[Annual Photography Summary] 2025 Explorations of Japanese and School Styles: An Annual Photography Record

Looking back at these frozen moments in my album for the 2025 Annual photography summary, I truly shot a great deal this year. From indoor studio sets at the start of the year to the midsummer seaside, from the dignified grace of traditional Japanese washitsu rooms to the refreshing charm of hydrangea fields, I experimented across various distinct styles.

My biggest takeaway this year was the vital importance of "light" and "emotion." Many sessions were completed under natural lighting or simple indoor light sources. For instance, in those photos by the water, sunlight refracted across the surface to form delicate ripples; paired with the models' natural head tilts and water-splashing gestures, the final frames possessed an extraordinarily airy feel. As for those indoor sets, utilizing candles and red drapes with carefully controlled light exposure preserved shadow details beautifully while instantly elevating the atmospheric emotion.

Selecting, editing, and retouching photos are all built upon massive piles of time and effort. I want to thank every model and cosplayer who stepped in front of my lens this past year. Everyone worked tirelessly alongside me, striving to interpret each styling perfectly regardless of scorching heat or freezing cold. The trust from clients also gave me greater freedom to experiment with personal artistic Portrait photography styles without having to rely on assembly-line compositions—such creative freedom is truly precious to a photographer.

I indeed tried some unconventional angles and compositions this year. During outdoor location shoots, balancing light, backgrounds, and model states was a constant endeavor. For certain shots, waiting for a single ray of sunlight to pierce through the forest meant standing at a location for nearly half a day. Though the process was tedious, the rich dimensionality brought by light and shade in the final frames made all the waiting completely worthwhile. I also gained fresh insights into post-processing: I dislike plastic-looking skin smoothing, preferring instead to preserve natural skin textures and fine details. Enhancing highlights appropriately while deepening shadows to infuse colors with a richer vintage atmosphere often highlights the emotional resonance of the photos far better.

Moving into 2026, I want to maintain this passion for exploration while placing even greater emphasis on output quality. Beyond merely taking pretty pictures, I hope to capture the genuine, moving presence of the models themselves beyond character settings. I hope every coming year will allow me to look back—just like this summary—and vividly recall the surroundings, temperature, and mood of those moments through these visual memories.

The true meaning of photography lies in holding memories to look back upon; I don't care how fast I shoot, only hoping that while taking great photos, we all genuinely enjoy the process. Whether it is cosplay styling in 2D culture or everyday fashion, that underlying passion remains shared. I hope to keep this original heart in the new year, continuing to record beauty with my lens (open for Meizhou photoshoot booking).