[Gongsun Li Cosplay] Blue Petals and Rabbit Ears: Dynamic Moments Captured at the Convention

Seeing photos of myself taken at Bilibili World (BW) being shared, people commented to tag the model—unaware that I was the OP! As the Gongsun Li wearing those massive blue petals at the convention, I wanted to share some of my post-processing insights for this shoot.

First, let's talk about the prep work before the shoot. The most eye-catching yet challenging part of this look was that huge blue petal prop and rabbit ears on my back. Navigating crowded convention halls with that gigantic blue petal umbrella was quite tough, but fortunately, the lighting inside the exhibition center was ample enough that we didn't need much fill light. The photographer found a relatively clean background that captured the complete contours of the flower and rabbit ears. For the wig, I selected a soft light blue paired with matching blue contact lenses, giving the character a fairy-like radiance. Although it's a short hairstyle, I applied plenty of styling hairspray to ensure the curvature of the bangs and ends stayed natural, keeping the bangs intact even after walking around all day.

Next, I really want to focus on the post-processing phase, especially since "before and after editing" comparisons were brought up in the original post. I have always stuck to my personal aesthetic preferences when editing. In my view, effective editing should never make someone unrecognizable; rather, it should restore their best appearance captured on camera. Since the raw shots for this set were great to begin with, the first step was adjusting white balance and color correction in RAW format. Because the blue petal umbrella and the deep blue dress trim had a wide color span, simply cranking up saturation would make color blocks look harsh. Thus, I fine-tuned the hue of the blues individually to make the massive blue petal look translucent and airy, while dimming the dark rose patterns on the skirt. This widened the dynamic range between light and dark, making the character pop against the background.

Next came Portrait retouching. Many people rely on one-click smooth skin filters nowadays, but I prefer preserving original skin texture. Using dodge and burn (neutral gray / curves) for localized light and shadow shaping allowed me to clean up distracting shadows and give the face more three-dimensional depth. Particularly for eye makeup: although I wore eyeliner and blue lenses, the eyes can easily look dull on camera without adding catchlights in post. I specifically used the dodge tool to add a touch of highlight to the pupils, making the eyes sparkle. Combined with the gold necklace pendant, the visual focus anchored perfectly on the face. Facial contours were tweaked with extreme restraint—just subtle adjustments to the jawline and hairline without excessive slimming, striving for natural bone structure aesthetics.

To be honest, I believe photo editing shouldn't be an assembly line; applying the exact same preset to every single picture strips the character of their soul. Take this blue-and-white Anime-style fashion set, for example: under varying lighting angles, the shoulder reflections and fabric folds change constantly. During retouching, I put a lot of thought into refining costume details, such as smoothing out awkward creases along the arm sleeves and highlighting the subtle shimmery fabric texture. Expressing the character's disposition through colors I personally find beautiful—rather than conforming to some rigid, pre-defined standard—is the true essence of "effective editing" mentioned in the title.

Shooting time at the convention was actually quite limited with massive crowds, so many shots were quick candid grabs. The raw photos suffered from minor lens distortion, which I corrected during post to keep the frame straight and balanced. Preserving these Convention photos serves as a genuine record of my passion for cosplay. From costume prep to final retouching, every step incorporated my own understanding of the character. Although carrying the heavy prop was exhausting, seeing the final fresh, ethereal finish made all the effort completely worth it. I hope sharing my post-processing workflow and aesthetic approach allows everyone to appreciate how editing breathes second life into photos beyond the act of cosplay itself.