The atmosphere at the event site of this Chimelong Water Park cosplay party was exceptionally good, and I decided to challenge shooting this dark blue swimsuit styling by the poolside.
To match the azure pool water color, the main color tone was chosen as a deep royal blue. The top is a bikini with ruffled edges and crisscross strap design, matched with matching ruffled swim briefs on the lower body. A semi-transparent white light gauze is tied outside, and once entering the water, the skirt hem of the gauze skirt will float up, adding a light sense of layering. The hairstyle was dyed grey-blue with a blue-green gradient, which fits the entire scene very well. The white plush styling on top of the head and the huge blue bow are the focus of this attire. To add a slightly different feeling, I also propped a pair of purple-blue reflective lens sunglasses on my head, which can serve as a prop and block the dazzling sunlight.
Posing in the water is completely different from studio shooting on land. The resistance of the water is very heavy, and while sitting on the steps, I still had to keep the upper body upright, holding a line with the right hand to control the height, and slightly clenching the left hand into a fist placed near the shoulder. To maintain this posture, my core was constantly exerting force. A thin blue string anklet is tied around the ankle, with the legs hanging down naturally into the water. This asymmetrical composition has a stronger sense of visual extension. I specially painted my toenails with blue nail polish, echoing the anklet. During the shoot, the sunlight happened to hit from diagonally above, and to ensure there were no shadows on the face, I needed to constantly micro-adjust the angle of the chin while keeping my eyes open. Under the strong reflection of the water waves, this actually tests eye tolerance quite a bit, and after a few shots, my eyes would feel a bit sore.
Although it was in the water, the makeup remained very clean. The light reflecting through the water surface onto the skin, combined with the diffuse reflection of natural light, made the skin texture look very translucent. The relatively difficult part was controlling expressions, and coupled with the hair and gauze skirt becoming heavy after getting wet, wanting to maintain a light posture in the water required constantly adjusting the center of gravity of the body. Every time I adjusted my posture, I could feel the resistance generated by the water flow around my body. To maintain the position of the hair accessories, I still had to frequently reach out to steady the heavy bow in the water.
There were many girls who also love 2D culture at the event site, and everyone walked around the park in various themed costumes, helping each other tidy up clothes or discussing shooting angles, and also sharing waterproof cosmetics and touch-up tips with each other. The greening environment of Chimelong Water Park is very good, and the green plants in the background formed a strong color contrast with the blue tiles by the pool, making it very suitable for taking pictures.
This swimsuit styling fits the atmosphere of the pool party very well in terms of color and style, possessing both the cooling feel of a swimsuit and retaining the character's recognition through headwear and accessories. I adjusted the shoulder straps and the light gauze position to make the visual focus more concentrated, and also elongated the overall body lines by contracting the core and straightening the instep. Being able to catch such a water shoot at the tail end of summer, combining my favorite styling with a cool environment, was a very happy and challenging shooting experience, and it also allowed me to accumulate more experience in the shooting rhythm of underwater and poolside.