San Diego Comic Con Photography Tips

Whether you are using a big ol' fancy DSLR or a handy iPhone, it doesn't matter you can get great pictures with BOTH! My number one rule for shooting cons is DON'T let your battery die! Otherwise you are out of the game. I charge my cameras EVERY night regardless of what the battery indicator says. Usually I just let them die, but for SDCC I don't want to risk it.

Here are my favorite tips and tricks for getting great photos with any camera!

DSLR 101:

*ISO:  Will determine the clarity of your pictures. The lower the better. Higher ISOs will help you out in low light situations. 1600 or 2000 if your camera goes that high, will be perfect for panels. 200 or less for outside the con on a sunny day.

*Shutter Speed: This is going to determine if your pictures are blurry or not. Sometime you are going to have to sacrifice shutter speed for F-stop, meaning they might be a bit burry, but the picture will be bright enough to see what is going on. This is when a tripod or a steady had comes in handy.  OR bump up that ISO to level everything out.

*F-stop: The F-stop determines how much light is let in through the lens. More light means you don't have to use the flash. Which I personally avoid at all costs. Think of your F-stop like your pupil. The tighter it is closed {F-22}, the less light it is letting in. The wider it is the more light it is letting in {F-2.8}. This will also determine the blurriness of the background, which is great for more artsy shots. 2.8 is your best bet for this. Wider equals everything in focus!

*White Balance: Florescent for the show floor. Cloudy/Sunny for outside the con. Incandescent for panels. If you are having trouble, just keep it on auto and white balance during your editing process.

The more you get right IN camera, the LESS work you have to do in the editing room = more time for sleep!

Mobile photography tips:

*Touch on the screen where you want the focus to be.  Hold and it will lock there.

*If picture is too dark, click around the screen to change focus point and possibly brighten the picture.

*Get to the camera quickly by just sliding up the camera icon on your lock screen.

*The front facing camera isn't the best, so always bother someone to take a picture for you if you don't have a friend around.

*No one around to take your photo? Do it yourself. I set up my camera, facing the normal way, not the selfie way and sync it with my iWatch. This way I can get a quality selfie just how I want it!

Getting the shot.

*Always be ready! Being familiar with you camera will come in great use during those quick moments. So get practicing now!

*Composition: Get creative and take chances. Discover your own style and be unique.

*If you need someone to take a picture for you always set it AUTO mode. Better chance of getting a good picture that is useable.

*Delete on camera while waiting around to free up space and leaving less to go through later.

*Charge the battery every night!

*Always have your camera handy. I always carry mine on my shoulder, never in my backpack.

Editing.

*My favorite editing apps for the iPhone are: Afterlight, Pic Stitch and of course I LOVE posting on Instagram.

*I use Adobe Lightroom for all my editing. It is easier than Adobe Photoshop and cheaper. Canva is also a great free option online.

Comment below if you have any additional questions about San Diego Comic Con. You can also check out our San Diego Comic Con Guide for more useful tips and tricks!  If this post helped you, share please share it with your friends!