At the night session of Firefly ACG Expo, braving strong fill lights and the exhaustion of a full day at the convention, we completed shooting this set of convention photos. This photo set specifically selected an outdoor real-world scene at night; brick pavement paired with evening greenery backdrops, struck directly by strong light sources, actually produced a remarkably atmospheric contrast of light and shadow. Cosplaying Yae Miko from Genshin Impact, the costume details in these convention photos count as a version executed with quite high fidelity.
Let's start with the pink wig. This time I used a relatively fluffy short pink wig. To recreate the character's animalistic features, the sides near the top of the head were deliberately widened with hairspray, complemented by golden ear ornaments. Although wearing a wig all day feels a bit stifling, to maintain the overall silhouette and three-dimensional outline, I intentionally refrained from heavily adjusting it throughout the day's convention photos session. For the costume, the white halter-neck top paired with detached red-and-white sleeves offered decent wearing comfort without feeling overly hot. However, the focal point is the prominent purple flower metal pendant on the chest—this accessory is the core of the entire upper body styling. Since the pendant carries some weight and pulls on the fabric, I had to carefully adjust its angle while posing to prevent it from going crooked.
The lower half is actually a light, short design. To complement the casual vibe we wanted to convey in this shoot, we opted to go barefoot, stepping onto a white plush rug prepared in advance. Because outdoor ground during Firefly ACG Expo at night usually consists of hard brick pavement, walking around barefoot on bricks all day would not only be unbearable for my feet, but also dirty the bottom of the costume. Therefore, preparing a white plush rug as a protective barrier preserved the barefoot visual effect while significantly improving the overall shooting experience, preventing things from looking overly messy.
As for props, I held a red-and-white paper wand (Ofuda/Gohei). This prop complemented the red-and-white outfit seamlessly while balancing the composition in the photos. However, because this prop is lightweight and easily blows around in the wind, holding it steady while maintaining eye contact either directly at the camera or looking slightly down required multiple adjustments. In the third photo, a camera lens shooting us was accidentally captured in frame, serving as a cute little easter egg from the convention shoot; that realistic feeling of being surrounded by equipment was quite fun.
The biggest highlight of this Night outdoor photoshoot was actually the utilization of lighting. Without natural light outdoors at night, we had to rely heavily on powerful fill lights. Although such direct front and side lighting created some facial shadows and body light-dark cutoff lines, it made the white garments and red borders stand out even more vividly against the dark backdrop. Paired with the white rug beneath my feet, the visual focal point of the image became crystal clear. During the shoot, many onlookers gathered, and fellow fans came over to ask about outfit styling details—getting everyone's recognition right at the convention felt amazing. Returning to my stay after the convention, the very first thing I did was quickly remove the wig to let my head breathe and carefully fold up the costume; after all, if this red-and-white outfit isn't hung up properly during storage, it will have obvious creases when worn the next day. Every time I cosplay, it feels like a brief time-travel journey. The moment I put on the outfit and pick up the props, I unconsciously absorb that composure unique to the character—and that is probably one of the most charming aspects of cosplay.