The summer sunlight shone directly into the valley, and the reflection on the water surface was extremely glaring, but it also provided excellent natural lighting for the shoot. Today's shoot is a Summer Film portrait series themed around stream photoshoot. For the clothing, I chose a classic sailor-collar JK uniform paired with white over-the-knee long socks. To fit the refreshing feel, I specially brought a can of green soda as a prop.
When putting on makeup before going out, I deliberately intensified the blush and eye makeup blending, pairing it with twin-tail styling, hoping to present a vibrant Girlish vibe. The zippered sailor uniform design is easier to adjust than the pullover style, and the black-and-white lines at the collar show very clear contrast under outdoor lighting. The cut of the pleated skirt is very crisp; when sitting down, special attention needs to be paid to the direction of the pleats to avoid looking messy in front of the lens. The wearing experience of the white over-the-knee socks is actually quite challenging because the rocks by the stream are uneven with lots of moss. To prevent slipping, I had to use my toes and soles to test the solidity of every single rock. The anti-slip silicone strips of the socks still gripped tightly after sweating, and this tight sensation subconsciously made me straighten my back during the shooting.
The shooting location is a shallow stream with clear and shallow water. I found a relatively flat rock with a solid base to sit down. Taking off my shoes and stepping directly onto the rocks, the stream water just covered the instep, and that icy sensation instantly spread up from the soles of my feet, being extremely refreshing. The prop is a green canned beverage that had just been had a couple of sips from; the aluminum alloy can body formed a thin layer of water droplets when meeting the cold air. To capture the first seated photo, I needed to cross my legs and fully display the feet wearing White stockings on the surface of the water. At first, it was hard to maintain balance because of the water reflection and slippery rocks. To ensure my body wouldn't shake, I had to slightly brace myself with my hands behind me while keeping a relaxed expression in front of the lens.
When shooting the close-up action of handing over the drink, I tried several different angles. Because of the tree blockage by the stream, the light had mottled tree shadows. If shot directly in front-lighting, the reflection would overexpose the subject, so the photographer adjusted the angle to let the background stream and rocks form natural blurring, highlighting the green soda and white clothes in front. To increase the perspective of the frame, I handed the beverage can toward the lens direction while adjusting the bending arc of my arm, which can visually elongate the arm lines. This action seemed simple, but it actually took several tries to find the distance that wouldn't block facial lighting while keeping the soda can clearly focused.
When it came to shooting the action of tidying my hair, I raised both hands to adjust the twin tails. This posture easily pulls up the hem of the clothes, so the hem needed to be tidied up beforehand and tucked into the waistband of the pleated skirt. With both feet wearing White stockings stepping into the water, the soles of the socks stained with water and sediment, the color became somewhat greyish, but this natural sign of wear actually added a few points of authentic sense of daily life. Splashes occasionally landed on my legs, leaving small dark water stains on the white socks, looking very vivid under the lens.
The entire shooting process required constantly finding balance points on the rocks, and also being careful not to step into deep water areas and wet the skirt. Although there was sunlight, there were quite a few mosquitoes by the stream, and I had to constantly shoo them away during shooting breaks. However, seeing the frames presented on the camera screen, the white sailor uniform and the green stream formed a wonderful color contrast; the refreshing green soda and white over-the-knee socks, paired with the yellow scrunchie on top of my head and the beaded bracelet on my wrist, made these details look extremely vivid under natural light. This shoot didn't use complex lighting equipment, relying entirely on natural light and environmental interaction, resulting in photos that are refreshing and full of summer atmosphere.