[Cheshire Cosplay] Azur Lane's Lunar New Year Qipao greeting photos

Shooting a Lunar New Year theme under the blazing sun in July is indeed a very special off-season shooting experience. Due to scheduling and subsequent plans, I decided to arrange the Lunar New Year greeting photos in advance. For this modified Qipao of Azur Lane Cheshire, a lot of thought went into everything from material selection to custom-making. The main color tone adopts the classic red and gold matching, the collar is a high-collar frog-button design, the back is a halter-neck backless cut, white plush sleeve cuffs are added to the arms, and the lower body is matched with White stockings and red high heels. The hair accessories part uses large red roses, white lace borders, and pearl embellishments, making the overall visual effect very full.

Although the studio air conditioner was turned on on the shooting day, wearing this outfit and adjusting poses back and forth was still quite physically demanding. To fit the Lunar New Year theme, many props were prepared on-site, such as lanterns printed with the character "Fu", lion dance head ornaments, scrolls written with "all wishes come true", and red envelopes matching the scene. When holding red envelopes or hugging plush dolls, the action design leans more towards being playful and lively. During the shooting process, photographer Teacher Banzan had very precise control over light and shadow, and the warm yellow lights hitting the red and gold clothes maxed out the texture and layering.

In terms of action guidance, to show Cheshire's own sweetness and vitality, I tried sitting, kneeling, and looking back while standing. When shooting full-body photos, special attention was paid to the extension of the leg lines, utilizing the combination of high heels and White stockings to increase the visual tension of the frame. For example, the action of sitting on a chair sideways with a slightly raised leg can not only showcase the slit design of the skirt hem, but also make the overall composition more dynamic. In terms of expression management, matching large-diameter blue contact lenses, the gaze was kept as focused as possible with a hint of smile, and the corners of the mouth were slightly upturned, creating a vivid feeling of breaking the dimensional wall.

Actually, the biggest challenge of off-season shooting lies in state adjustment—having to express the warmth and heaviness of winter Lunar New Year in an environment with a high perceived temperature. Although the plush decorations on the clothes look nice, shooting for a long time is indeed stuffy and hot, and a lot of time was spent in the middle touching up makeup and fixing the hairstyle. However, seeing the images presented on the camera screen made me feel that all the efforts were worth it. The style presented this time has both the dignity of traditional Chinese elements and the liveliness of Anime cosplay characters, and the collision of these two temperaments produced a wonderful chemical reaction.

Thanks to the female photographer Teacher Banzan for her hard work; from setting, lighting to action guidance, she was extremely professional, perfectly presenting the atmospheric vibe I wanted to express. This set of pictures is also an early Lunar New Year gift for everyone who likes Cheshire. I hope that when everyone sees these prosperous and fiery pictures in July, they can also feel a trace of festiveness and warmth. Doing cosplay for me is not only wearing the character's clothes, but also experiencing the character's state under different situations, and every shoot is a brand new experience.