This time, I was invited to Shanghai to attend Zhiyun's event, and by the way, I booked a Shanghai photoshoot booking with teachers Changpu, Meng Chengcheng, and Chunju. This was also my first offline cooperation with these teachers, and the overall shooting process was very smooth. Everyone has accumulated rich experience in this circle, and their grasp of the coordination of costumes, props, and scenes is quite precise, resulting in extremely high shooting efficiency.
The first set shot was Tactical Techwear. This outfit is mainly black, paired with cat-ear-decorated headphones and a tactical vest, with the words "TOYYI-BAG" printed on the chest pocket. The lower body features black shorts and semi-transparent stockings, matched with black half-finger gloves, presenting a cool industrial feel as a whole. To fit this styling, the scene was decorated with yellow warning tape, wire mesh, and neon tubes. During the shoot, holding a prop walkie-talkie and prop gun in my hands, I needed to show an alert and sharp state. During breaks, I was still communicating with the photographer: for this kind of tactical-style attire, the amplitude of movements shouldn't be too large, but the gaze must have sharpness. Under the purple and blue neon lights, the black stockings can also present different light and shadow textures, making the frame layers richer. To highlight this industrial feel, I also deliberately sat on a vintage leather sofa, used prop ropes to pose some tense postures, or stood next to an orange oil drum, using the black-and-yellow warning fence to increase visual conflict.
The second styling is Gothic bar style. I changed into long pink curly hair and pointy-ear props, wearing a black-and-red lace dress. This outfit is completely different from the toughness of the previous tactical style, emphasizing a retro and lazy atmosphere. The scene was chosen in a wooden bar, with a wine cabinet marked "SPANISH BAR" and displayed pumpkin lanterns in the background. I sat on the wooden bar counter, holding a goblet filled with dark liquid, with a few playing cards scattered next to it. To match this styling, I wore black over-the-knee socks and platform high heels. The advantage of this lazy sitting posture in composition is very obvious, which can well lengthen the leg lines while showcasing the skirt hem details of the costume. At that time, the lighting technician specially adjusted the warm-yellow top light, cooperating with the dark tone of the background to create an overall atmosphere very much like a scene in a dark fantasy movie. When shooting this set, I tried different directions of sight and found that slightly lowering the head and then looking up at the lens had the most natural effect.
The third set is fantasy magic style. I changed into silver-white long hair and a purple hooded outfit, with glitter-textured diamond-shaped decorations on the clothes, and very delicate metallic accessories on the arms and chest. The lower body is matched with black glossy over-the-knee boots. This styling was shot by the indoor window, with stained glass windows in the background and very soft light. Because the colors of the costume itself are already very rich, actions should be minimized as much as possible. I sat there, lifting one hand close to my cheek, maintaining a quiet posture, utilizing the natural light outside the window to hit the silver wig, presenting a soft and tranquil visual effect. This set didn't need too many prop assistants; the focus was on showcasing the texture of the costume and the quiet posture.
This photoshoot trip in Shanghai was arranged very tightly, changing three completely different attires and scenes from morning to night. Whether it is the sternness of techwear, the laziness of gothic, or the gentleness of fantasy, it requires immediate adjustment of state in front of the lens. The photographer's control over light and shadow is very professional, and Zhiyun's lighting equipment also provided great fill-light support in dark-toned scenes. Seeing one story-filled photo after another at the end, I felt that the early preparation and the fatigue during the shoot all dissipated. I look forward to having the opportunity to communicate and cooperate with all the teachers again next year, exploring more visual presentations of different styles together.