When shooting this Azur Lane Jeanne d'Arc cosplay set, the biggest challenge was actually coordinating the White stockings and High heels. White hosiery is very prone to glare under studio lights, and if the photographer's lighting placement is slightly off, it creates a cheap, plastic sheen. Because of this, establishing the lighting scheme in advance took quite a bit of effort.
For makeup, I wore blue colored contact lenses paired with long blonde hair and a white lace hair ornament, aiming to create the holy yet cool and aloof aura inherent to the character. This white lace dress features countless intricate details; with the lace patterns, avoiding accidental exposure was a constant concern during shooting, so I had to keep my posture taut without slumping. Trimming the wig also took quite some time to achieve well-balanced layers that didn't feel heavy while framing the face perfectly.
Instead of a Western church, the chosen setting this time was a studio infused with Chinese traditional style elements. Rustic wooden window latticework, sprawling plum blossom branches, warm yellow vintage lanterns, and large draping sapphire-blue silks accented with a white plush rug created a wonderful visual collision. I felt this East-meets-West backdrop actually accentuated the character's purity even more through its stark contrast. Warming up and testing the lighting before shooting took considerable time, all to ensure the White stockings appeared soft and natural under warm tones rather than harsh.
We experimented with multiple poses during the shoot. To showcase leg lines, I specifically selected side-sitting and single leg-lift angles, where the white High heels helped elongate leg proportions. Particularly when using a Chinese-style wooden daybed as a prop, adding a white plush cushion supported my body weight while beautifully accentuating the White stockings. The photographer tested overhead and low angles alike; in the final selections, the leg lines look gorgeous, with the overall composition resting neatly along the golden ratio lines.
The umbrella shots were a spontaneous idea. Initially, we only had a folding fan, but finding a white lace parasol added an extra layer of mystery. Leaning forward while holding the parasol extended the curves of my legs dramatically, which, combined with the plum blossoms and blue silk in the background, brought out tremendous visual tension. Coordinating the folding fan with the feathered tail prop also tested my composure, as balancing hand gestures with a relaxed facial expression requires considerable acting skill.
In post-processing, we deliberately refrained from over-smoothing the skin, preserving authentic texture while balancing the white balance under warm lighting so the distinct layers between the White stockings and the white dress stood out clearly. To ensure overall color harmony, the background wood grain was slightly dimmed while brightening the main subject—especially adding a natural, non-chalky sheen to the legs.
Wearing stiletto High heels continuously for hours while holding poses that appeared relaxed yet required intense core tension placed a huge strain on my feet and ankles. The makeup artist kept a close watch the entire time to touch up makeup whenever needed. After wrapping the final umbrella pose, my legs were shaking with exhaustion, but the moment I saw the preview shots, all the hardship felt worthwhile. That holy, graceful atmosphere and the unique fusion of classic Chinese traditional style with Western aesthetics are difficult to convey in words alone.
The success of this photoshoot owes much to our gaffer's precise control of warm lighting and the makeup artist's meticulous eye styling. During preparation, everything from large vase and lamp set pieces down to hand-held props like the folding fan and white parasol was carefully curated and arranged. To complement this styling, even the blue cloth on the floor and the plum blossom branch were repositioned multiple times to craft the ideal composition. In short, it was a seamless, high-quality collaborative shoot.