The convention photos sharing from Shi Meng 20 are finally organized! The final results of this Da Qiao shoot turned out much more satisfying than I expected.
This time, I really wanted to capture the essence of this costume, especially the visual impact of holding the staff as if floating inside the exhibition hall. Let's start with the staff that everyone notices first. This prop is quite substantial, featuring a blue glowing sphere at the top. On-site shooting required teamwork—the photographer specially used effect techniques to enhance this light source, making the surrounding blue particles look more like flowing magic. The black long pole with a carved gold grip at the top balanced well in weight distribution, so I wouldn't accidentally bump into passersby while holding it in the crowd.
As for the outfit, this red strapless minidress is quite demanding when it comes to tailoring. The blue-green gemstone with a golden border ornament on the chest serves as the visual centerpiece of the upper body. When putting it on, I adjusted the strap positions several times because strapless designs can easily slip. However, the final layering effect turned out great, with a slightly fluffy, pleated skirt hem. My favorite part is the pair of light, translucent mesh sleeves spliced with white and lotus-pink. When extending my arms or waving the staff, the gauze drapes beautifully, creating very airy, dynamic motion lines.
For hair and makeup, this chestnut braided wig was quite heavy, featuring two large braided curls on the sides. The matching golden horn-like crown headpiece had to be secured tightly so it wouldn't tilt while moving around. The makeup focus was the extremely light blue-green contact lenses. To fit the character's temperament, the base makeup was kept matte, and the eye makeup was not overly heavy, maintaining clarity with a touch of cool detachment. Because the venue's overhead lighting was harsh, extra highlights were added to prevent my face from appearing flat.
Regarding shooting techniques, the photographer insisted on trying a wide-angle, low-perspective camera shot from below. This perspective places high demands on composition. The floor tile reflections at the venue were quite strong, easily creating distracting bright spots from overhead spotlights if not handled carefully. However, it was controlled very well this time, allowing floor reflections to add depth of field to the lower body instead. Shooting from a low angle is indeed a powerful technique for sculpting leg lines; translucent platform sandals paired with gold anklets visually elongated lower body proportions, yielding fantastic results.
Shooting these Cosplay convention photos at an anime convention was actually quite challenging. With heavy foot traffic, finding a clean background required scouting beforehand. I tried to find hall corridors with metal trusses and array spotlights to create a grand backdrop feel similar to game CGs. During shooting breaks, I constantly protected the staff's glowing component from bumps and had to be mindful that the sheer sleeves wouldn't catch on surrounding items. Although the shoot didn't take long, managing poses, facial expressions, and prop status simultaneously was physically demanding.
Nevertheless, being able to pull off this character made all the twists and turns during the process worthwhile. Looking back at this final photo set, the vibrant red dress contrasts nicely with the cool-toned ambient venue lighting. The glowing sphere enhanced with special effects sits right at the visual center, creating an overall atmosphere that perfectly fits the character's original setting—combining gentleness with mystery. Treating this photo set as a record of my participation in the Shi Meng 20 convention makes it a wonderful memory.