[Alice Margatroid Cosplay] Frozen Red Sea, Opening the Magic Book of Touhou Project

The ice surface of Honghaizi is clearer than I imagined; that cool, high-altitude blue is just perfect for scenes from Touhou Project.

The clothing and props I brought for this outdoor shoot were quite complex. To restore the character's setting, I customized a blue and red Western-style dress. The lace on the collar and skirt was re-starched to ensure the shooting effect was crisp. The retro magic book prop in my hand was borrowed separately from a friend; the dark brown cover and golden buckles look very textured.

However, the biggest difficulty in shooting at Honghaizi is the double test of temperature and the ice surface. In order to catch the best light when the sunlight is just diffusing, the photographer and I waited by the lake very early. The ultraviolet rays on the plateau are very strong, and the reflection of the ice surface is more dazzling than the water surface. If we didn't use fill light well, the color of the clothes would be completely drowned by the highlights of the ice and snow. So while organizing the wig, I had to cooperate with the photographer to adjust the position to ensure that the blue dress and red bow became the visual focus of the frame.

Especially when shooting that photo stepping into the ice water, to be honest, the inside of my boots was freezing, and the ice water seeped through the soles. But at the moment the shutter was pressed, seeing the snow peaks and the azure sky reflected in the frame, I felt everything was worth it.

The character Alice Margatroid herself has a quiet and focused temperament. In the natural and open scene, I didn't need to strike too many complex poses. Just maintaining a relaxed look, looking at the distance or gazing at the book, could fit that feeling of being immersed in one's own world.

I used a lot of setting spray to keep the hair from being messed up by the wind. When the wind was strong, the skirt hem fluttered; instead, I felt that it was a natural wind effect, more natural than the fans in the studio. Although I was shivering with cold, seeing the continuous snow mountains in the background and the vast ice lake under my feet in the final photos, the frozen feeling became less important.

Traveling to Western Sichuan for this high-altitude travel photography consumes more physical strength than usual. You have to control the breathing rhythm; otherwise, facial expressions are prone to distortion. But every time I bring a 2D character to the vast natural scenery, the sense of reality that breaks the dimension wall is truly moving. As a creator, I personally like this practice of deeply combining environment with character design.

Every time I travel long distances to such a high-altitude place to shoot, early scouting and preparation work are particularly important. We acclimatized to the altitude before going up the mountain and prepared windproof gloves and warmers. Although I couldn't wear a thick coat due to character requirements during the shoot, I would immediately put on a down jacket during the breaks to keep warm. The change of light on the plateau is very fast. In order to capture that strand of soft light penetrating through the clouds, we waited for a long time by the frozen lake, which was a memorable Ice and snow cosplay journey.