The editing for this Kaenbyou Rin photo set is finally complete. We chose a studio with a Dark Gothic style, though the preparations were honestly quite intricate. First was the outfit: the dark green velvet fabric was fairly heavy, and with the dense black lace and chain detailing across the chest, it accentuated the upper body's silhouette beautifully once worn. The oversized lace bonnet headpiece required finding its exact center of gravity, or it would easily tilt to one side. The red wig was custom-made, with careful attention paid to the curve of the bangs and the thickness of the braids to closely match the character's feel. The skull prop carried substantial weight; holding it up for long periods made my arms ache, yet I couldn't put it down and had to be careful not to scratch the fabric when changing poses. Posing in high heels with stockings was quite demanding on posture, especially with the voluminous skirt that needed to be lifted slightly while walking.
During shooting, the lighting mainly used cool blue backlights paired with warm red key lights on the face—this warm-cool contrast made the crimson hair stand out even more. In post-processing, focus was placed on refining the skirt folds and the background lighting, giving the visuals a painterly, oil-painting-like quality. The most striking element of this outfit is the combination of the upper cutout design with the lower Black stockings, which highlighted the leg lines nicely. I tried both sitting and standing poses; the shot sitting on the sofa had a fuller composition, making the dark ambiance much easier to accentuate. The red roses, crucifixes, frames, and beaded curtains in the background were all meticulously arranged by the photographer. Because the backdrop was so intricate, we had to be very careful to avoid exposing off-set elements.
Regarding my interpretation of this Touhou Project character, Kaenbyou Rin's languid yet dangerous temperament is fascinating. The color tones of this set have great depth and texture. In post-processing, I chose not to over-whiten the skin, retaining a bit of natural tone so it blended harmoniously into the dark background. Although the shooting process was tiring—lifting the heavy skirt, holding poses, and searching for angles in a somewhat crowded set—seeing the final photos, with the light falling across my face reflecting the skull's texture, made the atmosphere feel completely on point.
We spent a long time setting up beforehand, arranging fallen petals, candles, and pearl chains on the floor; even a slight misalignment would look messy, so scene staging took considerable effort. The shoot required precise lighting on the face and skull prop, while ensuring the dark green dress contrasted against the red background. Lighting on the Black stockings was crucial; side light was necessary to define the leg shape, requiring many poses to be adjusted to the lighting setup. Toward the end, it was indeed exhausting, with high heels and the heavy skirt making movement clumsy, but to capture this eerie yet gorgeous style, everything was worthwhile. For the accessories, pairing long black gloves with a ruby necklace was something I spent hours selecting in physical shops, hoping every detail would reflect the character's opulence. Because the studio was chilly and the gown heavy, it was quite physically demanding. To better fit the character, I made subtle pose adjustments, like relaxing my gaze while holding the skull to look nonchalant. Seeing these painterly finished photos makes pouring so much effort into recreating this Touhou Project character feel immensely rewarding—especially that languid, slightly perilous aura, which I hope I successfully conveyed through posture and gaze.