I finally received the convention photos from this year's Bilibili World, and I'm so grateful to the photographer for their hard work. For this convention, I prepared a light blue maid-style dress paired with a plaid lace-trimmed apron, puff sleeves, and a headband adorned with little wings. To enrich the entire look, I brought along a pair of white angel wings and an off-white plush teddy bear. Walking around the venue in this outfit was quite the test of stamina, especially having to constantly monitor the silhouette of the skirt, but it was all worth it to present the best look in front of the lens.
While shooting this set, we deliberately avoided the crowded flow around the main stage and found a relatively open area along the venue's perimeter where the floor provided nice reflections. The photographer used a wide aperture to blur out the background; the hall's busy ambient lighting melted into soft, circular bokeh, blending with the natural cool-toned indoor lights to create a clear and luminous atmosphere. To complement the outfit, I wore white stockings paired with black platform Mary Janes. Initially, I was kneeling on a fluffy mat hugging the teddy bear or making cute hand gestures in front of my chest—while that looked sweet and demure, it made it hard to highlight the shoes and leg lines. Later, I switched to sitting sideways, stretching my legs to the side, holding the bear close to my cheek, and looking back toward the camera. This angle not only fully showcased the details of the white stockings and platform shoes, but also made my posture look much more natural and relaxed. When posing on the ground, remember to keep your weight centered on your sit bones while maintaining a straight back, or else the shot will look slouchy. Because the skirt features plaid trim, you have to carefully arrange the folds when sitting down to keep its puffiness intact.
Regarding expression control, in a noisy exhibition hall, it's very easy to get distracted by surrounding movements. My trick is learning to tune out the noise and focus your attention directly on the prop in your hands or the camera lens aperture. For example, while interacting with the bear, looking down at it or lifting it slightly creates authentic storytelling in the eyes rather than just staring blankly with a forced smile. Plush props are a massive plus here—they completely eliminate awkward hands. Since the angel wings are strapped to my back, adjusting the seating angle sideways allows the wings to frame the composition nicely, adding a touch of fantasy while flattering the silhouette of the back.
These Japanese-style convention photos didn't require exaggerated color grading in post-processing, preserving the natural texture of the fabric. The light blue cloth took on a slight cool hue under the venue lights, contrasting nicely with the darker background to make the subject pop. The black shoes and white stockings created a clean, classic black-and-white contrast. In truth, convention photos test quick thinking the most, as lighting and backgrounds cannot be fully controlled—you have to find optimal angles within limited conditions. The outfit has many delicate details, especially the plaid pattern on the collar and the tailoring on the sleeves, so I made sure to take plenty of close-ups from different angles for easier selection. Successfully capturing these satisfying frames came down to thorough preparation beforehand and agile adaptation on site.