[Kuriyama Mirai cosplay] Street Jumping Snapshot, Pink Hair and Red-Framed Glasses

Sharing a set of convention photos, with a main focus this time on the coordination of props, movements, and natural light and shadow.

To restore this character's sense of daily life, I made some trade-offs regarding the materials of the cosplay outfit. The thickness of the pink knitted cardigan is just right for dealing with the temperature difference between morning and evening at the convention. The inner blue and white sailor-collar shirt forms a bright color contrast, and paired with the light blue pleated skirt, the overall color palette looks extremely refreshing. The black tights and thick-soled black leather shoes on the lower body not only ensure that my feet won't get tired from long periods of standing and walking, but also visually elongate the proportions of the lower body, counteracting the bulkiness brought by the cardigan on the upper body.

The prop is a crucial aid in this photoshoot. Because this long red prop is made of a relatively soft material, the two postures—curved and straight—present completely different visual expressions during slashes and static holding. The jumping action in picture one utilized the curvature of the prop itself, matching the natural fluttering arc of the hair strands and clothes when the whole body was airborne, capturing a highly dynamic moment. Picture three chose an upright and half-profile posture; because it required using wrist strength in mid-air to keep the prop straight, it actually placed certain demands on balancing the center of gravity.

Special thanks to the photographer for their flexible arrangement outdoors. At that time, the shooting environment was on the street outside the convention hall, with modern glass curtain wall buildings and passing pedestrians in the background, making the environment relatively cluttered. The photographer utilized a wide aperture to blur the background, making the subject pop out instantly. I really like the backlit close-up in picture two; although there is a certain halo in front of the lens, the sense of transparency brought by the sunlight penetrating the hair strands, combined with the mystical light reflected off the red lenses, accidentally created an excellent anime-style photography vibe. This real strong-light environment actually adds a touch of natural daily-life breath compared to the meticulously crafted lighting in a studio.

When I posted the teaser earlier, I didn't think about deliberately chasing popularity; in fact, after this set of photos went out, the response was indeed quite flat, failing to reach the so-called 'viral' status. However, for an outdoor shoot, I feel the result is often not the most important thing. From preparing the wig and finalizing the outfit details to actually standing on the street to align poses with the photographer, this entire process is already satisfying enough. Especially when taking convention photos outdoors, there are many uncertain factors in the environment—the wind speed, the interleaving of passersby, and the direction of the light are all changing. Every time we successfully snapshot a moment that meets expectations, the shooting process becomes filled with a sense of accomplishment.

When sorting through this set of photos, I often feel that these slice-of-life convention photos snapped casually around the convention have more approachability and fit the character's down-to-earth temperament better than various meticulously created high-end backdrops. Additionally, the frizzy texture of the hair blown messy by the wind and the slight dust gathered on the shoes from stepping on the ground make me feel these photos are authentic and vivid. I hope for similar sunny weather and great cooperation for my next outdoor shoot. Huge thanks to the photographer's shutter for recording these moments.