For this shoot, I chose the Cat girl Chen from Touhou Project, setting the location by an autumn lakeside. We picked this location mainly for the backdrop of red autumn leaves, which created a unified visual palette when paired with the red dress. The main outfit is a Western-style dress design, featuring a dark green hat trimmed with gold borders and a red cord knot, giving off a lovely vintage vibe. The chest and sleeves are adorned with intricate lace details; while wearing it required careful handling, the finished look was gorgeously ornate. The red-and-yellow tiered skirt hem not only provided distinct layering, but also appeared wonderfully fluffy when running and jumping. The fluffy ears and tail are the essence of the character; since the tail is black and quite striking, we specifically balanced light and shadow in post-processing so it blended naturally into the environment without looking jarring. The White stockings and Mary Jane shoes on my legs served as a classic pairing, nicely elongating my leg lines.
During the shoot, I focused on conveying the signature playfulness unique to a nekomata. To capture dynamic jumping snapshots, I tried numerous times, and the shot with one leg lifted turned out particularly satisfying. There was also a turning-back pose holding onto the wooden railing, using the railing for support to make the posture look more relaxed. For facial expressions, I experimented with sticking my tongue out and feigning surprise to highlight the kitten's mischievous personality. To match her large-eyed design, I wore colored contact lenses, making my gaze appear lucid and clear under the light. Makeup was kept as light and breathable as possible so it wouldn't look heavy under the autumn sunlight.
The lighting shifted quite noticeably throughout the session; we shot several backlit frames in the morning light, creating an atmospheric soft halo effect. The autumn breeze felt delightful; although the short skirt was a bit chilly, moving across the grass and wooden bridge in Mary Janes felt very buoyant and light. The photographer provided spot-on guidance, encouraging me to explore diverse angles—from full-body to half-body shots, leaning against bamboo poles or fences for various poses. While sorting through these photos, my focus was on making this little kitten appear more vivid, and I truly enjoyed this outdoor cosplay experience steeped in character personality.
Hand positioning was essential when posing: fingers needed to curve slightly to maintain that feline paw-like feel so they wouldn't appear stiff on camera, which took real effort to refine. I also had to control the tilt angle of the tail so it followed naturally behind me. With every turn, crouch, or playful pounce toward the lens, I strove to capture feline traits. The red dress looked stunning amidst the red foliage, yielding gorgeous raw photos even before retouching; to make the overall tone warmer, a subtle soft-focus filter was added in post. Even though movements had to be measured to prevent messing up the hair, it was still a thoroughly joyful character experience.