Now that I've finished sorting through this Saiba Midori photoset, I wanted to post them and share them with everyone. The raw shots were mostly taken in my own little gaming room. Instead of going to a strict studio environment on purpose, I preferred to create a casual, relaxed vibe of everyday life—just like the feeling of suddenly looking at the camera after finishing a game at home.
Let's talk about the hair and makeup this time. Handling the bangs actually took a lot of effort, because Saiba Midori's hairstyle has that slightly fluffy yet somewhat weighted-down look. To make the wig look more natural, I specifically volumized the roots this time. The small green bows on the side and the cat-ear headband were also key points of this look—especially the cat tail; to make it hang naturally behind the chair, I even used some fishing line to discreetly secure it in place.
For the outfit, I chose this design with a wide neckline and layered ruffles. The combination of mint green and white makes you look very bright, and this off-the-shoulder short-sleeve style feels super cozy and homey when photographed. As for that green halo effect, we used a green screen stand to assist with lighting during the initial shoot and added it separately during post-processing. To make it look like it was floating and glowing translucently above my head, I adjusted the opacity in two different versions.
While shooting, I just happened to have the Nintendo Switch in hand, so I didn't need to strike any specific poses. I naturally rested my chin on my hand, holding the console while leaning against the desk, or sat in the pink gaming chair with my legs curled up slightly. The whole process was very relaxed, and we wrapped up the shoot in less than an hour and a half. The figure display cabinet in the background is actually the one I already use at home, and the bottom shelf just happens to have some anime figures displayed, which instantly amped up the vibe.
Honestly, the hardest part of this kind of relaxed portrait photography is getting the model to truly unwind; otherwise, the poses can feel forced. Looking at this entire set, I feel the most natural movements were when I was holding the Switch—it really felt as if I had just finished playing a game. Though the neckline design of this outfit is beautiful, the ruffles can easily obscure the curve of the neck, so shooting from a slightly low angle makes you look slimmer and perfectly captures the high-up halo and the texture of the wig.
For the overall room lighting, I used a mixed color temperature of pink and warm white, which makes the skin tone look softer and fairer. Combined with the warm-toned light source in the bottom right, it makes the whole image look brighter. I didn't overdo the liquify tool in post-processing, retaining the natural contours of the facial muscles. After all, Saiba Midori's character concept is that casual yet focused anime girl vibe; retouching it to the point of distortion would ruin its original soul. After nearly two days of editing and color grading, I finally finished organizing these favorite angles of mine. I feel that in this gaming room environment, Saiba Midori's style definitely has great potential for amazing photos.