Realized I forgot to post here about WonderCon last week.

I was mostly support for the kid’s #Minecraft costume, but I did get a chance to check out art, buy from small vendors & photograph #cosplay with the new camera.

The kid only took 1 photo, but it made be rethink my technique.
https://hyperborea.org/journal/2019/04/wondercon-2019-cosplay-photos/

Here’s the family as Professor Trelawney and a spider jockey. She ran into a LOT of other #HarryPotter cosplayers:

https://hyperborea.org/journal/2019/04/harry-potter-cosplay/

Full gallery on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kelsonv/albums/72157690667228043


On Wandering.shop

Took the new camera to WonderCon for cosplay photography

Took the new camera to #WonderCon for #cosplay #photography.

1. I finally have a camera that can really handle inside lighting at a convention center!

2. I’ve gotten too used to just capturing costumes, instead of composing interesting shots.

2a. My 8YO took 1 photo all weekend (#InsideOut) & it ended up being the best that day. I took the lesson & improved my shots the next day, including the other 3 here.

Album on Flickr

#HarryPotter #BeautyAndTheBeast #LittleShopOfHorrors

On Photog.Social
Expanded on K2R

There was a lot of Harry Potter cosplay at WonderCon…

There was a lot of #HarryPotter #cosplay at #WonderCon this past weekend! Here are some of my photos. There are a lot more that I missed – people dressed as the Malfoys, students of course, other professors and so on.

My full gallery for the convention is on Flickr at

Range of Emotions

#Voldemort #BellatrixLestrange #Hagrid #ProfessorTrelawney #Dumbledore #ArthurWeasley #RitaSkeeter #ProfessorUmbridge #GilderoyLockhart

On Pixelfed
Expanded on K2R

Professor Umbridge is unimpressed. Professor Trelawney is uncertain how to react. Professor Lockhart *is* impressed…with himself

Professor Umbridge is unimpressed. Professor Trelawney is uncertain how to react. Professor Lockhart *is* impressed…with himself

Photo taken at: Wondercon

Professor Umbridge is unimpressed. Professor Trelawney is uncertain how to react. Professor Lockhart *is* impressed…with himself.

#cosplay #WonderCon #WonderCon2019 #HarryPotter #professortrelawney #professorlockhart #professorumbridge @wondercon
More photos on Flickr/KelsonV

@casualcosplaykatie as Trelawney, @enchantingenchanter as Lockhart, @cupofsunshyne as Umbridge

Comparing Voldemort and Grindelwald

Voldemort’s basically about power: people follow him because they see they’ll gain in the power structure he’s setting up, or figure that if they get on his good side, he’ll protect them.

Grindelwald is a demagogue, telling people what they want to hear in order to get them to support him. He still wants to oppress people, but his power base is built on persuasion rather than intimidation.

#HarryPotter #FantasticBeasts

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But since both villains draw on WW2 parallels, both wizarding wars have a strong element of metaphoric racism. Grindelvald’s followers & Voldemort’s both believe their genetic group is superior and should be in charge.

And having said that, now I’m reminded of the line in Catherynne Valente’s “Space Opera” about how *all* wars are about deciding who counts as a person, and who’s just meat.

It tracks.

#HarryPotter #FantasticBeasts #SpaceOpera

On Wandering.shop