[Kochiya Sanae Cosplay] Touhou Project: Wind God Girl on the Treetop

These photos are actually an old set. I am posting them now mainly to try out the full-screen rendering effect under the new layout. Borrowing the real roast from my WeChat Moments on the day of the shoot, this outdoor session was indeed a battle against the forces of nature. The weather conditions originally set for the shoot were far from perfect. Anyone who has experienced Beijing's unreasonable spring winds knows that it blows so hard it's difficult to even keep your eyes open. Although in the pictures I look quite comfortable standing on the thick tree branch, in reality, the howling wind was roaring in my ears, and my long straight green wig was almost completely out of control, blowing all over the place—a literal depiction of "wind-blown chaos."

Regarding the presentation of the costume, the design chosen this time is mainly based on white and light green. The outer layer features a white base spliced with light blue, embellished with tassels, special pendant accessories, and geometric patchwork fabrics, paired with a loose, dark-patterned blue skirt on the lower body. Because the cuffs of this outfit are tailored quite wide, even a slight lift of the arm gives the clothes a beautiful drape and airy quality. The costume itself has some weight, so when sitting on the outdoor tree branches, it easily presses the skirt into natural folds. The slender prop I held in my hand, with its tip decoration reflecting subtly under the light, not only helped with posing but was also a handy tool to maintain body balance against the strong wind.

During the shoot, we made full use of the natural light filtering through the gaps in the tree canopy. The sunlight and dappled leaf shadows intertwined, forming very rich light and shadow layers. Because the tree was very tall, climbing onto the sturdy main branch was no easy task, and with the wide skirt, I also had to be careful not to let the tree branches snag the fabric when moving. But it was precisely because of this height that we obtained this shooting angle where the sunlight from behind completely penetrates the forest leaves.

For post-processing, I paid close attention to the ideas of the photographer. The color grading of the first image really touched me; the overall atmosphere was dialed up to the max, with the environmental colors and skin tone blending very naturally, and the character's outline and the texture of the bark reaching a very subtle balance under the soft halo. As for the second and third images, they are my own attempts at imitating the processing in post. As a post-processing novice, even when just trying to restore the photographer's color grading logic, it always feels like something is missing when I do it myself; I can only say they are relatively rough imitations. Therefore, the first photo is indeed the absolute essence in terms of overall visual appeal, and it is also my favorite.

Personally, I feel that compared to studio shoots, the greatest charm of outdoor photography lies in the uncertainty of weather and lighting. Anything from heavy winds to a sudden cloud floating by can instantly change the lighting on site. This requires the photographer to seize the brief golden shooting window. Since the branches were high, and I had to maintain my center of gravity while managing the wind-blown hair and fluttering skirt hem during this shoot, every click of the shutter was actually a matter of luck in freezing the moment.

Looking back at this set of photos, I am still very grateful for the photographer's captures. Although the wind was very strong, those flying hair strands and blowing sleeves in the final product actually added a lot of dynamic vitality. Compared to exquisite studio lighting, this kind of outdoor shoot full of natural elements indeed brings a completely different texture to the character. The styling and fabric patchwork of this costume lean toward a cool and natural feel overall, which perfectly matches the surrounding lush old trees and upward-extending branches. And as I mentioned in my caption, it is actually because of the strong wind that it fits that sense of ease even better.

Posting them today is really just because I wanted to clean up and organize these old photos that have been sitting at the bottom of my archive. Although every time I look back at my past works, I always feel there is plenty of room for improvement—such as the wig strands not being smooth enough, or the poses being able to stretch a bit more—this is exactly where the fun of outdoor shoots and attempting post-processing lies. Rather than rushing and forcing progress, I prefer to record these moments as they happen. So I didn't think much about traffic or data; it's more about self-satisfaction, using the shutter to keep a record of my mood during that outing, and reviewing my somewhat immature post-processing skills along the way. If you are interested in Anime cosplay or Beijing outdoor cosplay, I hope this natural light photography set can bring you a fresh feeling under our favorite Touhou Project series!