The planning for this Ganyu maid outfit shoot had actually been put on hold for a while. I hadn't found a studio set that truly fit until I saw this backdrop centered around dreamy blue and white flowers, which prompted me to get the shoot on the schedule. The studio incorporated a massive amount of ice-blue hydrangeas and translucent white sheer fabric, along with glitter deliberately scattered across the floor. Combined with the bokeh effect from the lights, the overall cool and aloof atmosphere matched my chosen white, blue, and black maid outfit perfectly.
For styling, we focused on adjusting the curvature of the wig and bangs. Ganyu's iconic blue hair is very long, but styling it into a low ponytail with casual layers paired with cat-ear hair accessories kept it from looking visually heavy. The top half of the garment features a black lace patchwork design positioned right between the collarbone and bustline, with a layer of sheer fabric at the neckline as a transition, accented by a gold-foil-textured badge that grounds the black-and-white color contrast nicely. The sleeves were specifically chosen as oversized light blue sheer lantern sleeves that cover the arms while exposing the fingertips; during the actual shoot, these sleeves caught the light wonderfully, creating an ethereal translucent effect as light scattered across my arms that post-processing could never fully replace.
The bottom half preserved the fluffiness of the white miniskirt, finished with ice-blue piping along the edges. The most crucial accessory was the red tassel pendant, which served as the sole warm accent color amidst a sea of cool tones, breaking the monotony while preserving the Genshin Impact character's recognizability. For the cover of this photo set, I picked the second photo, mainly because this seated pose with legs neatly crossed, paired with black stockings cosplay elements and high heels, added a perfectly balanced visual impact to the sweetness of the outfit. Black stockings carry wonderful texture under studio fill-lighting, especially when accented with black frilled decorations at the ankles, giving this maid outfit a subtle touch of exquisite restraint.
The shooting process was actually quite physically demanding because the studio was packed with plants and sheer drapes. Finding an angle that didn't block my face while showcasing my full body silhouette required constantly moving around and adjusting the photographer's camera lens. Trying to capture a relaxed, slightly languid expression—leaning against the flower clusters with a hand resting casually on my leg—took several attempts. The fruit cake prop in the background was also key to adding a cozy, everyday life touch; although not edible, placing it on the table behind me added a sweet and adorable touch.
Just as I said in my post, "There are too many to post, endless photos!" We actually only shot three sets of compositions and perspective changes for this costume. Many planned storyboards—including bust close-ups, lying poses, and standing poses—were not executed. On one hand, the studio time slot was booked too tightly that day; on the other hand, I felt my facial expressions could still be refined, as my ease in front of the lens needs more practice. I'm already quite pleased with the raw unedited photos of this set. If time allows in the future, I will likely shoot additional poses with stronger interactivity, like holding a bouquet or a casual glance back over the shoulder. For now, I'm sharing this completed set—even though many shots remain unfulfilled, it serves as a wonderful memory, and I'll fill in the rest when the opportunity comes again.