[Gongsun Li Cosplay] Li Hen Yan ink-wash Jiangnan style photoshoot record

This styling of Gongsun Li's Li Hen Yan took about half a month from preparation to completion. First, let's talk about the makeup and styling part: the wig was pre-trimmed and styled, and the two hair buns on top of the head needed repeated position adjustments to look natural and not stiff. The golden parts and red beads of the hair accessories were specially matched to closely fit the delicate feel of the original design as much as possible. The standing collar and knot buttons of the clothing were handled with great care, and the gold-red rolling cloud pattern on the chest is three-dimensional embroidery; it felt a bit stuffy after sticking to the skin for a long time, but for the sake of the effect, I just had to endure it. The high-slit design of the skirt hem is a great test of movement; during shooting, double-sided tape was needed to secure it to avoid exposure, while ensuring the natural drape of the fabric when walking. The bamboo flute in hand and the paper umbrella behind are the most crucial props. The diameter of the paper umbrella is relatively large, which takes up a lot of space during indoor set design, but the moment it is opened, the framework of the entire picture is established.

The scene arrangement on the day of the shoot leaned towards a new-Chinese garden style. Wooden screens, bamboo leaves, and the water ripple material on the ground created a feeling of a waterside pavilion, and the pink lotus flowers in the corner were also specially placed to increase the color layers of the picture. The most headache-inducing part was actually the light. The natural light on that day was particularly strong, and the highlights of the background were very easy to overexpose; shooting the face directly would make it look completely dead white. We tried using translucent white gauze curtains to soften the light, while using a reflector to fill in the dark areas of the face, achieving this translucent yet three-dimensional skin texture. Under this strong light and shadow environment, the blue butterfly pattern on the paper umbrella also presented a semi-translucent color luster, which is very layered.

In terms of actions and demeanor, the temperament of this styling leans towards being cold and melancholic, so not too many lively poses were arranged. The overall sitting posture required putting the center of gravity on the lower back, with legs naturally bent, so that the high slit of the skirt could just showcase the leg lines. In the first few photos, I was holding the bamboo flute and looking at the lens, trying to convey a sense of quiet gaze. Later, the photographer suggested I look down at the flute, capturing the moment of casually fiddling with the instrument, which actually turned out better. When holding the flute with both hands, the lines of the wrists and the golden bracelets formed a nice echo under the light. Because the tailoring of this outfit is relatively slim, sitting sideways made the curves on the chest and the wrinkles at the waist naturally become visual anchors in the picture, without needing deliberate posing.

This collaborative photography session required spending quite a bit of time communicating with the photographer in advance. I would send reference pictures and some thoughts on angles ahead of time, and on-site during the shoot, I would also check the screen in real-time to adjust my actions. For example, if the angle of holding the umbrella was too straight, it would block the face; tilting it forty-five degrees was just enough to use the shadow of the umbrella rim to modify the face shape. The overall output rate of photos was quite high, and a few didn't even need much editing before being ready to publish. As someone who loves the traditional Chinese style cosplay series, I deeply enjoy this process of turning a 2D character into a 3D one—from the reproduction of fabric textures to the grasp of actions and demeanor, it is all a secondary expression of understanding the character. The experience of this shoot also gave me new insights into the static photography of high-slit skirts.