The Cosplayer photo collection from the IJOY Anime convention is finally sorted out! This look with a white shirt, black tie, and face paint was my main outfit for this Anime convention.
Regarding this styling, I specifically chose a long-sleeved white shirt, paired with a black tie and suspenders, plus these detachable animal ears. For makeup, blue and purple lines were drawn along the contours, paired with clear-frame glasses, making the overall look quite clean and everyday-like while maintaining a distinct sense of breaking the 2D dimension. Since the foundation is based on Ouji-style fashion, it was surprisingly comfortable to wear, which made crouching and running around at the Anime convention much easier—after all, hunting for good photo spots takes immense stamina.
Although the convention day was exhausting, recognizing many familiar cosplayers and meeting renowned fellow fans was super exciting. During the Cosplayer photo collection process, I met many iconic anime characters—such as several wonderful cosplayers from Neon Genesis Evangelion, classic characters from Chainsaw Man, and adorable outfits from Shugo Chara!. Everyone was incredibly cooperative and the photo yield was high. Taking photos with girls dressed in Lolita fashion was also delightful; the visual contrast from colliding different styles was fantastic.
When it comes to photography, I found that the most important thing is dodging passersby and finding clean backdrops, such as large black drapes or secluded tall walls. The second is lighting—trying to find top-lighting or front-lighting, because convention lighting is complex and often requires angling your face carefully to prevent the face paint from getting washed out. After each shot, you need to quickly check the frame to avoid messy cables or background passersby photobombing. We also produced lots of fun shots this time, like holding roses and posing with Captain America's shield, which definitely felt like mixing in strange things. Creating stunts and fun moments was a great little interlude for this Anime convention, as the atmosphere should always be relaxed and cheerful. Finally, thanks to the fellow enthusiasts who let me pet their fluffy fursuits—the texture was amazing! This interactive cosplay atmosphere is the main reason I stay in love with this community; people gathering for the culture they love is captivating in itself. See you next time for more stunt creation!