Charlee Chayatanan's Blog

My Travels in Japan: Tokyo Part 3

2012-01-25T02:29:00.000-08:00

March 26, 2010

15th day of travel in Japan - Tokyo

Going back to a thought that I recently had about the trip. It is harder to say goodbye to someone and be left behind than to say goodbye and leave. Obviously, that is my opinion of it. This comes from thinking over the feelings that I had while my mother and aunt were leaving. The feeling of being alone really kicked in at this time.

Getting back to what we were actually doing here though. So if you couldn't tell, the golden turd on the black building is actually a DAIKON, white radish, and is the symbol of ASAHI. I would say beer company, but they are actually what the Japanese call a "group", or what is more commonly spoken of here as a conglomerate.

This building was actually located across the street from the hostel that Ben and I were staying at the ASAKUSA Smile, which is really a horrid place in the winter, in ASAKUSA. Being that the building is old, and we were staying in a corner room, it was really tough. Tough, being SUPER COLD! We were freezing. I remember sleeping with a couple pairs of pants under my jeans, and under the blankets and still being cold. I'm sure that this hostel is fine during the summer when it is not near snowing temperatures outside. Back to ASAKUSA....

The first place we went to was KAMINARIMON. This is probably the most famous place in TOKYO, or even Japan. This is the temple with the gigantic lantern at the entrance, and another one that is in front of the temple itself. If you go to Tokyo, Japan, then this is one of the must see places of Japan. Unfortunately, at this time the actual temple was under restoration and was covered up.

Even if the temple was covered though we had an excellent time walking down the long street lined with boutiques. Funny story, there is a McDonalds fast food restaurant at one of the side streets that I have ate at every time that I have gone to ASAKUSA. This time was no exception ><; Boo! to those who don't like foreign McDonalds! HEHE.

As you can see in the surrounding photos, there is a lot of commotion in ASAKUSA, this was quite early in the day as well, but I can say, I've been there when the place was really quite before. Also, just because the main temple was covered up, it doesn't mean that you cannot go and visit the other shrines and shops that are around. This is a tip, that I would not say is just for this area, but for any place in the world. As they say, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

In the market place, there are many places to eat and find beverages. I recommend the sweet sake place that is served by the cute girls wearing the pink KIMONOs and any fresh baked goods. It is delicious!

This is the second large lantern in front of the main temple. There were many smaller lanterns that led to the larger one, and they were actually covered with the name of a company or person that donated to the temple. Presumably for the reconstruction that was going on.

As you see here is the cover of the temple that is under reconstruction. Although you cannot see the temple, you can actually still go into the temple to pray if you would like. I thought it was neat that you could go inside while they were still working on it, but most of the people that went to Japan at this time were more disappointed with the fact that the temple was covered and didn't even think about going in.

So here we have my buddy Ben trying to do a little fortune telling. There is a funny story behind this scene here. I told him the proper way of doing, but he got upset when he thought I was lying to him and he saw some Japanese people come up and do it the improper way.

The way that I told him to get the stick to come out of that metal container he is holding above is to shake the container; towards then away from him. The Japanese kids came up upended the container and let a stick fall out and went to go get their fortune. Ben then smacked me thinking that I was making fun of him.

Unfortunately, I told him that many Japanese people don't understand their own culture fully, and that I was taught by a person whose grandfather runs a shrine. Not believing me he asked me to do it first. Therefore, I shook the container and as expected a stick popped out and I went to go grab my luck, which was amazing luck, and handed him the container to mimic what I did.

He got not so great luck... hehehe.....

Next, we went to UENO. Below is what I believe is the American part of Japan. I cannot remember exactly, but one of my friends was telling me about this place, and that the market here is amazing and that I need to go see the prices of everything that is edible.

Next we walked across the street over to UENO park. There was a zoo, but my buddy said that he didn't fly to Japan to go to a zoo, so we just walked by it. We actually ended up in a festival that was going on near by though, and walked through the tents.

Mmmm..... ODEN! A personal favorite. If you are going to Japan, at some point in time, you are recommended to trying ODEN. It is pretty much stewed vegetables, tofu and eggs, but it is delicious. A definite must for saying that you were in Japan. Here my buddy was trying some white radish, egg, and tofu.

Here was the last stop for the day, because my friend Ben loved it so much. It is AKIHABARA. The store on top is the store that I purchased my electronic dictionary from. It is a great store LABI, a chain electronic store. Below is Sofmap, best place to buy used electronics. Love this place.

Below is a girl dressed up like a high school student, and working for a theme restaurant. If you don't know what a theme restaurant, then perhaps if I say "Maid Cafe" would be easier to understand. No?

Then let me say that a theme restaurant is a restaurant that follows a theme like a "Maid Cafe" is a restaurant that has all the wait staff dressed as maids. Sounds obvious, but there are a lot more then just Maid Cafes. I highly recommend going to one before you leave Japan, and Tokyo is the best place for doing it. Alcatraz E.R. is a recommended one!

Randomly, right after dinner at a maid cafe (you are not allowed to take photos in a maid cafe), an event unfolded in front of my buddy and me. These girls were dressed up like "Sherlock Holmes" from a new manga that was being released. Ben and I were able to get real close at first, but about 15 minutes later there was a huge crowd and a line.

Above is one of the largest sex shops I've ever been into. There are seven levels of adult toys, contraceptives, candy, costumes, and pornography of all kinds. Women are not allowed passed the fifth floor, but only women can get a discount. They can do so by wearing a costume and having their photo taken to be placed on the wall. Awesome, huh?

Lastly, here is the arcade! I still have the toys that I won out of the machines. This particular Sega arcade was being ran by Haruhi and Kon. Unfortunately, no Nagato or Asahina. If you are into arcades though, I would recommend the best arcade of all of Japan. It is located at ODAIBA island, called Sega Joyopolis. You need to pay to get in, but the fun inside is amazing!

Tokyo Anime Festival is coming up soon! Stay tuned for more!

SacAnime Unknown

2012-01-14T06:32:00.000-08:00

So, it wouldn't be like me if there wasn't at least one group that I didn't know who they were costuming. Here they are. I don't know who they are, but they look awesome. So if you know who they are then please let me know. Ridiculous thing is I know who the cosplayers are, but I don't know who they are trying to be. Sigh.... Well at least I am keeping to my style. Hehe, enjoy!

Dr. Mrs. The Monarch

2012-01-11T05:30:00.000-08:00

This set was taken at the SacAnime 2011 summer con at the Radisson Hotel. It was still blazing hot, but I'm sure this costume was not too bad. Although the tights, I hear, get really warm. ^_^

Dr. Mrs. The Monarch is one of the best characters from Venture Brothers, isn't she? This was another great costume done by another great cosplayer. The crown was giving her a little trouble, but over all an awesome job again. Like I said in the previous post, this crew is awesome to work with, and I will be looking forward to seeing them again.

Venture Bros. Henchman

2012-01-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

From SacAnime summer 2011, it is one of The Monarch's Henchmen. Awesome job huh? I love it, so cool! Aside from this being one of the best shows on TV, she made a great henchman. Admittedly, it was a really hard costume to light. Being that I only had a one flash set up the wings gave me a to of trouble. If I get a chance to reshoot this again, I would need another flash or a grip with a reflector.

This team is always fun to work with, and I look forward to seeing them again at Fanime 2012.

Venture Bros. Preview

2012-01-06T13:21:00.000-08:00

A quick preview of what's to come. Who doesn't like the Venture Bros.? Seriously, isn't it one of the best cartoons made here? There is more to come so keep coming back! By the way, if Mrs. Dr. Monarch looks familiar, check out the Babydoll and Yoko Littner posts from Fanime 2011. Thanks for looking.

Celty Sturluson

2012-01-03T13:08:00.000-08:00

It's Celty from Durarara! Have you seen it? It is a very interesting anime to come out. So, if you haven't then I would definitely check it out. This photo was taken at the Sacramento Radisson Hotel, as most of the previous posts were. As always, these photos were fun to take, and it was still blazing hot, I would say around 100+ degrees.

The lasts photos that I have taken have been far too long ago. I will be looking for someone to taking a photo of soon enough. Hopefully, this last quarter of University will be easier than the last. Thanks for taking a look.

Haruhi V. Konata

2011-12-28T12:10:00.000-08:00

Here we have the never ending battle between Konata and Haruhi, both voiced by the famous Hirano Aya. Just kidding, this shoot was awesome! Again, we were at SacAnime 2011 at the Radison in Sacramento. I was shooting Konata, when Haruhi just comes walking through. So, instead of letting Haruhi go, I just add her to the shoot. She was such a good sport, and just had fun with it.

Again, as said in the last post, I do apologize for the long wait!

Long Awaited SacAnime 2011 Photos: Naruto's Asuma Sarutobi

2011-12-25T11:44:00.000-08:00

So, it has been the longest time since I have put a postup. If I'm not mistaken, around three months, or about a quarter of schooling. It was a rough 20 unit quarter, and I was not able to actually able to work on the site because of it. I've been able to finally finish up on some photos now, and posted them. I also have some photos from 2010 that still need to be posted.... Sigh.... I feel so behind... Sorry, to all that were waiting. Happy Holidays to all!

The first set from SacAnime, is going to be Asuma Sarutobi. The captain that meets an untimely demise on Naruto. Enjoy the photos. Lots more to come.

My Travels in Japan: Tokyo Pt 2

2011-09-20T23:51:00.000-07:00

March 25, 2010

14th Day of Travel - Tokyo

After a long break I'm back. I've been working on photos and prepping the next set of post. Also, school is about to start for me and I'm prepping for classes! I hope to be able to try to start up a new regiment for blog posting, but don't know if I will have the time. Another thing that I would like to start up is studio photo sessions. Hopefully, something will work out!

I can't believe that it has been longer than a year since I was doing these posts. I was going over my photos and realized that I never really did finish up my trip around Japan. Kyoto is the last place that I finished up on, and then it was craziness after that. I have been doing quite a bit of other things, but I would like to go ahead and finish up these posts. Also, there will be a few photos from my SacAnime adventures that may pop up between the rest of my March 2010 Japan tour.

Waking up early today, I went to the hotel that my relatives were staying in, and told Ben that I would meet him at another station with them. Getting to the hotel was quick, and when I was there, my mom was already checking out.

She was able to get the hotel to hold the luggage for her until 15:00 hours. Her flight was going to be at 18:00 hours today. Well, with the rain lightening up we went to TSUKIJI fish market. I found out last night, that to really enjoy the fish market you have to arrive there around 05:00 hours, but unfortunately, we were a little late and arrived there around 09:00 hours.

Because we were late walking around the market really wasn’t as special as I thought it was going to be. Even Ben, who was looking forward to SUSHI and seeing all the fish, wasn’t that impressed with this place. We decided that after 45 minutes of looking around to head to the next tour site.

Therefore, I took them to TOKYO Tower. This was the place that everyone was waiting for and everyone walked excitedly to see what was going on. We saw the peak of the tower pop out from the clouds for a brief period and then rain came down again.

Arriving at the base of the tower, I went and paid so everyone could go up. Because it was raining, we only went up to the normal observatory rather than the special one. The reason being that it was covered in clouds.

So we went up 150 meters into the sky and looked down. The view was good, but being that it was a horrible day, we unfortunately were not able to see that much. Personally, the best thing to see was the look down window. This is where you were able to look down 150 meters at the ground from the observatory.

An hour later, we grabbed some coupons that are located at the observation deck for the restaurants below, and went down. For lunch we had DEMI RAISU and RAMEN. I added a cup of coffee and a waffle after words. It wasn’t the greatest, but it was inexpensive!

Looking at the time it was about 13:30 hours and we still had some time left. So, we went to the city view at SHINJUKU. This is the government building that lets you up about 150 meters for free! If you don’t have the ￥800 to go up TOKYO Tower, then this is the next best thing!

Going up the tower, we were able to see a different angle than when we were at TOKYO Tower. It was really interesting, and my mom really liked the view from here. In particular, there was this building that had windows that mirrored the road, and the cars looked like they were in the building! It was really interesting.

Staying at the building for about an hour, we needed to get going because my relatives’ flight was coming up fast. We went back to the hotel that they were staying at, and grabbed the suitcases and then made our way back to TOKYO station.

This is where we said our goodbyes. I have to admit that this was a sad moment. It is unfathomable to me that I would have met my mother in Japan. I was quite happy to see her. Unfortunately, I don’t think she had that greatest of a times here. There were just too many things against us this time. Well, maybe we can make up for it next time… if there is a next time!

So after our farewells, Ben and I went to the Imperial Palace. The reason being that it was right next to the station. Before we reached the palace though, we went to a post office. I needed to send off some cheese that my mom brought me, and I forgot to take home…

After sending it off, the rain really started to come down. We were walking around the palace garden in the rain. Now, Ben thought that we would be able to actually go inside the palace, and was sorely disappointed. We were only allowed to go up to the gate.

A few photos later and we were off on our way to the next area, SHINJUKU! Ben and I made it there on the train together, but after getting off the train Ben ran into some problems. I was out of the station quite quickly, and noticed that Ben wasn’t behind me anymore.

Ben was trapped behind some girl who was crying at the station. She slowed him down greatly. When I got back to the ticketing area, Ben was already gone. I waited there for him. This is what we agreed upon. We would meet at the entrance to the place we were going to if we ever were to get separated.

I waited a good 10-15 minutes at that spot. I thought that Ben would come back, but maybe I was wrong. We planned on getting dinner at a SIZZLERS that was here in SHINJUKU, and I knew that he could make it there on his own. The only problem was the rule that we had in place.

Well, when that 15 minutes ran up, I left. To my surprise, when I got to SIZZLERS Ben was walking to the restaurant from the other direction. He had forgotten about the rule, and tried to run to catch up with me getting himself lost. It was quite funny to me, because he must have taken some long way to get there, especially because I not only waited for him, but I also took the quickest route, and he came from the opposite way.

Well, we spoke about it over dinner. We both got steak for the first time while traveling in JAPAN! WOOHOO!!! The sad thing is after the meal, Ben said that this was the best meal that he had while in Japan. Ouch!

After the meal, we left SHINJUKU and went to SHIBUYA. I had to show him the SHIBUYA 109 building before we left TOKYO. I wanted to make sure I got him to all the areas that were famous in TOKYO before we left. We walked down a few side streets in SHINBUYA and had many offers of ‘Japanese Sex’, which really upset my friend.

So we left after the third offer to call it a night. Well, the trip is about 2/3 up at this point! WOW! It is going by so quickly! I can’t believe that it has been two weeks already! Dam… Oh, well we still have a week left!

Stay tuned! More to come!

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha

2011-08-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

So it has finally happened, the last post from Fanime 2011. It was a fun ride, but now it is finally coming to the an end. Although SACAnime 2011 is happening this weekend, so I will get to post those photos next! I hope that it will be fun, this will be my first time going out to SACAnime and I don't really know what to expect. Going through my photos, I noticed that I still have a ton of photos from Japan that I haven't posted yet, so those will be coming too.

This set of photos stars Dollyface and her BF. Yeah, I know. Her BF seriously looks like a girl. Just in case you can't tell, Dollyface is Fate Testarossa (Black) and her BF is Nanoha (White). Awesome job on the costumes. Looks seriously like the anime/manga. I love the stuffed animals that they are carrying. I wish I did some more poses with them, but for some reason if I remember the shoot it was just too short of time. I have to say that I'm looking forward to running into them again and maybe we can do an extended shoot and a few different locations.

As always you can see all the photos from this set on my DA site, by clicking HERE!

Cowgirl Sheryl Nome

2011-08-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

She's back! Except this time as a cowgirl! It is the galactic fairy, Sheryl Nome! We saw her last time as the songstress at the Wondercon festival in SF. Again she did a killer job with the outfit, although I will tell, that she purchased it online. The costume is AWESOME! It came with the gun and the hat. The barrel of the gun is the same heart shape as the movie had it!

This was a real fun shoot, and I wish I did a few more different poses, but you have to work with what you have eh? I will try to remember next time we meet. Hope you enjoy the photos!

Toppa Tengen Gurren Lagann's Yoko Littner

2011-08-14T23:36:00.000-07:00

Here is the long awaited Yoko Littner! Walking around Fanime, I was amazed to get some time (actually a lot of time) with Kee (A.K.A Havocluver). I was able to meet another member of her group (Pretty Geeky Girls, or PGG) again this time too! Whilst setting up, I was talking and going over what my ideas were, and asking for their opinions and got a pretty warm response. I'm very hopeful that I will be able to meet up with the group this September for SacAnime and get some photos! Plans have been drawn and there are a lot of costumes to have photos taken of! If she looks familiar, it is because she was also the one that did Babydoll from Sucker Punch!

Actually the only complaint that I have from this shoot, is that I like too many of the photos and had/have trouble choosing which ones to post. There will be quite a few that I'm posting because of that! Hope that you enjoy them!

~ Post Script - Although she doesn't have her rifle in these photos (it wasn't quite finished yet), we plan on meeting up again and getting the shots with her rifle~!

Check out my deviant art! Click here!

Like my work? Or perhaps you can help me improve? Let me know! I'm down for TFCD shoots anytime!

Resident Evil / Biohazard 5's Fairy Tale Sheva

2011-08-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

A hottie with a machine gun, is there more to life? I submit that there is NOT! So, I really didn't know who she was, whilst taking the photos, and even after the shoot and during the editing phase I didn't know who she was.

It wasn't until I received an email requesting a copy of the photos, did I understand who this character was. The cosplayers name is: Jo F. Potato (no, I'm not joking) and she is cosplaying a character from US/Japanese titled game Resident Evil/Biohazard 5 named: Sheva, the Fairy Tale version.

Jo, did a fantastic job on the costume, and I don't think my photos did it any justice. The detail of all the pieces is AMAZING! Really have to give her kudos for such the awesome job. Hope you enjoy the photos!

PSG's School Girl Panty

2011-08-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

Yup, she's back! It's Panty Anarchy, in her sexy little schoolgirl outfit! Cosplayer Alyssa Hobson did a great job on the costume, but I believe that it is her that makes the outfit work. This is just one of many outfits that Panty wears in "Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt". So if you haven't checked it out yet, then get to it!

Like I said in previous PSG post, Panty was a very popular character that was walking around. I didn't know about who she was whilst taking the photos, but definitely knew who she was afterwards. It is a short anime by Gainax, and maybe a second season will be on the way. Hope you like the photos, enjoy!

Check out my DA page by clicking HERE!

Now for something a little random. I was surfing onto www.crunchyroll.com and spotted this little video on Ghost in the Shell (攻殻機動隊). Simply stated, I was blown away.

Randomwire, really did a great job finding all the shots from the movie. For those of you who didn't know that the original movie took place in Hong Kong, now you do. It was an excellent reminder for me of a place that I need to go back to and reexamine.

I didn't want to take too much away from the post above, because Ms. Hobson definitely did an excellent job, but Randomwire did an awesome job on the video below and deserves some recognition for it. Again, I didn't make it, but I certainly can appreciate it!

Ghost in Hong Kong from David Gilbert on Vimeo.

Toradora's Palm Top Tiger

2011-08-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

It's Tiger! You know that tenacious little fighter from Toradora. This cosplayer was really spot on, being that she was small in stature as well. I actually found her in a corner of the con chilling, and was able to pull her over to get some photos taken. Unfortunately, she wasn't part of any group, and therefore, there was no other cosplayers that were from Toradora with her.

Oh well, at least her photos came out well! Hope you like them too.

Street FIghter IV: Juri Han

2011-07-31T00:04:00.000-07:00

It's Juri Han from Street Fighter IV! One of my personal favorite characters to play with, she is the craziest of the characters, IMO. Although she is from Korea and most, if not all, her moves are kicks; she doesn't really look like she is using Taekwondo. It is the listed way that she fights, but just look at her moves!

The cosplayer is Laura Jew, and she did a wonderful job. Not only was the costume spot on, but she was great at all the various poses that I made her do. There was a lot of kicking, jumping, and crazy leaning. Special thanks to her for really going all out, and being such a good sport. I hope you enjoy them, as much as I had taking them!

Yoko knows Kung Fu? Claymore is in the mix....

2011-07-28T00:16:00.000-07:00

So this is one of those crazy mix type of shoots. I know that the cosplayer is Yoko Litner from Toppa Tengen Gurren Lagann, and she was able to do all sorts of cool kung fu moves. Unfortunately, I don't know who she is, but she was with this girl that was dressed as Clare from Claymore, and that was Ashley Short, check her out at: www.ashleyshort.net.

Assuming, since they came together, that they both go to the same school for kung fu, that is pretty awesome. Ashley is going for the next Olympic games! I wish her the best of luck.

It was an interesting pairing, and I believe that there is a lot more of the off shots, then decent shots. They came out alright, but, to me, it feels like it is more along the lines of those shots that are taken after/before the shoot. I hope that you enjoy it!

[For those of you wondering, this is Wushu Kung Fu Snake Form]

Code Geass

2011-07-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

Another one of those "I'm not so sure of who they are" characters. I was pretty sure that it was Lelouch and C.C. from Code Geass, but had to ask to make sure. I was right, but man what an awesome cosplay.

Hope that you enjoy them!

Check out my D.A. site, click HERE!

Jet Black of the Bebop

2011-07-22T00:25:00.000-07:00

This is one of the cosplays that I chase after and have to grab a few photos. There are just not that many Cowboy Bebop cosplays anymore. It is a pity because, aside from the drab ones, who doesn't love a good Julia or Faye Valentine? I hear that there is a movie that is coming out, although I don't know if it got shelved or not, but if it does happen, then hopefully it will bring back the cosplayers too!

This guys arm is amazing, but unfortunately with the costume, it did bring his arm into a useless appendix. The cost of looking good, eh? Enjoy!

Like to see more? Click HERE!

X-Men of Fanime 2011

2011-07-19T00:43:00.000-07:00

I saw this cosplayer and immediately thought that it was a female original character based on wolverine. Then I looked it up, and found out that she was Laura Kinney, AKA X-23. There was a lot of info on her as well as her own line of comics. Check it out!

Hope you like the photos!

Thought that I would throw in that random last photo in for you! If you like what you see here check out my Deviant Art site by clicking HERE!

Rikku from Final Fantasy X-2

2011-07-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a character that most of us will recognize, it's everyone's favorite thief Rikku! Yes, it is from the less popular liked FFX-2, but I have to say I like this outfit far better than her FFX one! Don't you agree? FFX characters are getting less and less frequent with the advent of the newer games, but I still like them quite a bit. Probably only second to FFVII characters.

Photos are still coming from Fanime 2011, and I'm finally running near the end of all my photos from the various shoots. Not going to AX2011 really helped me not have tons of photos to add on, but now I'm nearing the end and getting worried.... need another con to go to!

The Amano Tifa

2011-07-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

So this was one that I thought I knew right off the bat, but then I started to have my doubts. My first impression is that it was Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII, with another color coordination. Then I started to roll through my mind are there any other characters that look like her in Anime.... and my answer was "I dunno...."

Therefore there was only one way to find out, right? So I asked. I was right! It was the Amano Version of Tifa! I was quite happy about that one. Modeling her is Christina Rose, from Christina Rose Cosplay. She is a model from the L.A., CA area. You can find her from googling: "Christina Rose Cosplay". I'm sure she would love to book a shoot, with you!

This photo was taken at Fanime 2011, and I was supposed to go take her Shiva photos at Anime Expo 2011, but plans for the trip unfortunately fell through for me. Hope you like what you see!

Like these photos? More can be seen on my Deviant Art Account! Just click HERE!

Poke Poke Mon

2011-07-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

This is for all you "Pocket Monster" fans out there! It is a gijinka pokemon. I've not watched the show in years, so I do not actually know which monster she is cosplaying, but it is super cute... Ok, if you know, then please tell me! That way I can post up who she is. Umm... it actually goes for the cosplayer as well. ~~If you know who she is, then please let me know, and I will put up the appropriate credit.~~

The cosplayer is lugiamania, and she is cosplaying Skitty!

It is a super cute character though. I love the maid look. HEHE! =) The color coordination is very nice too, and she blended the human and monster very nicely. The photos were taken in an interesting location at the San Jose Convention Centre, but it was a bit of a hassle with tons of photographers jumping in behind me, and not realizing that their flashes were killing me! At least these photos are decent. I'm going to hide the next time that I take a model / cosplayer aside.

This was fun, and she was great at taking directions! Hope that you enjoy them, thanks for looking!

PSG: Stocking Anarchy

2011-07-07T23:00:00.000-07:00

So here is Panty's counterpart! Except instead of a sister, it is a brother this time. What a well done costume! He kept the Gothic-loli style, and did an awesome job. I love the lollipop that Stocking sings about in the song D Rock City... or Panty sings.... well whatever. It was a great job!

Looking back at this shoot, I wish I did more group work between the two. Well, hopefully I will find them again in the future. That way I can get more photos! Enjoy!

PSG: Panty Shot!

2011-07-05T00:34:00.000-07:00

WOW! Huh? Awesome Panty, is it not? Go buy a pack of cigarettes, because after seeing these photos you are going to need one. HAHA! I'm really happy with how these turned out. There were some that have not been posted/worked on, where my angle was a little too low for the angel, and it really was a "Panty shot". Don't wonder, they won't turn up online.

Hopefully, in the future I will be able to do another shoot with Dollyfaced and her BF. I would like to do so in a more urban area. Perhaps downtown S.J. or S.F. That would be awesome. Enjoy the photos!

PSG: The new wave

2011-07-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

No, this is not a second season info posting. This is just another posting of Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt (PSG). Although, rumors say that Gainax is planning a second season. This was an awesome rendition of PSG. I love it when players think outside the box.

So the Panty is beautiful, as expected, standing on the left in the photo above, but here is the twist; on the right, Stocking Anarchy has undergone a sex change! She is now a he, and in his regular gothic loli style clothing. AWESOME! Yeah?

I was really impressed with these two cosplayers, and hope to be able to do more shoots with them in the future! Dollyfaced is cosplaying Panty, and I believe it is her boyfriend cosplaying Stocking, although I will wait for them to confirm.

I have another photoshoot that I did with them at Fanime '11 doing Nanoha, and I will post that later, when they are done. It was an awesome experience! I hope that you enjoy the post!

Lucky Star's Hiragi Tsukasa

2011-06-29T01:57:00.000-07:00

Lucky Star! Definitely not an anime that is cosplayed too often. I was beginning to think that there was no popularity for the show here in the states. Furthermore, it is Tsukasa that is photoed here, and not Konata. That is just geek talk for popular characters in the show. It is a funny 4-cell comic about the lives of 4 girls, and their interactions with their school.

This cheerleader outfit, although in the manga, is more modeled after the anime, whether you want to look at the intro or just the ending of the last episode. A brilliantly done costume, the only thing that could have made it better is if the whole crew was there! Thanks for checking out my post! Enjoy!

Panty and Stocking w/ Garterbelt

2011-06-27T01:27:00.000-07:00

".... Anarchy! Everyone wants to be me... Anarchy--ee! Everyone wants to be free..." The music from Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt (which will know be referred to as PSG) is pretty awesome as well. At least you can say it is a catchy tune. This is the group shot of the Anarchy sisters. From the photo on top, it is Stocking on the left [cosplayed by Aistuito] and Panty Anarchy on the right[cosplayed by Takaa].

The costumes here are their angel forms. Meaning they already did that erotic pole dance, with all the groping and their "sailormoon" type transformation from their regular clothes to their angel uniforms. These two models specifically were particularly busy, and I was only allotted a very shot amount of time, thus the little amount of photos. Also, there were other shooters going over my shoulder, which is cool, but also means that I won't be able to shoot as fast.

Unfortunately, I do not know who the models are, so if you know please let them know to email me with their names for credit and I will be happy to give them a set of their photos!

Thanks for checking out my post!

Visit my DA account by clicking on the title of the post, or HERE!

Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt: Panty Anarchy 001

2011-06-24T03:19:00.000-07:00

Here is Panty! Panty Anarchy, the angel who is a sex fiend. Peaked your interest? Go check out the anime! It is a blast. This is after she does her little pole dancing transformation from regular angel to super angel.... if that makes any sense. To confuse you more her undies turn into a special type of gun.

Between the two characters, if they weren't together already, Panty was the more popular amongst the two. There are still 2 more Panty's to come! Hope you enjoy these!

Panty & Stocking W/ Garterbelt: Stocking Anarchy 001

2011-06-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

So, this year there were many costumes that I was not aware of when I got to Fanime. I was looking and looking, but didn't understand where they were from. My assistants also had to ask, "who are they cosplaying?"

This was one of the anime that was being cosplayed around a lot, and I broke down and asked who she was. This is a character from an anime called: "Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt", and it is hilarious. I wish that I was aware of the characters before I took the photos! They would have turned out a little more like the anime!

The anime itself is like an adult version of "Powerpuff Girls" and is produced by Gainax (the makers of Neon Genesis Evangelion and FLCL). Reportedly, it is everything that they wanted to do in previous anime, but were not able to. So they let everything hang in this one. It was a real blast!

Hope you like the photos! Lots more to come!

Check out my DA Site!

Click HERE~!

Unknown Red Fairy Queen

2011-06-19T01:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry, again here is another unknown character! I was doing well to with the last couple of posts as well... Darn.... Well again this was taken at Fanime 2011 in San Jose, CA, US of A. She kind of looks like a fairy, or maybe someone from Alice in Wonderland. I'm just not sure.... Thanks to Shiimapan, from Deviant Art, I was able to find out who this character is. It is Regina Berry, from Phoenix Write. Wish I could write more about her, but I really don't know. Other than she is a character from a game!

If you can help me out, then please let me know! Thanks! Hope you like the photos!

Sucker Punch 3 / 3: Rocket

2011-06-17T00:55:00.000-07:00

ROCKET!!! Here is the final set from Sucker Punch. Another really great cosplayer to work with. Who just actually sent me a message, and she would like to be known as Cheshire-Heart. This cosplayer, more so for the jokes that she cracked throughout the shoot, really kept the mood light. It was fun working with her.

There really isn't much to say about this cosplayer, perhaps: "DAMN!" should sum it up. Know what I mean? Love the boots, and she is super flexible. She knows ~~Kung-Fu~~... err ballet. Meaning that she can really kick and has great balance & flexibility (wink, wink). To the cosplayer, "Thanks! It was a blast to shoot!"

To the viewer; thanks for checking out my post!

Again, thanks for taking a look! Leave any comments or suggestions if you like! Also, check out my Deviant Art page by clicking HERE or on the title!

Interested in modeling/cosplaying? Need a photographer? Let me know! We can make something happen in the studio or on location! I look forward to hearing from you!

Sucker Punch 2 / 3: Babydoll

2011-06-15T00:32:00.000-07:00

Here's part two of the Sucker Punch trilogy. We have Babydoll, being cosplayed by: Havocluvor. If you click on the name, you can find her Deviant Art (DA) page. The costume was brilliantly done, and out of everyone that I worked with in photographing at Fanime, she was definitely my favorite to work with.

I really do hope to run into her in the future, and take lots and lots more photos. With Havocluvor, it was just very simple for this shoot, and the Yoko Litner shoot that will come up a little later, and what I mean by that is that she just took direction very well. Lynn, my younger sister, noticed this as well. After a day of shooting various people, even my lil' sis noticed that this cosplayer in particular was great at posing.

I hope that everyone enjoys looking at the photos, as much as I had making them! Thanks for viewing!

Thanks for taking a look! Wanna see more? Check out my DA website, by clicking on the title of this post or HERE!

Interested in cosplaying/modeling? Need a photographer? Leave me a message, and let's talk! Location or studio? Doesn't matter to me, I've experience in both!

Sucker Punch 1 / 3 - Babydoll & Rocket

2011-06-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

So, I'm sure this was the long awaited Sucker Punch Photos that I mention in posts previous. Again, I am one of the luckiest photographers out there. These cosplayers were super beautiful, patient, and helpful. It was so easy to give them direction too. Imagine professional models, that were willing to let you take their photos. Then make it ten times simpler to work with them, and you have our shoot.

If you are not aware, Sucker Punch is a movie that was released March of this year. Although it rated horribly, there is tons of eye-candy, and I think it is worth renting at least once to see. If you have any doubts, then just check out the photos from the post, and the following posts!

This first post will be with the pair of them in natural light with slight use of a reflector. The following posts will have their individual photos, which I used a strobe. Until then, Babydoll is Kee (on the left), and one of her compatriots, "Rocket" is ~~unlisted [until further notice]~~ Cheshire-Heart on the right of the photo above.

Enjoy!

Thanks for checking out the photos! You can see more on my D.A. account by clicking HERE!

Goddess of Our Past: Urd

2011-06-11T01:20:00.000-07:00

Seriously, one of the most beautiful women at the convention, we have a cosplayer acting as Urd, from Ah/Oh! My Goddess. I wish I was Keichi. If you are wondering, there was (unfortunately) no Belldandy or Skuld, the goddess's of Present and Future, respectively. This costume was awesomely done, and I'm glad that the photos came out.

I have to admit though that the costume was so much better to see in person. Canon does a great job in my book! Hehe! If you are wondering who the cosplayer/model is, then you will have to wait until she emails me with the name (real/pen) that she would like me to use. Otherwise, she is just Urd.

This was actually one of the harder shoots that I had. Thank the heavens, pun intended, that my sister, Lynn, was here. During the middle of the shoot, my flash system decided to cut out. Apparently, on of the batteries exploded inside the flash. Awesome, right? Yeah... not so much. So, I had Lynn change the batteries and do a little cleaning, whilst I continued to take photos with just Natural Light. Although they turned out semi-decent, I have to say: "Having help OWNZ!!!"

Enjoy!

Followed By a Second Unknown, Although, It's Because the Name of the Game is Super Long....

2011-06-09T01:04:00.000-07:00

I thought I would follow up the first unknown, with a second, somewhat, unknown. Lil' sister asked the cosplayer who she was cosplaying and where was the character from. She promptly responded with a name that was SUPER FREAKING LONG and unfortunately, unable to be captured.

This is why another cute cosplayer is being put into the unknown list. If someone out there knows, please let me know. Then I will change the title, etc.

Enjoy!

The First Unknown

2011-06-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

As if I was following tradition, here is the first unknown from Fanime Con. I believe that she is an assassin elf, but from what? If you know who she is or what series she is from, then please let me know. It was a beautiful costume and cosplayer. Hate to just say "assassin elf".

Please let me know! ENjoy!

Kino from his travels!

2011-06-06T22:54:00.000-07:00

Admittedly, this was a hard one to post. I only had two photos that actually came out of this set for two reasons. It was between a shoot that I was already doing. I was doing a Sucker Punch shoot, with Baby Doll and Rocket. I just finished up with BD and was waiting on Rocket to finish prepping. That was when I saw Kino walking down the hall. I had to get a photo, but didn't actually think that it was going to literally be a photo.

Oh well, they all deserve their 15 minutes of fame, eh? So, here it is. My two best photos of Kino from Kino's Travels the Beautiful World, enjoy!

Queen's Blade: Ymir

2011-06-05T01:24:00.000-07:00

A costume that I didn't ever think I would see in the US of A. It is Ymir from Queen's Blade. It started out as a hentai game, that was turned into an echi anime. I want to see the second season, and maybe try the game. The first season was actually pretty entertaining, I love the use of music in it. This is an amazing costume done of the dwarf princess warrior though.

Truly, accurate to the character. Shooting this was really fun too. The axe is made out of solid wood, and is EXTREMELY heavy. A slight oversight in the cosplayer's vision I believe. She had to have a slave help her out. Also, because of the gauntlet, she was not able to use one hand to help her out. It was cute to see her struggle with the oversized/weight axe, and call for help to change the poses.

If not for the struggling, I would have asked for more photos. I also wish that the background was a little cleaner.... sigh.... at least the lighting is decent! Just imagine that she is gonna go berserk on the peeps in the background. Hehe...

Hope you enjoy this photo set. There are still lots more to come!

Thanks for looking! Did you like what you see?

Want to get together for a studio/location shoot?

Drop me a line!

One Piece's Boa Hancock

2011-06-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

Hello nurse! Or empress... however you like it. This is the famous Boa Hancock cosplay from the ever so popular One Piece. I have to admit, that if it weren't for the hair being super true to the character, that I wouldn't have known where she was from! Just another cute Asian girl walking around.... Speaking of which, she is known as "Boa", until she emails me with the "OK" to post her name (online or real)!

I have tried to keep up with One Piece, but seriously, it is like trying to catch all the Pokemon in the world..... There is just so many: movies, episodes, and chapters. Although, really entertaining, I just don't have the time to watch/read. I will gladly accept synopsis from people though!

Enjoy the photos!

Thanks for looking! Interested in going on a shoot with me?

Drop me a line, and let's figure something out!

Please check out my Deviant Art!

Battlefield: Valkyria Chronicles

2011-06-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

Hello! So, here we have Alicia Melchiott from Valkyria Chronicles. It started out as a game, and was eventually turned into an anime adaptation. Both are very good, in my humble opinion. This character is originally a baker forced/turned into a soldier. That is why she has the bandana, as much as it looks like the uniform, it is from her bakery.

This cosplayer did a wonderful job! The armour is awesome! That is what my lil' sis and I spotted first. It was so well done, and very impressive. Couldn't believe that there were people out there that could make items like that for costumes! Very skilled. Props to the cosplayer. ~~and if you would like your name (real or pen) written down, please send me an email, with what you would like to be called! Otherwise, this is just another unfortunately, unknown cosplayer~~ ***UPDATE*** Cosplayer has contacted me, and her name is: Ana! =0)

Well done Ana! It was a pleasure working with you!

Thanks for looking!

Check me out at Deviant Art!

Sniper Maid Miku!

2011-05-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

So... Again, it has been a little while since my last post. There is a legit reason this time though. After getting the new job at a hardware store, which is less than pleasant, I have not been able to touch my cameras as much as I would like. Therefore, knowing that Fanime Con '11 was coming up, I decided to spend much time prepping for the event.

This included:

Cleaning the cameras, four in total.
Cleaning the lenses, three in total.
Charging batteries.... Too many, but never seems to be enough....
Reorganizing my camera bags/backpack, again 4 in total, but really just two that I use.
Purchasing new equipment, radio flash triggers, Yong Nuo to be precise. (not used in this set of photos)
Purchasing a new 110 centimeter reflector.
Prepping the flashes, two - 580EX's and a 430EX
Getting people to come and help out with the shoot. <---- seriously the hardest thing!

There were some other things that I did too, but that is the main gist of things. Fanime 2011 was awesome, although a little smaller than I remembered it to be. That could be because of Comiket being the last convention I've been too though.... Oh, well... On with the shoot info.

When my assistant/slave/sister and I arrived we were looking around to see the cosplayers that struck us the most, and my sister, "Lynn", was immediately drawn to this Alice looking girl. Lynn, not knowing what Vocaloids were, asked who she was cosplaying. The title of this post really named it, but she was cosplaying: Yamaha's Hatsune Miku!

This was the first shoot that I did, in quite some time, and no strobes were used for this shoot. Just a reflector, two camera bodies, and a very cute model! Photo was taken at San Jose Convention Centre, in San Jose, CA.

Hope you enjoy it!

Thanks again!

Can there be too many maids?

2011-05-18T00:27:00.000-07:00

I'm not 100% sure, but I'm going with: "He is My Master". Mitsuki Sawatari? Anyone can see the resemblance? Because I wasn't that sure, I decided to change the title of the post. Could use some confirmation here. If you think she is someone else, then please let me know!

Maids where ample at the Comic Market 78 convention. I saw so many, that I can't even remember how many there were. Though, I'm sure many of you wouldn't say it was a bad thing, eh? Who likes maids? That's right, everyone does!

Enjoy!

She's got cowboy boots!

2011-05-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

Yup, again, I don't know who she is! This is really bothering me! Do you know who she is? If so, then please let me know!

She looks kind of like she is one of the vocoloids? Perhaps one of the idol anime/manga/games? I don't know! GARH!

These photos taken at the great Comic Market 78, in Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan! If you haven't been to one of these, then you haven't been to a true convention for anime yet! ^^

Unknown Fairy?

2011-05-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, again, it is an unknown cosplay. I'm really getting out of touch with some of these, and not to mention so unlucky! I have been looking and looking, but no cigar on any of these certain cosplay. If you know please leave a note, and I will update with the name/title changes.

These photos were also taken at summer 2010: Comic Market 78. I really do have a craving to go back to Tokyo! I miss the food, the culture, and the craziness!

I know a way to make up for it though! If you are a model and would like to have your picture taken in the San Fran Bay Area, CA, then drop me a line! Thanks for taking a look!

The Unknown Soldier

2011-05-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a new look at the unknown soldier! I'm not talking about the one in Washington DC, or Paris, France. Again, shameful to say, I do not know who she is, what anime/manga/game she comes from, or even if she is a soldier! Any help here would be much appreciated!

These photos were taken at Comic Market 78. Although, it is a shame I do not know who she is, she is quite the cutey! The suit is somewhat soldier-ish, but a great look all the same. I wouldn't complain about that, perhaps she is a naval ship captain? Maybe a pilot? Really, just who is she?

Wow, at least I can tell you, "she is pretty!" The upbeat here is that there are still plenty of photos to come, and if someone can tell me who she really is cosplaying, then I can update the post! Thanks!

Mizuho Kazami (Please Teacher!)

2011-05-04T00:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry, about the little time between the posts. I've been preparing for midterms, and fighting the urge to go out and snap a ton of photos! I will try to keep the posts more frequent, and get new photos ASAP!

The ever so lovely Mizuho Kazami. Can you tell me where she is from? If so, then do you have a teacher fetish? Haha, just kidding.... kinda sorta. She is the teacher that everyone wants to get with from お願いTeacher/Twins! (Please Teacher/Twins!). It was an anime and manga from the early 2000's and a personal favorite. She is voiced by the ever so great Kikuko Inoue (more famously known as Belldandy, from Ah! My Goddess).

Definitely a show that I recommend to check out! Although, admittedly a bit short. Only two graphic novels and 12 episodes for each of the series. It is an interesting take on the slice of life of a teenager. It was well done though, and definitely worth the time spent watching/reading/enjoying it.

These photos are from Comic Market 78, back in the summer of 2010. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I enjoy taking them!

Thanks for taking a look! If you are a model in the San Francisco Bay Area, and have some ideas or would like to have some shots taken, then please let me know! Drop me a line!

Touhou Project: Momiji Inubashiri

2011-04-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

Updated! Found out who she is! It is Momiji Inubashiri from the Touhou project. I'm not a big fan of Touhou, but I cannot deny that their stuff is cute! If you are not aware of the Touhou line, then I won't really say that you are missing out, but there are a lot of things that you can be looking at. Especially, if you are into the 萌え type of thing. Hope you like the photos!
Here is another one of those unknown characters to me. Although she is the cutest cat girl, that I have seen in a while. Unfortunately, I just don't know who she is costuming. If you know or have a clue from what anime/manga/game she is from, please let me know! Thanks!

WonderCon 2011 SF Moscone Center

2011-04-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

So, quite recently I went to the wonderful Wondercon at San Francisco, CA in the Moscone Center. It was full of unique and interesting things that comic book, graphic novel, anime, and movie star lovers would love to see. For example, I saw Elvira, Peter Mayhew (AKA Chewbacca), and Lou Farignou (Hulk/Pumping Iron). There were also tons and tons of used/old comics that you could sort through, and so many different types of merchandise available.

Wondercon was an awesome experience, and I advise if you have never been to a convention of this type before to actually give it a shot. You might find some things that fancy you at these convention. I will admit it was smaller than I actually wanted it to be, I wasn't able to get as many photos as I wanted, and the lighting is dreadful in the Moscone Center for a photographer. On the other hand, it was a pleasant experience, and there were so many interesting and enjoyable things to do whilst there!

WC2011: Macross F 4/4 (Sheryl Nome)

2011-04-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Whilst at Wondercon, I was fortunate enough to run into some cosplayers that were willing to chill, and take some photos. This was unfortunately, the only photoshoot that I did at Wondercon. I wish that I was able to do more! Come on Fanime!

Because I don't have a lot of photos from Wondercon, I have decided to break this photoshoot into 4 parts: Group, Alto Saotome, Ranka Lee, and Sheryl Nome. They are coming out in no particular order, but I hope that you like them!

As always, if you enjoy the photos, and wish to do a little modeling/cosplaying, I would love to hear from you and go out and take photos! Please drop me a line, and we can go out and have fun with photos!

WC2011: Macross Frontier 3 of 4 (Alto Saotome)

2011-04-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

WC2011: Macross Frontier 2 of 4 (Ranka Lee)

2011-04-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

Wondercon 2011: Macross F Post 1 of 4 (Group)

2011-04-10T01:53:00.000-07:00

When the seagulls cry

2011-04-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

Here is an manga/game that I am just not that familiar about. I have read the wiki info on it, but it still feels foreign to me. The cool thing about this manga, is that it started from humble beginnings and at a Comiket convention it grew to gigantic proportions. Big name companies then picked it up and decided to continue to create and sell the once small title. Amazing huh?

Anime Tenchou!

2011-04-04T23:49:00.000-07:00

Well, here is a strange, but awesome, character. I don't know if he is in many other anime/manga, but he is the manager of an anime shop that is frequented by Konata Izumi, from Lucky Star. If there ever was a better manager, I would require you to prove it to me. Not only does this guy get all the products lined up and ready for you, but he does it whilst running through fire. Watch the anime if you don't get the joke. Thanks for looking!

Fate Stay Night

2011-04-01T00:40:00.000-07:00

Thank you for taking a look at my photos! I hope that you like what you see. I'm a photographer that is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and always is looking for models/cosplayers to photo. If you are interested, please leave me a message, and I will get back to you!

So, with the advent of the Fate/Stay Night movie coming out, there were plenty of cosplayers from that anime. They were doing an excellent job to. Not only did they look the part, but a lot of the cosplayers were acting the part very seriously. It was amazing!

The costumes also looked very thick, and the day was blazing hot. It must have been at least in the high 90's if not 100. True kudos to them for being able to stand out there in the boiling heat and not want to run away!