By AnimeEv 2 months ago
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If you’ve ever wondered to yourself what it’s like to be a hot-shot con photographer but were afraid to ask, well, then you’re in for a treat as we catch up with artist and photographer Pinguino Kolb. PK has been hanging around LA working her tail off for years as the go-to photog for numerous sites and press outlets. Hero to millions and heart-throb to all, Penguino’s work can be found all over the place online… or you could read to the end and get, you know, a link or two.
After a multitude of candy and green tea offers we finally cornered her with a few questions right before taking a jaunt across the pond to capture Mothra… or something. So get your notebooks out, y’all, because you’re about to get schooled!
I’m getting ready for my crazy summer to start. My boyfriend and I are flying to Japan July 4, where we’ll be attending a puzzle convention and climbing Mt. Fuji. I land back in the US on Preview Night to shoot San Diego ComiCon (SDCC), and a couple days after that will be doing live art at DefCon. The other things keeping me busy lately are illustrations for Tentacle Grape Soda, and planning a big party in Antarctica (http://www.penguinproject.net)
When I was ten years old, I started a small comic book company called Penguin Palace. This was in San Diego, and I was exhibiting at conventions by the time I was 17. I moved to LA in 1999, and had built a background in journalism and comic book publishing. A car accident led to back surgery, and I couldn’t keep up with editing and writing. I transitioned into photography and found myself shooting for Comic Book Resources and Anime News Network. I approached both of them in response to articles they had on their sites when they were looking for new contributors.
I don’t remember why I flew out to NYCC the first year. That was the first convention that I really went out of my way just to shoot. When you’re paid to shoot a convention, it’s a lot easier to justify the trip. I’m also good at finding free or cheap ways to get to where I want to go, and have friends around the world to crash with. Sometimes the publications or comic book companies fly me. One year I got work to schedule a meeting overlapping NYCC, so they paid for my flight and hotel in NY. Since the economy broke, people haven’t been able to fly me to cons, so I’ve mostly been shooting locally.
I don’t really shoot differently when I travel. I take a bit more time to set up my shots, since shooting a location is slower-paced than a convention, where you have maybe 30-seconds to grab the right shot. I take less gear, since I have to carry it all with me. I’ve been shooting with a Canon Rebel for years now, but starting this SDCC, will be shooting with a Canon 5D Mark II. Mostly, I’ve been shooting with a 50mm f1.4, 16-35mm f2.8, and a 530 EX flash. When I’m at conventions, I also bring a 100-300mm telephoto lens (Hall H at SDCC, I lug it around for you), a Gary Fong lightsphere, and an Orbis ringflash.
Also, since I don’t speak Japanese, I use the international pantomime for “I’m going to take your picture,” instead of actually asking first.
I love shooting people in general, and cosplayers are always fun to shoot. They’re fairly common in Harajuku, so that is always a stop on any trip to Japan. The last Intermixi tour took us by the Tokyo Anime Fair, and there were cosplayers and booth babes there. I was able to get some shots for Anime News Network on that trip.
Between comic book, anime, gaming, and computer conventions, I shoot 7-10 conventions a year. It’s exciting yet exhausting, especially when they’re a week or two apart. Summertime is convention season, so it can get pretty brutal and by the end of the season, I’ve suffered sensory overload. The past year I took a break and stayed in LA more, which I usually regret when I read all of the excited twitters from the particular con that I missed.
Adventure.
I’m really happy when my photos come out vibrant and lifelike. People hire me because I’m really good at framing my subjects, and I spend quite a bit of time after events editing the shots to balance lighting, color, and adjusting details. I also like shooting things that others haven’t noticed. I was able to get some really nice shots of Stan Winston at SDCC with his Iron Man armor, while many of the other photographers at the armor unveiling were all over Robert Downey Jr and Jon Favraeu. Stan Winston passed away not long after.
When I shoot celebrities, it’s usually one of four scenarios: – I follow an interviewer from my publication into a private interview. – The company representing the celebrity has set up a red-carpet style press room for photographers. – I’m in the press area of a concert or programming panel. – The celebrity is booth signing on the exhibit floor.
With T.M. Revolution, and I hope I’m remembering this right, I’d attended a small 20-person pressroom interview as part of Anime News Network. It was in a drab room with yellowish lighting. The pictures weren’t very good. That night, they did their first US performance, and I was one of a few photographers that got to run around in front of the stage. The singer dressed up in a Star Wars inspired costume, and was incredibly photogenic. I’d never shot a concert before, and I took some of my favorite photos ever.
Anime companies have always been pretty tight with access to their talent. If you’re shooting on the exhibit floor, I usually find the person’s wrangler. Usually it’s an agent or the PR representative from the publishing house. When I shoot the pressrooms or concerts, my editor gets me in, or I go in with a writer as their photographer. Sometimes places like Anime Expo will have signup sheets for press seating in their pressrooms. When I can, I contact PR ahead of time to get passes to things, but sometimes I won’t know about the event or opportunity until it’s happening in front of me.
Dont let anything stop you if you want to do something, even if it seems impossible. I started out selling handmade greeting cards with penguins on them at electronics swap meets. Years later it has led me to do crazy stuff, like hang artwork in abandoned missile silos, shoot the occasional star-studded red carpet awards show, and have photos printed in magazines overseas. You just have to stay focused on your goals and on your craft.
My best photos are always at Comic Book Resources http://www.comicbookresources.com/ but my personal blog is at http://www.ivomitrainbows.com
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AX, Pinguino Kolb, cosplay, photography
