[Aemeath Cosplay] Refreshing Summer Water Play: The Pink and Blue Girl by the Poolside photoshoot

Today, I headed straight to the pool with the photographer, getting ready to shoot a long-awaited summer water play-themed set. The character portrayed this time is Aemeath, with an overall styling leaning toward a cool and lively vibe. After receiving the shooting proposal, we selected two locations: a pool with blue mosaic tiles and an indoor bathtub, hoping to capture that sense of transparency unique to summer.

Let's first talk about the equipment used this time. The camera body is the GFX100S, paired with two lenses: the Sigma 40.4 and the 85.4. The latitude of the medium format performed exceptionally stably under harsh outdoor sunlight and water reflections, while the large aperture prime lenses also ensured sharpness on the subject's edges and stray hairs. Because water scene lighting is complex, I slightly shifted the white balance toward a cooler tone during preparation, allowing the straight-out-of-camera original photos to instantly feature that crystal-clear blue atmosphere.

In terms of makeup and styling, to match the water play theme, I prepared a pink long wavy wig, paired with blue coral-like horns and star hair accessories, with glitter dusted across the strands that would sparkle under the sunlight. The outfit featured a sailor uniform element design: the inner layer was a blue-and-white checkered halter swimsuit, layered with a white semi-sheer off-the-shoulder cropped top, and the lower half consisted of ruffled shorts with blue satin ribbons and golden heart-shaped buckles. On my legs, I wore white over-the-knee stockings, accompanied by a pearl bracelet as an accent. The overall color palette was locked into pink, blue, and white, matching the pool's blue water remarkably well. In addition, we prepared a white toy water gun to enhance the interactive feel and dynamic tension of the frame.

During the pool shoot, the sunlight was extremely abundant, and the water surface shimmered brilliantly. To capture a natural state, the photographer had me sit in a transparent swimming ring or lean by the edge of the pool while playing with my wet hair. Actually, opening one's eyes in the water is somewhat difficult, and the clothes and stockings immediately clung to the skin upon entering the water, slightly restricting movement. Yet, it was precisely this genuine wet-look texture that added an extra layer of refreshing ambiance to the frame. The water gun shot was captured by the pool edge; with back-side lighting hitting from the side, the splashing water droplets and white socks formed a wonderful visual contrast.

Later, we transitioned to the indoor bathtub. The lighting in this setting was softer, filtering through white sheer curtains and creating a lazy, cozy home vibe. I tried actions like splashing water toward the camera in the bathtub and balancing a white towel on my head. Here is a little tip: when capturing water splashes, you need to anticipate the trajectory of falling water droplets in advance while keeping your shutter speed high, otherwise it is very easy to end up with blurred shots. Since I was soaking in the bathtub, the white long stockings became completely soaked; clinging to my legs, they instead presented a semi-sheer effect, forming a contrast with the dry hair state.

After a whole day of shooting, although physical exhaustion was high, the final photo results left everyone very satisfied. Shooting water scenes in summer truly tests endurance; not only do you have to frequently retouch your makeup, but you also have to overcome the difficulty of controlling expressions while in the water. I recommend friends wanting to try this genre to definitely bring slippers and towels to stay warm during rest intervals. Moreover, water photography should ideally be scheduled in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the harshest midday sunlight, ensuring both skin texture and water reflections look natural. The water splashes and lighting matched each other just right throughout the entire shooting process, serving as a wonderful record left for this summer.