This time I'm bringing Kochiya Sanae Cosplay from Touhou Project. Choosing to shoot this set by the water was mainly to align with the character's background as Moriya's shrine maiden; the lake water, shimmering light, and natural environment enhance the clear, translucent feel of the images.
This outfit features a vast array of design details. The upper top is predominantly white, combining lace and ruffle elements, while the shoulder cuffs add a layer of airy lightness. The blue and white paneled waist sash at the middle provides a smooth visual transition, adorned with gold rope knots and decorations that break the monotony of solid colors. The lower blue skirt features starry white printed patterns reminiscent of night skies or water surface textures; its stiff material presents the puffy silhouette of the skirt beautifully. When strong winds blow, the outer skirt and white inner lining flutter up, delivering ideal dynamic effects.
For the wig, I used pale mint-green long straight hair. To keep the bangs neat and side strands smooth, considerable time was spent on hair care and styling prior to shooting. The character's iconic frog hair ornament and white curved accessory are the finishing touches—though small in size, they stand out vividly in close-ups and half-body compositions.
The long rod prop held in hand was a key accessory for this shoot, with its attached blue, green, and white ribbons perfectly capturing the motion of being blown by the breeze in the second photo. That's also why I chose photo two as the cover image: the standing posture combined with lifting the prop encompasses full costume layers, wig length, and dynamic ribbon movement right in the center of the frame. In terms of composition, attention was paid to avoiding obstructive tree branches in the background, keeping the figure as the visual focus while utilizing water reflections to brighten the face.
Regarding exposure parameters in photography, a high-key style that was slightly overexposed was selected to make the skin tone look whiter and softer while enhancing the transparency of the water surface. Because outdoor light shifts rapidly, we took advantage of the bright sunlight to capture snapshots from multiple angles within a short time window. Dynamic moments like the wind blowing in photo two often yield only one usable shot out of ten, testing crew coordination and model composure.
While organizing this set, I truly enjoyed the feeling of integrating a 2D character into nature. Although carrying so many ribbons and accessories outdoors was somewhat cumbersome while walking—and I had to be careful not to let the wig touch the water—seeing the moment frozen on camera made all the effort worthwhile. Without artificial studio lighting, relying on natural light and this Waterside photography setting gave the character her own narrative vitality.