When shooting this set of Flandre Scarlet photos, I kept trying to capture that tiny bit of trait belonging to her in front of the lens—that contrast of being both full of pure innocence yet harboring unknown power. Before formally entering the studio, the team carried out a meticulous structural reproduction of the character's costume. This red and white dress, though at first glance looks like a gorgeous Lolita style, actually features very rich details upon putting it on. The white section of the upper body utilizes cotton lace fabric, with ruffles and pleats processed at the neckline, and a yellow-based red gemstone brooch paired at the center, excellently focusing the vision on the neck. The red skirt hem is layered tier upon tier; the outer layer has a glossy texture, while the inner lining is white lace trim, making the entire garment have great layers and puffiness under the light.
In the early phase of the shoot, we specially prepared props with iconic significance. In the first few frames, I held that white birdcage, slightly lifting it up to cooperate with the transition of light and shadow, trying to express an artistic conception of guarding and confinement. In the subsequent shots, the team switched to a brown teddy bear and a plump red apple. Combining this soft, warm, daily toy with a gorgeous dress instead manufactured a strong visual contrast, letting people feel a hint of the character's unique eccentricity and pureness amidst the warmth. It is worth noting that those colored diamond-shaped crystals hanging on the body and props reflect a brilliant glow after hitting side-lighting, perfectly accentuating the frame background.
The studio set design also took a lot of thought. The team constructed a red and green interlaced enclosed scene, where the backdrop cloth has a dark base tone with a large number of red rose vines climbing upon it, paired with a golden grid framework and a black iron art lamp stand. To increase the sense of retro art, a metal-textured picture frame and a white sheer tulle gently swaying with the wind were also placed in the scene. The addition of the sheer curtain softened the tough framework structure, and the black, red, and white color scheme can better set off the figure's skin tone, maxing out the overall atmosphere of the photos.
In terms of costume and styling, I wore a blonde wig, with the hair ends specially processed into an iconic curled-up arc so that the overall contour wouldn't be too rigid. For the eye makeup, a red-pink tone smudge was used, paired with red colored contacts, which can excellently maintain the character's established color palette style while making the demeanor look pitiful and endearing under the lens. On the feet, glossy red Mary Jane shoes were paired, along with white lace ankle socks with platform heels; this combination can beautifully elongate the leg lines, making the lower body proportions more compliant with lens expressiveness.
While preparing for the sitting poses in the middle section, I chose the composition method of Figure 3. This angle naturally spreads out the skirt hem in a sitting posture, while coordinating with white stockings and high-heeled leather shoes, it visually not only highlights the leg lines but also completely manifests the character's Anime girl feel. Coordinated with the pose of holding a red apple and a teddy bear, the overall expression doesn't need to be too exaggerated; slightly tilting the head to look at the lens is enough to capture a quiet yet deep emotion. During the shooting process, I was also constantly adjusting the angle of my poses to ensure that every layer of pleats on the dress presented an ideal puffiness while the light wouldn't overexpose the red dress.
In post-production, we tried our best to maintain the atmosphere of the original photos without excessive beauty retouches. The focus of this set of photos is the presentation of atmosphere and costume details; the clash between the vivid red and white, the complex lace ruffles, and various props carrying symbolic meanings together construct a dreamlike corner. In the composition arrangement of the frame, we strove to always keep the character at the visual center, while utilizing props to guide the vision, allowing the viewer's gaze to interact following the movements of the apple and teddy bear. Using such a carefully prepared makeup, styling, and set design to earnestly recreate the conception of the character in my mind was a highly joyful and fulfilling creative process for me as part of Cosplay photography.