[Cheshire Cosplay] Azur Lane: Commander, Do You Still Remember Me?

When this photo was taken, I had already been wandering around this convention for most of the day. Taking advantage of the relatively soft afternoon lighting in the venue, the photographer helped me find an open space with a relatively clean background in a corner and brought over a bar stool, resulting in the picture you see now. Looking at the blurred figures in the background, there must still be quite a few fellow enthusiasts exploring the exhibition.

The look I cosplayed this time is Cheshire from Azur Lane. To replicate this look, it took quite a long time to prepare beforehand. First is the fabric selection of the clothes; that dark blue piece of fabric carries a slight sheen, and the tailoring needs to fit the body shape perfectly, while that thick faux fur and fringe decoration around the chest serves as the visual focus of the upper body for the entire look. In order to bring out the sense of layering between the coat and the inner garment, the tightness of the shoulder straps needed to be repeatedly adjusted, and it was also necessary to ensure that the white plush wouldn't look out of place in the lens when walking. Although the gold pendant at the neckline is small, it serves as an excellent embellishment under the light, preventing the dark-colored costume from looking monotonous.

A lot of thought also went into the wig. The silver-grey base color and the cyan-blue highlights in front required processing the bangs and thinning the hair ends according to the face shape, so that after putting on the headpiece, the head shape could still maintain its fullness without appearing flat on top. To add three-dimensional layers, the blue and white fabrics of the headpiece itself were treated to be stiff, which, combined with the semi-sheer white tulle draping on both sides, beautifully shapes the facial contours and fits the character's inherently gorgeous yet playful temperament.

For the makeup, to coordinate with the overall cool color scheme, I chose light blue contact lenses to emphasize the transparency of the gaze. The base makeup was done very cleanly, and the eye makeup appropriately enlarged the contours, making the eyes look softer yet spirited. While taking photos, I intentionally kept a relaxed mindset, instead of forcing rigid poses, just letting my body relax naturally with my arms gently resting on my knees and the crook of my arm, paired with the thigh-high stockings and the classic high heel strap design. This posture not only showcases the costume details but also makes the overall posture look more upright and natural.

This design with a white base, blue trim, and plush decoration, although very beautiful, truly tests the lighting during the shoot in reality. Because white plush is highly prone to overexposure, while dark blue clothing easily turns dim, to capture the optimal texture in the camera, the photographer cast key light on the left side of the face while utilizing the open spatial sense of the convention venue to let the background color naturally darken, thereby highlighting the figure's three-dimensional depth. There is a somewhat hard light source on the left side of the photo hitting the shoulders and white fluff, forming a wonderful light-and-dark contrast, making this piece of fur look more fluffy, soft, and full of texture.

I feel that the meaning of cosplay lies in bringing the 2D characters from behind the screen into the light and shadows of reality. Although it's impossible to achieve 100% replication, through the combination of wig, clothing, makeup, and contact lenses, enabling everyone to recognize who it is at a glance is a type of joy. Paired with black stockings and black gloves, it adds a touch of sharpness to the overall cool tone, forming a material contrast of soft and hard with the heavy plush on the chest.

In this large venue, there are many excellent fellow cosplayers, all pouring their hearts out for the characters they love. Today my shooting task has temporarily concluded. Looking at the photos taken in the camera, I feel that the dedication to the entire outfit and makeup has paid off. The texture of the light hitting the clothes and the spirit on the subject's face were both captured quite well, making it a rather satisfying set of convention photos. I hope this look can present the character in my heart and share it with everyone who loves this setting.

The most interesting part of being a model is actually the moment frozen in front of the lens. This time I didn't make too many complex movements, just sitting quietly on that metal stand with my left leg raised and arms crossed, creating an atmosphere that is focused yet slightly mysterious. The lines of the shoulders and neck were beautifully showcased under this posture, and it also happened to reveal the details of the pendant on the chest. For clothing with this kind of off-the-shoulder and waist-cinching design, subtle differences between standing and sitting postures will greatly affect the final on-camera results, so I paid special attention to the retraction of the shoulder blades and the posture of chest-up, ensuring that a three-dimensional beauty can be presented in flat photos.

The unique thing about exhibition venues is that they often bring unexpected surprises. Despite many passing pedestrians in the background, as long as the photographer focuses accurately and controls the aperture properly, those distracting elements will transform into proof of a live presence. Through the magic of the lens and slight post-processing, the light and shadow become more focused on the person itself. The softness of that fur and the transparency of the stockings are especially prominent under this light contrast, being both eye-catching yet soft.

Looking back to review the preparation work for this look, from the trimming of the wig and the stitching of the hair accessories to the mixing of makeup colors and the pasting of false eyelashes, every tiny detail actually concerns the final presentation. Because the lighting at the convention venue is world apart from the makeup vanity at home, after arriving on site, one must perform a fine-tuning of the concentration of blush and eyeshadow according to the actual light, which is truly a task that tests experience.

The effect coming out of the entire photo set is quite clean, catching the character's traits very accurately. This is the set of convention photos I wanted to share with everyone today, hoping you can feel the unique charm of this character.