[Balala the Fairies Filming Location] A White-Clothed Xianxia in the Deep Forest and Ancient Pagoda

Completed this set of ancient style white costume cosplay outdoor photoshoot at the Balala the Fairies filming location. This spot is indeed incredibly photogenic, hidden deep within the lush green forest where ancient stone pagodas of various shapes are scattered in an orderly yet staggered manner. Coupled with the massive twisted roots of old trees, it constructs a highly realistic martial arts world and Xianxia atmosphere.

This pure white ancient costume prepared for this shoot highly emphasizes a flowing feel in its design. The multiple layers of wide sleeves and high-waist sash design look extremely spirited when walking outdoors. However, to be honest, wearing such heavy, multi-layered pure white ancient costume outdoors in Shenzhen during the peak of summer for an outdoor shoot was quite a test of physical stamina. Fortunately, the shade of the pagoda forest at the shoot location was very dense, and with natural lighting overhead, the mottled light filtering down through the forest hit the white clothes, creating interlaced light spots. In post-production, almost no major editing was needed, as the light and shadow atmosphere of the raw photos was already perfectly in place.

We arranged several different states during the shoot to enrich the content of this photoshoot. The shot where I am holding a deep blue ancient style scroll standing in front of the stone steps was meant to express a cool, serene, and quiet bookish aura; the sense of depth from the blue-brick stone steps and the cluster of pagodas in the background brought out the character's three-dimensional spatial presence beautifully. On the other hand, the frame where I am leaning back to rest on the old tree roots, holding a small blue-and-white porcelain cup in hand, presents a state of complete relaxation. The lush green moss covering the tree trunks and the yellowish-brown fallen leaves formed a highly powerful color contrast with the white attire, making the layers of the image exceptionally rich.

What satisfies me the most is actually the dynamic action capture while holding the golden circular ring. This set of movements requires a great deal of bodily tension to make the skirt hem and cuffs whip up beautiful arcs in the air. At that time, I needed to spin rapidly and execute sword-like movements in the woods; the photographer snapped shots many times before capturing the most nimble moment of the flowing robes and the ring's reflection. Because the location is a natural wild environment, the light and shadow are not easily controlled by human hands. Therefore, during the shoot, we needed to constantly adjust our positioning and orientation, leveraging the natural light slanting through the forest to outline the character's silhouette. A slightly backlit angle would gild a layer of dreamlike highlights onto the hair and the edges of the white clothes.

Since it was my first time doing a Shenzhen photoshoot at this filming location, I specially went to scout the location in advance to understand the orientation and terrain of each pagoda. During the shoot, one had to mind the tree roots and moss on the ground, because wearing a long robe makes it easy to step into empty air or slip. Fortunately, the image production efficiency of this outdoor shoot was very high, and the photographer was also very savvy with compositions in such natural scenes, utilizing nearby tree branches as the foreground to create a framed scenery effect, which gives a visual illusion of a person wandering inside a painting.

Shooting a cosplay outdoor photoshoot feels completely different from a studio shoot. In a studio, you can use artificial light sources and backdrops to take clean, exquisite photos. But bringing a character into real ancient architecture and natural woods like this allows the character to immerse into a truer sense of presence. There is no carved-out styling of trendy internet-celebrity check-in spots, only stone pagodas accumulated by time and old trees brimming with vitality. Paired with this plain attire, without overly magnificent decorations, it highlights that cool and serene Xianxia temperament even more.

The entire set of photos took nearly three to four hours to shoot. Taken from an angle below the stairs, the ancient pagodas tower high, and the white robes fly, perfectly melting the combined feel of martial arts and Xianxia into the ecology of this Balala the Fairies filming location. It can be counted as a highly fulfilling Shenzhen outdoor photography journey.