  This was a very exciting time for me (Cabusi) since I have been an adoring Stereopony fan for years.  Butterflies filled my stomach as Stereopony laid down tracks such as Tsukiakari no Michishirube (“Over the Border” album and opening theme for the anime Darker than Black: Ryūsei no Gemini), Hitohira no Hanabira (“A Hydrangea Blooms” album and 17^th ending theme for the Bleach anime series), and Namida no Mukou (“A Hydrangea Blooms” album and 2^nd opening theme for second season Mobile Suit Gundam 00).  After speaking with many of their fans, they were really happy to see Stereopony because most have only heard their songs in anime themes.  Finally, we on the West Coast US have the opportunity to see them perform live.  Below are the concert dates in California.  I encourage everyone to come to their performances.  You’ll love it :D

April 10 (Tue): San Francisco – Slim’s: www.slims-sf.com

April 11 (Wed): Hollywood-Los Angeles – Key Club: www.keyclub.com

April 12 (Thu): Santa Ana – YOST Theater: www.yosttheater.com

Stereopony concert gallery link by Cabusi of manual shoot. 

Click —-> ステレオポニー

Michael Cabusi

manual shoot

Event Coverage: ComCom 2012

ComCom 2012 was our first convention outside of USA and it was a blast. ComCom was a one day convention but it was packed with awesomeness. As soon as the day began, we saw a lot of exciting fans waiting outside. We were thrilled to see the variety of cosplays, and also the amount of energy the people had. The masquerade was very impressive to say the least; the amount of effort and preparation they put in was incredible.

We had the honor to do a presentation on cosplay photography with AndyRak, and met a lot of enthusiastic local photographers. We were also able to do a workshop, which allowed people to take pictures with us. It was a joy to learn side-by-side with other photographers and share experiences.

And of course we got to do some photoshoots with Jennifer and Johnny again. They were the judges for the masquerade along with the amazing Yaya Han. We had the chance to do a quick photoshoot with Yaya Han, and we were impressed by her fantastic Ame-Comi Wonder Woman cosplay. Not only did Yaya make an excellent cosplay, she also showed the utmost professionalism during our photoshoots.

Event Album: http://gallery.manualshoot.com/Events/Conventions/ComCom-2012/22249695_ZwXj7X

Wonder Woman (Yaya Han): http://gallery.manualshoot.com/Photoshoots/Goddess-of-Themyscira/22370462_jn5F7s 

Martin Wong

Event Coverage: Anime Conji in San Diego, CA

Anime Conji Photo Gallery Link

Anime  Conji is definitely growing.  Despite having to compete with Wondercon in Anaheim that weekend, Anime Conji had a pretty good attendance for only being a 3 yr old con.  The con was finally moved into the Town & Country Convention Center this year.

It was a really sad weekend for cosplay photography during Conji.  Saturday and Sunday was cold, raining, and extremely windy.  The location was gorgeous with many tight locations to choose from, however, the rain and wind just killed all outdoor photography.  In the convention center itself, there isn’t many locations to shoot in other than a parking garage and a hallway.    Oh well.  Better luck next year.

written and photos by cabusi

Event Coverage: NorCal Spring Gathering 2012

Norcal Spring Gathering this year had a quite surprise amount of attendees, with over 100 people confirmed Facebook. Unlike convention, this type of gathering is always a good way to relax and enjoy and sunny day. We were able to meet a lot of great new people as well as hang out with old friends. As mentioned before, different from convention scene, shooting at the gathering gave us a lot of freedom and mobility. Everyone got to work in their own pace, and we had a lot of time to interact with cosplayers and cosplay artists. 

Here’s a video from one of our cosplay videographer friend, Romeo:

Our Photoshoot Album: Click Me!

Event Coverage: Anime on Display 2012

AOD 2012 photo gallery link

I was anticipating AOD not too much as a con, but just a way to see friends all in one place. However, AOD 2012 ended up being the con where I’ve attended the most panels.

AOD SATURDAY

Three Panel Soul Panel @1pm:
http://threepanelsoul.com/

3PS is a humble webcomic series written by Matt Boyd and illustrated by Ian McConville, who is also the Lead Artist for SEGA’s MMO game Spiral Knights. The panel was not fully crowded, but it was also competing with the popular panel MadWorld as well as Yukie Dong’s performance on the Main Stage.

This was a very casual panel, as Ian and Matt spoke about how they started working on comics together (explained in comic form, of course), how the comics come together, and other fellow webcomics they enjoy reading on their spare time. They showed us various examples of their comics, in which the small group of us in the panel had the pleasure of reading and laughing together.

Vocaloid Animation Concert - VOCALEKT VISIONS @3pm
https://www.facebook.com/VocalektVisions

To give a brief summary, Vocalekt Visions consists of Vocaloid Producers Neutrino-P and Tempo-P. They are a US based team who’s gaining recognition in both the US as well as Japan- they are also the most active Vocaloid team in the west. The Main Stage was packed to say the least, and for good reason!

AOD was VV’s debut of their dance group, WVD01. They had live dance performances, as well as a serenading performance by WVD01’s Gumi (pianist) and Len (singer), who performed “Love is War”. 

Onto the concert! The technology was quite impressive. Much like SEGA/Crypton’s concert in Japan and during Mikunopolis at AX 2011, the Vocaloids are projected on a screen. Having attended Mikunopolis, I was quite pleased with the projection for this concert; the Vocaloids remained visible, no matter what side of the screen they displayed. There were appearances from various Vocaloids, such as Hatsune Miku, Megpoid Gumi, Kamui Gakupo, and a special “guest” who performed the encore song.

AOD SUNDAY

Spiral Knights with Ian McConville Panel @12pm
http://www.spiralknights.com/

The same Ian from the Three Panel Soul held a panel dedicated to the art in the awesome (and free!) MMO Spiral Knightsas a Guest of Honor for AOD. As mentioned previously, he is the Lead Artist for the game.

It great to see old concept art before the game (previously known as “Project X”) came to fruition. He showed concept art for the Knights, Weapons, and enemies.

If you are very much into Spiral Knights, here is an article that summarizes the panel in greater detail.

The panel was pretty casual, yet very informative. It was entertaining for those who are only briefly familiar to the game (like myself) as well as individuals who are hardcore fans of the game. Ian’s great sense of humor and the enthusiastic attendees made the panel very enjoyable. Attending this panel gave me a better appreciation of the game- time to play more and beef up my Knight!

Event Coverage: Anime Los Angeles 2012

The event may be young but Anime Los Angles —more than any other convention —represents the success derived from social networking and experienced organizers.

Designed and built at a prime location for Southern California con-goers, ALA is the first con to deliver on the promise behind the all-volunteer staff: We host member-volunteer run events for the education and appreciation of anime, manga and related subjects.

The relatively new convention bears no resemblance to its former self in the seven years ago, when it started as a miniature fan event gathering, moved then became a major event for photographers and cosplayers from 2008 on.

The underpinnings come from ALA’s fan-focus, welcoming cosplay and photography with few restrictions, which is apparent by the photo room, masquerade, cosplay gathering posters, and hall cosplay awards distributed by the staff. Gathering list posters and awards are more than fans have come to expect from a major California convention.

The convention was also given a shot of some scenery swagger for photographers. The front garden and lawn area gives the appearance of a small, green field and on the back, a well-lit and decorated pool and tanning area runs along the inside of the hotel. The surrounding areas also include urban photography opportunities including narrow alleyways and checkered parking structures.

Perhaps some of the hardest work for a photographer is deciding which location to see —aerodynamics. The surrounding areas look facilitate ways to enhance create atmosphere. Whether you want the grunge from the side locations, the green shutters in the front, or even the colorful backdrop based on the pool deck, the options are numerous.

In all, it took about three days to shoot Anime Los Angeles, which will roll into processing of a dozen photo-shoots. The price was well worth the results. Manual Shoot will see you at ALA 2013, be prepared.

Photoshoot Album: http://gallery.manualshoot.com/Photoshoots/Anime-Los-Angeles-2012

Text by Ken Eden

Photography by Martin Wong and Ken Eden

What style do you want to see more?

What style of pictures or cosplay do you want to see more on Manual Shoot or the event page?