Otakon 2024
Otakon has become one of my top 5 favorite cons. Located at heart of DC, held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and traditionally held in August, the city will be bursting with activity despite how hot it can get at times. There are many parking spots in the surrounding area; as the weather gets really hot (hence the term Hotakon), the prices do get exponentially pricier to closer to the con. Even with my travels being at night, it was very humid and the half mile walk made me sweat all the way through my clothes. There’s also the metro train available, but again, it’s a good walk to the main convention.
My first impression with the actual convention is how large the merchandise area is. I thought Awesome Con took a good amount of space; Otakon felt like it took up twice the amount of space. I find the merchandise to be more unique with a lot more artists and a lot more goods that one would not easily find online. I would say the best time to check out the merchandise without the onslaught of a crowd is Friday or Sunday. Even with those days, there’s a crowd waiting to enter, so around an hour or two of when the merchandise area opens up. With the crowd and depending on what you are looking for, you can wind up spending an entire day in the merchandise area. I also thought it was nice that there are well lit photography sets available for anyone wanting to take a photo without having the typical merchandise in the background.
What is also nice about Otakon, especially with the weather, is how the convention hall is connected an opened with the Marriott Marquis. This is the area where most professional photographers and videographers will spend their time and where most cosplayers who want to get their photos will hang out. I like to think of the Marriott Marquis as a mini-Gaylord as the indoor lighting and architecture is similar. There is plenty of natural light during the day that an external light source is not needed. What was different this year at night was that many photographers had elaborate light set ups and they basically became mini studios. Usually activity slows down at night, but this year, the evening activity reminded my of how people stay up late during Magfest and Katsucon. I believe it may be a new trend.
The Mariott Marquis, therefore is the ideal hotel to stay in. With the underground connection to the convention hall and the area being great for photography, it is a highly sought after location when it’s open for the public for getting a room. Unfortunately this year, the rooms were made available a few minutes prior to the official time, thus most rooms were already sold out by the time the official time hit. This is similar to the situation with Katsucon for 2024 where rooms were made available almost ten minutes before the official time. The surrounding hotels at the convention rate are all within one or two blocks, however, the humid heat makes it less than ideal to travel, especially when you are in cosplay or carrying a lot of photography gear. This year, there was a severe thunderstorm with torrential rain for several hours. It’s always nice being at the host hotel when you need to take a quick break.
One advice I would give to photographers is to stick with a 35mm if you are taking photos indoors. I found it challenging at times to shoot with a 50mm or 85mm unless it was very early in the morning. The outdoor building right outside of the Marriot Marquis has your typical Washington DC / Roman / Neoclassical architecture type, so depending on the cosplay you are photographing, it can make for a great background and story telling. Again, try to take your photos early in the day as it does get very toasty during the day. The most I lasted outside was around ten to fifteen minutes. Remember the cosplayer is also feeling the heat. There is the Apple Store indoor staircase, but I find it always in use.
