[Gongsun Li Cosplay] Honor of Kings Floral Dance: A Lively Moment in the Exhibition Hall

Shooting convention photos again after several years, this time featuring Gongsun Li's Floral Dance cosplay at the BW 2026 venue. This blue skirt suit, along with the large bunny ears and giant flower umbrella, looked unexpectedly textured under the exhibition hall lighting. I practiced the single-leg balancing pose several times before holding it steady; although my ankles were incredibly tired, it was totally worth it to capture that sense of lightness. Big thanks to the photographer for the captures, beautifully restoring the agility of Floral Dance and the layers of the shredded skirt.

Actually, I used to go to anime conventions often to take convention photos, but over the last two years, as the pace of work and life accelerated, I gradually set it aside. Stepping into the exhibition hall with my props once again, surrounded by the same bustling booths, flashing light boards, and passing fellow enthusiasts, that familiar heartbeat came rushing back. This Floral Dance outfit has quite a few details—the sheer splicing on the chest, the three-dimensional blue roses on the skirt, the asymmetric gradient leg straps, and that flower umbrella that is larger than a person; every item has a different angle of expression in front of the lens. During the shoot, I tried my best to make the skirt and streamers fly up, combining with the fluffy texture of the bunny ears to present a light, airy atmosphere of wind blowing through a flower patch. The lighting on site was actually very cluttered, with overhead lights and background neon light strings easily causing overexposure or color noise, but fortunately, the photographer controlled the contrast, keeping the blue tones from looking muddy, instead revealing a touch of clarity.

The BW 2026 venue this time was massive. With the SONY logo in the background and the distant booths blurred out, it actually added a touch of a "real convention" flavor to the photos. For me, the charm of convention photos lies precisely in this kind of imperfect environment, where we can still capture the moment the character merges with the scene. Although it had been a long time since my last shoot, the moment I picked up that flower umbrella and put on the bunny ears, my muscle memory quickly retrieved the character's state. That single-leg standing pose was actually a spontaneous idea—because of the floor reflections on set, I wanted to see if I could align the shoes, ankle ornaments, and skirt into a continuous visual line, and after a few tries, I actually held it steady. My legs were shaking the moment we finished shooting, but seeing the curve of the skirt and the angle of the streamers in the playback made me feel that all the balance practice didn't go to waste.

Regarding the costume, I also made some small adjustments this time, such as re-sewing the fixed positions of the flowers to prevent them from folding over when holding the umbrella; the gradient stockings on the legs were also specially chosen to transition with the deep blue of the skirt. The petals of the prop umbrella were made of a stiff material so they wouldn't droop when held high, making the overall outline look sharper. Though I hadn't taken convention photos in several years, resuming it this time—whether in makeup, wig care, or action design—came with more experience, knowing how to highlight the core elements of the character under limited lighting and background. I hope these photos can let everyone who sees them feel the fresh and lively atmosphere of Floral Dance, and leave myself a memory of this summer convention in 2026.