[Kanoe Itagaki Cosplay] Gazing at You Inside Blue Archive's Classroom

Diving straight into the theme, I set out to shoot this set of photos for the Kanoe Itagaki Cosplay. After choosing the classroom as the scene, the greatest pleasure lay in how to use the character's own temperament to shape the atmosphere. Kanoe Itagaki is actually a very special existence; that kind of gaze, carrying a bit of laziness yet seemingly seeing through everything, was the focus I hoped to capture in both makeup and expression. In the classroom, I tried various states. In those few photos of me leaning on the desk with my legs naturally curled up, I attempted to restore that unguarded, daily campus feel, while the black-and-white matching School uniform paired with black stockings also happened to be a delicate balance point in this character's setting. The weight of the prop gun also added a bit of a challenge to the shoot; I needed to ensure that her posture while holding the gun was both true to the setting and didn't appear overly abrupt or rigid. After all, within the context of the setting, the gun forms a wonderful contrast with daily campus study life.

This shoot wouldn't have been possible without the team's support. The planner "Liuguang Shuying Photography Session" spent a lot of thought on the early composition and scene scheduling, constantly helping us coordinate the positions of the light and props. The medium format equipment used by the photographer—a Fujifilm GFX100S paired with a GF80mm f/1.7—indeed brought an exceptionally delicate texture to the final photos. The latitude and detail expressiveness of medium format allowed the light transitions in the classroom to look very natural, with the texture of the blackboard, the wooden grain of the desks, and every single fold on the uniform beautifully preserved. The 80mm focal length is roughly equivalent to around 60mm in full-frame conversion, which is a very classic mid-body or full-body portrait focal range, highlighting the main subject without compressing the background like a telephoto lens, thus preserving the classroom's original sense of space.

To express the somewhat fatalistic line "I've been gazing at you, ever since a past life," I specially adjusted the drop point of my line of sight when facing the lens. I wanted less sharpness in my eyes and more warm curiosity and contemplation. In the final cuts, the smiley face randomly drawn on the blackboard turned out to be the finishing touch, breaking the serious image of uniform-wearing gun-holding, and adding a hint of humor and approachability to the frame. This outfit itself actually has certain layers, with the white shirt and red bow tie inside, plus the sleeveless vest dress, paired with black tights and thick-soled leather shoes. On the basis of the school uniform, this Anime-style fashion adds features representing the character's identity, such as that floating halo on top of the head. Of course, we didn't over-edit the photos in post-processing, preserving the real light, shadow, and hair texture. For this cosplay photography sharing, being able to establish a connection with the character through the lens, or briefly become her, is inherently an achievement in itself. Although the process inevitably involved repeatedly adjusting postures and positions, seeing the natural flow of laziness and determination in the final results makes all the details worth it. This moment in the classroom is not just freezing the image of a young girl, but feels more like a brief reunion across dimensions.