I was actually very nervous when shooting this set, because Amiya cosplay involves way too many styling details. The sharp metal headpiece on top of the head needed to be securely fixed, while also ensuring that those big rabbit ears could stand up without collapsing. Just putting on the wig and adjusting the ear angles took over half an hour. The ruffles of the outfit have many layers, especially that white high collar and the cuffs, which easily mess up with the slightest movement, so I had to constantly pay attention to the drape of the fabric during the shoot.
The scene chosen this time features a Gothic style black throne and a blue-lit window. I wanted to break away from the usual bright, sunny interaction and use the contrast between warm and cool tones to reinforce her temperament—both gentle and carrying a somewhat heavy mission. I tried various sitting and standing poses many times. In the picture where I hold the weapon, my arm needed to be suspended to hold the pose. The prop was actually quite heavy, and I still had to keep a smile without cracking my expression; that moment was a real test of arm strength.
For the makeup, instead of using overly dramatic red eyeshadow, I used earth tones to deepen the contours and highlighted it with blue contact lenses to echo the blue snowflake elements on the costume, making the overall color tone more coordinated. The black leather boots and armor pieces of this outfit have an excellent texture and glossiness, which gains extra points under light refraction. During post-editing, I mainly preserved the skin texture and the fabric folds without over-smoothing, wishing to show the real state of the coser, after all, what everyone loves is the sincerity of a heartfelt recreation.
Every time after finishing a complete work, what is more exhausting than rushing the shoot is actually sorting out the details. However, seeing the moments in the final photos where the breeze gently moves the skirt hem or where I close my eyes to calm down makes me feel it's completely worth it. Next time, I want to go to a more open outdoor area or a place with natural light to try a different vibe; maybe I can capture a more slice-of-life side of this Kemonomimi girl Amiya. For today, let me share these frozen frames under the light and shadow.