[Hatsune Miku Cosplay] The Lotus Pond and Bamboo Forest on Chongqing University Campus, Effortlessly Capturing an Ethereal Summer Vibe

This photoset shot at the Chongqing University campus (Huxi Campus) is finally sorted out. The location was mainly around the lotus pond and the ancient-style pavilion. After the shoot, the girl traveling with me kept marveling at the raw photos, repeatedly asking to confirm if this was really the school where we attend classes every day.

In fact, many university campuses hide excellent shooting locations; the key is knowing what to include and how to utilize them. This time, to fit the characteristics of the character Hatsune Miku, I made a modified Chinese-style attempt with the styling. The bright teal twintails looked exceptionally vibrant amidst the lush campus greenery. Paired with a cream-white modified qipao and lace cap sleeves, it carries both a refreshing anime feel and the gentle elegance of a Chinese garden. For props, I prepared an oil-paper umbrella with red tassels and a round fan with peach blossom patterns, which matched the atmosphere of the lotus pond outdoor photoshoot and bamboo forest perfectly.

The lighting during the shoot was quite a test of technical skill. Summer in Chongqing features intense sunlight, so to avoid the harsh shadows from direct light, we mainly utilized the ambient light under the tree shade and pavilion. We even used a reflector to slightly fill in the face against a portion of backlighting and side-backlighting. A large-aperture lens is exceptionally useful at this time, blurring out the layers of lotus leaves and the emerald bamboo forest in the background to form very soft bokeh. The close-up shot in the photo where I'm leaning on the wooden railing and looking forward was actually captured right at that pavilion—the sunlight just pierced through the canopy to spill onto the face, showing a relaxed and lazy expression in the gaze.

Many people think shooting cosplay requires going to a dedicated filming base or studio. In fact, for a place like Huxi Campus with large areas of greenery and pseudo-antique architecture, as long as you find the right angles, you can completely shoot a texture similar to Suzhou gardens or Jiangnan water towns. We even captured a bit of water light reflection and dragonflies by the lotus pond, though a lot of effort was spent balancing the ambient light to ensure the focus stayed on the face.

The post-processing mindset for this set was also relatively restrained. Instead of grading it into a heavy, ancient-style dark tone, we maintained a clear and light pale color style typical of Anime-style photography with a Japanese tint, letting the white clothing, blue sky, and teal wig form a comfortable contrast. The moment I received the final images, I truly felt that integrating a cosplay outdoor photoshoot into daily campus life is a highly fulfilling thing, adding a different line of scenery to a familiar campus.