ANIME NYC 2025

I’ve heard a lot of things about Anime NYC from many of my peers - some call it one of the best cons for celebrating anime and cosplay, while others call it a crowded and corporate affair. I’m no stranger to bigger conventions like Otakon, MAGFest, and Katsucon, and I wanted to try my hand at a convention outside of the DMV. A lot of my friends in my local cosplay space were also making the trip, so it almost became a no brainer for me to attend.

I shot a lot of medium format film for Katsucon and I missed shooting film at Otakon, so I decided to return to my roots and commit to 35mm for the event. I chose to shoot primarily on my Leica, which I felt was the right tool to photograph subjects in a bustling environment - and one with a storied reputation among NYC photographers.

Anime NYC also the first time I chose to experiment with the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, which is widely considered to be the Hollywood standard for widescreen aspect ratio for movies. I anticipated the bigger crowds, so I used this approach to create a cinematic presentation without sacrificing the sense of scale or the intimacy with my subjects

While I admittedly didn’t have the best overall experience at Anime NYC, I did balance things out by exploring the city and taking breaks when needed. Unlike the DC locales in Otakon and the Gaylord in Katsucon and MAGFest, the Javitz Center was lacking as a scenic or visually distinctive setting. I also wasn’t keen on the event’s more corporate atmosphere, but I did have a lot of fun hanging out with old friends and making new ones in between shooting.

Despite my qualms, I’m content with my overall experience and the photos. If anything, it gave me another reason to return to one of my favorite cities in the world.