Event - Elftopia 2022
Links first:
All the pictures are on Flickr
Updates on the next events are on the Facebook page.
Videoreels will be on Clapper (max 3min) and on Instagram (max 90sec)
* Clapper video 01 - Vade retro
* Clapper video 02 - Spread your wings
* Clapper video 03 - Blood dance
My thoughts for those who care:
Some events have so much unused potential that it makes you wonder. The renaissance fair Elftopia has a wonderful location in a castle park but for some reason the Comic Con Belgium-group who owns this fantasy fair seems to hold it back. Maybe letting a few corporate multinationals purchase & organize almost all major geek-events wasn't the best idea.
Why complain?
Since we got early bird tickets for Saturday, the entrance price was still acceptable (not like the crazy 30€ at the gate)
Since we got there ridiculously early, we got a spot on the parking (and 8€ is an acceptable price to stand at 50m from the festival gate)
The weather was sunny & warm (ok, heatwave warm but with a nice breeze so it didn't bother me and the organisation allowed everyone to bring water since there was no free water available on the festival grounds.. being parked close-by was a life-saver)
No complaints about the food. Prices & sizes are simply doing the same crazy skyrocket rise everywhere, the organisation can't help that. Just go to the supermarket and you'll feel the pain.
The cosplayers were plenty and even with those crazy temperatures, many were still in gorgeous outfits. None made objections against posing and I tried to live as much as possible by my own guidelines about convention photography etiquette.
There was a bit more activity than last year.. but then again: that was still a C19-year. We should compare to 2019.
The band Prima Nocta is always a great party. They even shared water with the fans. Great way to end the day.
Sounds okay, right?
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Let's ask it again: why be on an event from 10AM till 7PM and still complain?
Because actually there wasn't much to do or to see. Maybe it was due to the heatwave but most of the park space was unused.. the big empty. Even the beloved Helltopia Horror Bridge was non-existant. (Admitedly, not finding the axe throwing area is my own fault - I really wanted to do that) Once the shopping/artist area (with the same vendors as the other CCB-events) was visited & the few spread out activities on the meadow were checked, all you could do was wander around or sit in the grass..
Well: unless you're a photographer. As said above: cosplayers/larpers/re-enactors/costumed people are the real attraction of this event.
At this point I have to admit that there were too many photographers in the morning. I repeat: simply too many.
Every shadowy spot was buzzing with camera clicks.
Some were blocking the pathway with their one-speedlight-set-ups.
Many swarmed in like flies whenever you were making a shot with a model. Not that I mind IF they stay behind me & out of my way (being a prime lens shooter, my feet are my way of zooming hence I need space). Only a few were stupid enough to come in between me and the model.. véry annoying.
BTW: Should i consider the hundreds of cellphone-shooters as photogs too? I guess I should, noticing how they often jump in front of you to take the same picture as you.
On the bright side: a few photogs were very helpful in for example spontaneously holding branches and such for a shot. Others were very courteous, talkative & simply friendly. So please do not generalize after some negative interactions with photographers; there are really kind people amongst them!
Thanks to the hot weather there were plenty of very skimpy cosplays. (Not just ladies) Eventhough I shoot boudoir, art-nude & dark fantasy without any gêne, I did find myself not often stepping up to one of those ladies for a picture. On the one hand I wasn't always 100% sure they were 18+ and on the other hand.. I don't know.. during my work at the Sony photofair booths I've seen to many pervy photogs and I do not want to be associated with their kind. I don't mind shooting skimpies at all, au contraire, but I still have to figure out how to proceed without feeling like a dirty old man in a kilt.
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Did I spend all day shooting? Nope.. just like Castlefest is the perfect fair for spontaneously meeting new people, Elftopia has become the spot where you run into friends & acquaintances (and where acquaintances become friends). Where you mix short "HI's" while running around with your hands full of food, intense hugs, quick sips of warm booze and o-so many chit-chats. This describes more pub-life than a fantasy fair? Yup, yet everything is more fun in a kilt!
So most time was actually spent socializing.. and that is a feat for an officially ambivert personality like myself.
Summarized: without the people, this would have been a 2hrs event with loads of untapped potential. Thank you beautiful people.
PS. Good to see that costuming has in some cases become a family event. Parents dressing up their children & children dressing up their parents. A nice evolution.
MORE SAMPLES will follow here. For ALL 200 PHOTOS click any Flickr-link.
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