Day 2 of this ChinaJoy was truly a double test of physical strength and mindset. To shuttle more flexibly through the venue, I chose guerrilla shooting, bringing no lighting arrays or heavy photography equipment, not even a reflector. As a result, right after changing into this black-and-white color-blocked dark maid style outfit in the rest area and planning to find a corner to rest and drink some water, I ran into a few sharp-eyed photographers. As soon as I struck my first pose, out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of five or six people gradually gathering behind me, with the sound of shutters going off one after another. I really didn't expect everyone to form a group and follow up instantly; this array instantly gave me the tension of being surrounded by lenses, but I was also secretly happy that this styling really caught people's eyes.
Speaking of the design of this costume, it's overall a mashup of gothic fashion and techwear elements. The top retains some details of a Chinese-style mandarin collar and frog buttons, and the white fabric on the front chest features hidden patterns, forming a strong visual contrast with the black leather corset. A few leather buckles and metal chains are used at the waist to create layers, and the chains sway with movement as you walk. The lower body is an asymmetric skirt with fine glitter in black, covered with a layer of black tulle on the outside, revealing a white pleated skirt hem on the inside. As for the hair, I added a few streaks of white highlights on top of my black hair, paired with a maid headband featuring plenty of lace trims and black bows, further strengthening the overall style. The pairing of hands is also a focus: one side has a black leather wristband, the other wears a spider-web-styled glove, and on my feet, I stepped into a pair of platform buckled black boots. Although the overall styling is heavy, it has a strong camera presence.
Due to on-site condition limits, not having a lighting array was indeed a huge regret. The ambient light in the rest area consisted of the convention's standard overhead lights with unstable color temperatures, and there were many storage racks, suitcases, and staff members walking back and forth in the background. To avoid the cluttered background, the photographer teachers could only try various low angles or large-aperture background blurring. Although the lighting was entirely up to luck, this set of photos basically relied on the on-site natural light and the exhibition hall's overhead lights to push through. The photographer teachers were amazing, constantly guiding me to adjust my poses and capturing many moments full of dynamic feel. Figure 1 was the action of lifting one leg and reaching forward, and Figure 4 was making a V-sign with both hands; these were actually done casually amidst everyone's teasing and communication, possessing even more vitality than deliberate posing.
This time with guerrilla shooting, lacking lighting equipment meant many fabric textures—like the fine glitter on the clothes and the texture of the leather—couldn't be fully displayed under the convention lighting, which felt a bit unfair to this carefully matched outfit. However, the charm of conventions lies precisely in this casualness and unexpected encounters. Interacting with the on-site photographers about shooting angles and action design, and everyone creating together by finding gaps in the rest area, this atmosphere was truly wonderful. Although no official photoshoot was released, being able to record this carefully prepared attire and meet a group of photography peers who appreciate it made this convention trip worthwhile. Next time if there's a convention of this scale again, I'll honestly book a proper venue, set up a lighting array, and earnestly shoot an official set to perfectly record all these details.