[Reimu Hakurei Cosplay] The Twilight Glow of Dali and the Shrine Maiden of Gensokyo

I finally got my hands on the finished photos from this Dali travel photography session. Looking at the final shots, I feel all the fatigue of hauling props up and down the plateau was completely worth it. When scouting for locations, I fell in love with this waterfront torii gate at first glance; the warm yellow light peeking through the clouds at sunset matched Reimu's red and white shrine maiden outfit perfectly. The wind was very strong during the shoot, causing the skirt hem and sleeves to flutter wildly, but that sense of motion actually made the frames more vivid. I specially brought along paper shide streamers and a gohei wand. Although the wind was so powerful that I could barely hold them steady, they combined with the wooden architecture and the distant twilight to completely max out the atmosphere.

The second photo was taken in front of the adjacent Japanese-style wooden house, where the water reflection caught the red of the skirt hem, giving a highly serene feel. For the makeup and styling this time, I deepened the contours of the eye makeup to make my gaze look a bit sharper, since Reimu has a temperament that seems casual but gets very cool and fierce during battle. I also repeatedly adjusted the position of the hair bun on the wig, striving to recreate her iconic long hair and red bow. Although the UV rays in Dali are intense, the layers of light and shadow are truly flawless, especially the reflections on the water surface, leaving a lot of creative space for post-processing. As a long-time fan of Touhou Project, being able to shoot a set of Reimu Hakurei in a place filled with Japanese elements fulfills a little wish of mine. From the prop details to the cut of the costume, every part adheres as closely as possible to the original setting, hoping to present the genuine image of the shrine maiden belonging to Gensokyo through this piece of Japanese-style photography.