The Convention photo files from this year are finally roughly organized. Browsing through the expo records in my folder from spring through winter, both my shooting techniques and styling explorations have visibly evolved along the way. This year, I experimented with a rich variety of styles—from playful sailor uniforms and dark-aesthetic patent leather outfits to winged mecha gears, ornate evening gowns, and beast-ear stylings. To flatter body proportions amidst the crowds, especially the lines of legs, stockings, and tall boots, I mostly utilized vertical compositions like P1 to P5 during the first half of the year, dropping the angle low with a wide-angle lens for upward shots; this perspective genuinely made the silhouettes look much better. By the second half of the year, to complement dynamic, wide-movement postures—such as brandishing greatswords, playing the cello, or twirling skirt hems—I began widely adopting horizontal compositions like P7 to P9 to convey dramatic visual tension. Paired with post-processed firelight, particle VFX, and floating text, the overall visual impact intensified significantly. I also took plenty of group photos, like P6 with my friends; stringing them all together at the end of the year feels truly wonderful.
Speaking of a Convention photo, it belongs to an entirely different realm compared to studio shoots. Studio photography emphasizes steady lighting and precise positioning, whereas convention shoots are full of uncontrollable variables. Lighting at expos is notoriously complex—often plagued by top lighting causing split-face harsh shadows or reflections from dense ceiling fixtures—so we frequently had to reposition the camera deliberately to dodge unflattering shadows. Shooting amidst crowded halls inevitably requires patiently waiting for passersby to clear or utilizing venue pillars to mask cluttered backgrounds; in post-processing, the heaviest workload often lies in cloning out pedestrians. Wearing faux leather and patent leather is stiflingly hot, demanding constant care not to stain the garment when sweating, while wearing white stockings calls for even greater caution to avoid ground dust. Wearing heavy wigs and beast ears for hours puts a real strain on the neck, and walking all day in high heels tests one's feet tremendously. Yet each costume carries a distinct tactile sensation: the breeziness of sailor uniforms, the heft of mechanical rigs, and the sleek contours of leather all help me immerse into that character's atmosphere.
I attended numerous events large and small this year, sometimes waking up hours early to do makeup and hair, other times rushing early to queue up and secure good camera spots. I believe the truest charm of a Convention photo lies in that precise fleeting instant—even if the backdrop isn't pristine and the lighting isn't flawless, the emotion is undeniably genuine. As a frequent expo participant, one must get used to changing in cramped fitting rooms and finding quiet visual pockets amidst roaring crowds. The stances practiced repeatedly to capture dynamic split-seconds and the joy of sharing characters with everyone constitute genuine memory fragments of this past year. Having taken so many Convention photos this year, immense effort went into everything from brainstorming compositions with partners beforehand to sorting through these images bit by bit in post-production. It is more than just a batch of photos; it is a way of recording—capturing the expressions frozen in each look, as well as the refreshing novelty of shifting between varied roles. Even though I end up utterly exhausted after every event, seeing these captured moments makes me eagerly look forward to the next convention.