Having just wrapped up the retouching for the World Line convention, I immediately dove into the photos from Chengdu CD30. This Aemeath Cosplay outfit took tremendous energy from custom tailoring to fittings; the white bodysuit with gold trim and black waist splicing demands a high level of physical conditioning when worn. To ensure peak condition at the convention, I began strict diet control and targeted muscle workouts a week in advance. The medium-length pink wig needed to balance layered texture with a snug fit. For the star-wing-shaped headpiece in shades of blue and pink at the crown, I tried several fastening methods to ensure it wouldn't slip off in the crowded convention halls.
The trickiest elements of this gear were actually the gradient skirt panels on both sides of the waist and the semi-translucent blue-and-pink capelet. When walking around the venue or striking poses, these elongated strips of fabric easily tangled around my legs or caught on the black folding stools. During the shoot, I chose seated poses with crossed legs or one leg extended forward, which not only elongated the visual proportions of the high-heeled black boots, but also let the skirt panels drape naturally to showcase the white bodysuit and golden straps. The polearm weapon prop in my hand was quite heavy; raising it single-handedly to attack or aim required wrist strength, leaving my arm slightly sore after several rounds of posing.
The lighting at the Chengdu CD30 venue was quite complex. While the industrial lighting rig overhead was visually appealing, the raw captures suffered from stark contrast and muddy, grayish skin tones. In post-processing, substantial effort went into restoring the pristine white texture of the costume and the vibrant pink of the wig. My favorite shot is the one seated on the black folding ladder—knees crossed, right hand clutching the polearm weapon, gaze locked directly into the camera. This angle not only cleanly reveals the black-and-gold choker collar and blue bow at the chest and neck, but also flatters the leg contours under dramatic lighting. As a cosplayer who frequently tackles sci-fi and ACG combat aesthetics, I find the tailored fit and stark color contrast of this outfit ideal for large convention halls.
At the expo, I met many photographers with their cameras and enthusiastic players; exchanging poses and angles in front of the booths went very smoothly. Seeing this pink-haired, white-clad look, many players stopped to ask if it was a character from a game. I did my best within our limited time to accommodate requests, attempting dynamic snapshots of jumps and weapon swings. Because the polearm prop was quite long, I had to exercise caution during movement to avoid hitting passersby or photographic gear, which demanded precise footwork and body control. Even though standing all day in high heels left the soles of my feet aching, seeing the final frames on camera made all the exhaustion worthwhile.
The venue floor at this convention was dark and reflective. During color grading, I shifted the overall palette slightly cooler to make the white attire and pink hair pop, while preserving the industrial architectural lines of the venue in the background. Some shots kept the blurred ambient venue lights, conveying a much more authentic live atmosphere than a plain studio backdrop. The retouching process was also a reflection on that shoot day: from outfit adjustments to pose choreography, every cosplay outing is a fresh endeavor. To fit the character's sci-fi lore in Wuthering Waves, I deliberately incorporated extended limb lines and detailed weapon grips into the posing. Retouching preserved the natural texture of the skin without excessive smoothing, aiming to showcase the costume's authentic presence under convention lighting and serve as a record of this Chengdu CD30 anime journey through this Event photo delivery.