We chose to shoot this set of photos at night, at a location scouted in person by the photographer. Night lighting is completely different from daytime; we needed to find the right angles to make the Red maple look translucent while keeping facial illumination even and not too dim. During the shoot, I held that red folding fan primarily to balance the frame. The fan has an aged bamboo frame, and the red surface reflected light very naturally.
The costume was custom-tailored. The white top was made from satin with subtle jacquard weave, designed with a mandarin stand collar and red frog closures down the front, giving it that authentic Chinese traditional style charm with every button. The wide cuffs created an airy, flowing motion, but easily dragged on the ground or caught on twigs, so I had to smooth them out with every pose change. The matching red skirt had great drape, ensuring it didn't appear bulky.
For makeup, I deliberately chose red eyeshadow and contacts to give my gaze a sharper focus. Besides the long layers in front and back, the hairstyle was accented with a red headband for a spirited pop of color. A delicate styling detail was the ears—I wore pointed elf ears, which, against the Red maple grove and dark night, added a fantastical touch.
During the shoot, I mainly coordinated with the photographer on how to use foreground maple blur. For the shot turning sideways to reach for leaves, we did multiple takes to achieve a natural motion, capturing the exact moment of "just about to touch." My favorites from this set are the two frontal half-body close-ups; the intensity in the gaze was just right, and light focused around the eyes gave them striking depth.
This shoot highlighted the importance of wardrobe. Pre-shoot fitting took considerable time, finely adjusting sleeve and hem lengths for the most flattering look on camera. Having worked with this photographer for so long, he understands the expressions I want, and I understand the compositions he looks for. It was a delightful Anime-style photography experience that gave me fresh insight into portraying this character.
The temperature was already dropping that night. Despite the thin attire, seeing the shots emerge one by one on the camera preview brought genuine warmth to my heart. A streetlamp in the background provided great rim lighting, casting a golden outline along my hair that contrasted warmly against the Red maple in the foreground. This dimmer lighting was ideal for highlighting the character's cool, enigmatic aura.
Regarding lighting and post-processing, the palette was largely determined by on-set lighting, so post-production didn't involve drastic adjustments—mainly evening out facial tones while preserving skin texture. Chinese traditional style themes rely heavily on lighting: too little light obscures fabric textures, while too much washes them out pale. It took several attempts to achieve this clear, translucent feel. I also aligned with subtle facial angles during shooting, as angles and illuminated planes directly affect facial definition—something requiring dedicated control.
Ultimately, these few shots were selected for the final set, free from excessive embellishment—simply the pure interplay of red and black, white and red. Every time I see the night texture of these photos, I remember racing against the fading light that night. Though only four or five shots made the cut, behind them was continuous attention to detail, finding angles, and refining poses.