[Raiden Shogun cosplay] The Narukami Group with Yae Miko, Great Chemistry Even in the Behind-the-Scenes

Dug out this batch of raw images from my cloud drive and selected a total of 38 photos. Looking at the light, shadow, and details in the viewfinder, I can't help but sigh that I truly need to find a 'hardcore' editor to save this set. Especially dealing with the light reflection on the costumes and materials, this is definitely an high-tier challenge in the retouching world. Completing this shoot with my partner @Chinatsu was highly comfortable; we both agree that these two behind-the-scenes photos best capture our relaxed state at the time.

In the frame, we are sitting on a tatami mat with a ukiyo-e folding screen full of traditional Japanese aesthetic vibe behind us, while a red paper umbrella casually leaning nearby perfectly balances out the seriousness. The outfit of the purple-haired character (Raiden Shogun cosplay) is rich in layers, combining a matte cotton-linen texture with a glossy material that fits 2D settings well. Paired with the gold-and-purple metallic buckle at the waist and tassel hair accessories, both the texture and weight are solid. Meanwhile, the pink-haired character next to me appears in a white-and-red-based styling, with an off-the-shoulder collar design paired with golden hair ornaments on the side, creating a strong contrast of warm and cool tones. In these two behind-the-scenes photos, neither of us intentionally looked at the camera but leaned against each other naturally. That casual cosplay closeness and sense of intimacy made it feel as though we had truly stood side by side for many years.

In the raw files, the ink-wash warriors on the background screen and the woven textures of the tatami are very clear, but this also means post-processing will require managing a massive amount of environmental details, especially balancing the highlight regions and the specular reflections on the leather pants. Not only are there many details on the costumes, but more crucially, the overall color scheme of this Genshin Impact set needs to achieve harmony between warm and cool tones. The combination of purple and pink systems, paired with the warm tone of the ukiyo-e background, can easily make the frame look muddy if the color temperature isn't handled correctly during editing. I especially love tones with a sense of airiness—not too heavy, yet able to separate skin textures from costume fabrics.

This time, @Chinatsu's pink hair styling had a great texture, and her action of tilting her head to lean over formed a perfect diagonal visual guide with the tassels on my purple hair. During the shoot, our chemistry regarding positioning and posture was incredibly high; we barely needed to say anything—as soon as one person adjusted, the other would naturally align. That pair of black glossy leather pants was indeed a difficult point because its reflections could easily disrupt the uniformity of the frame, so we discussed finding reference images and adjusting highlights for a long time beforehand for this Japanese-style photography project.

To accurately restore the essence of the character setup, we even simulated the angles of our finger placement and the drape of the hemlines to match the original art. Looking at all 38 raw photos spread out now, though the number is a bit large, every recorded moment possesses a distinct emotional tension—some of us looking into each other's eyes and whispering, some with eyes closed snuggling like in these behind-the-scenes shots, and some perfectly capturing a subtle sense of motion. Facing these, my heart is actually filled with satisfaction, though the actual retouching is indeed a tedious chore. I hope to find the right editing ideas next to sustain the atmosphere of every picture and the agility of the Narukami Group characters, living up to that day's hard work and the elaborate preparation of costumes, makeup, and props.