The intensity was pushed to the absolute max on the first day of CJ. Basically starting from makeup at over six in the morning to entering the venue in the afternoon, the double physical and mental challenge brought by these four costumes definitely needs a proper review.
The first maid outfit is a classic element I personally wanted to restore very much. The blue and pink twin-tails paired with the black and white skirt, along with the small ornaments on the chest, give the overall look a more 2D anime atmosphere. Under the cool-white high-position light source of the exhibition hall, it turned out quite well in photos. The second look featuring a pure white tulle skirt and a floating copper halo was intended to go for a holy and elegant route; the bouquet and feathered ear-cuffs both required meticulous angle adjustments, otherwise it could easily look cluttered under harsh light. The third light wedding dress look with tulle had a large skirt hem and lace gloves that were indeed a bit heavy for walking around the venue, but the tulle train trailing up after sitting on a high platform instantly created a dynamic tension. The last look with long purple hair, white rabbit ears, and a pajama-style coat focused on a relaxed interaction; this kind of on-the-spot feedback of holding a huge white pillow and pointing directly at the camera felt exceptionally great.
While shooting, the background was actually very cluttered, with exhibition crowds and various equipment moving back and forth behind me. It relied entirely on the photographer to find angles and capture moments, bringing out the contrast between the cold, hard field of the industrial style and these character looks. The light and shadow at ChinaJoy 2025 are sometimes truly hard to control; the overhead light is strong and scattered, easily making the face look flat, so besides choosing the right angle, the on-site lighting assistant also deserves immense credit. You can feel that everyone on site was working incredibly hard; the clothes were very heavy and the high heels were exhausting, but I'm already extremely happy that the convention photos could achieve this level of quality. On the first day, besides changing outfits and shooting, I was basically shuttling between various exhibition areas in the main venue. Seeing so many excellent works made for a wonderful atmosphere. Although my feet and shoulders were very sore by the end of the day, I wrapped up with a full harvest of works. There are even denser schedules ahead, so I hope to stabilize my condition and keep outputting good photos through this Anime-style photography experience.