This outdoor photoshoot plan was actually in preparation for a while, with the core props being this curved-handle purple oil-paper umbrella and that red long streamer swaying with the wind. In the worldview of Touhou Project, the iconic characteristics of the character Tatara Kogasa are very distinctive, so for the clothing, we tried our best to reproduce that white short-sleeved shirt with ruffles and exquisite lace details, paired with the outer layer of a blue-green slim-fit vest and a fluffy pleated skirt. To cooperate with the character's overall tone, I deliberately avoided overly modern and noisy scenic areas, choosing instead this natural mountain forest with ancient wood, stone steps, and a pavilion.
The autumn sunlight on the day of the shoot was very soft, with light and shadow piercing through the high tree canopy and dappling across the layered stone steps beneath my feet, forming excellent foreground and background layers. The photographer, Mr. Wuyu Ruoye, was very skilled at utilizing this natural environment to echo the held props when framing the shots. For example, in front of the ancient pavilion hanging the "Langyue Pavilion" plaque, the single-leg standing pose frozen in time, coupled with the opened paper umbrella and the mid-air dancing red streamer, perfectly captured that lightweight yet slightly playful atmosphere. Actually, the design of this umbrella is very special; the black curved hook handle not only highly reproduces the original setting but is also very handy to grasp in reality, with its center of gravity well-controlled, allowing me to easily strike various leaning and looking-back poses without worrying about the prop's balance.
Regarding the pose design, what I want to emphasize is that "a forgotten old umbrella" does not equal gloominess. Therefore, in conveying the emotions of this set of photos, I didn't plan to present it too coldly; instead, I hoped to convey a warm and lively texture amidst the ancient scenery. For several looking-back close-ups on the stone steps, we deliberately utilized the staggered geometric lines of the stairs to guide the vision, which can also better display the multi-layered silhouette of the skirt hem, as well as the clean leg lines without redundant decorations. Complemented by the red-and-black wooden clogs paired with a fair complexion, against the backdrop of large areas of green around us, the character's overall color scheme of blue, white, green, and red looks exceptionally refreshing and vibrant.
Of course, the biggest challenge of this shoot was actually balancing the coordination between the props and body movements. The red streamer was very long, and it was easy to get caught in the bushes or suddenly tangle into the curved umbrella ribs when navigating through the site. To capture the moments of the ribbon naturally expanding and floating up, we retook the shots several times, and the photographer also climbed several steps just to catch the angle. Although the shooting process was exhausting, seeing the dynamic sense of the red ribbon soaring with the wind in the final photos made all the hard work extremely worth it. I really love this shooting method of completely immersing into the natural environment, especially standing beside the old wooden railings—it really gives one an illusion of traveling into Gensokyo. As a yokai with a "scaring people" setting, Tatara Kogasa's props and personality are actually full of contrast charm. I hope this set of photos can bring everyone that vivid and relaxed visual experience. Since the outdoor light changed very quickly, we had to quickly switch multiple angles of holding the umbrella within a limited time. Especially the last shot, which attempted a tilted frame with a low-angle shot, added a touch of unique tension to this primarily static set of photos, as if carrying a wondrous sense of weightlessness. This is exactly the fun of outdoor portrait photography—always harvesting surprise effects outside the plan.