Shooting outdoors in a swimsuit is actually a physical task, but a lot of thought indeed went into preparing this Azur Lane Kashino Cosplay swimsuit look today. Previously, many fellow fans might have thought this set of white bikini paired with sheer fabric looked very simple, but when actually getting the real item, the texture and sense of layering of the material were much more complex than imagined.
Today's shooting location was an outdoor pool with ample sunlight, and the overall shooting tone was set to be bright and fresh, which perfectly matched this white-colored outfit. Light-colored clothes are highly prone to overexposure under intense light, so before starting, the photographer adjusted the camera's exposure compensation, and concurrently used a reflector to gently supplement the light on my face. This way, the captured skin tone appears more transparent and natural, preventing the facial features from being washed out by the harsh light.
In terms of replicating the clothing details to align with the character setting, wearing the flowers and cross bows on the headpiece heavily tested the stylist's patience, as they needed to be clipped onto specific hair layers to prevent them from slipping off. This time, I intentionally didn't comb the hair perfectly straight, preserving wispy strands in the bangs and sideburns, which, paired with the gentle breeze, could reflect that lazy sense of relaxation by the pool. As for the outer cover-up, its semi-translucent characteristic is the brightest part of the entire styling. Although the material is light and thin and easily snags, once put on, it combines a faint flowing aura with the practicality of sun-protective clothing.
For shooting props, a white lace sun umbrella and a rattan lounge chair were used today. The set standing while holding the umbrella indeed carried a strong vacation feel, but wanting to maintain elegant and relaxed neck and shoulder lines while holding the umbrella actually makes the arms feel sore easily. Therefore, during shooting breaks, I would intentionally shake my wrists to relax, avoiding stiff shoulders in the final output. The side angle of lying on the rattan lounge chair was strongly recommended by the photographer, because it could better extend the leg lines. Paired with those black slim-strap wedge sandals on my feet, it could visually elongate the proportions, while the color collision formed by the black straps and the pure white swimsuit kept the lower half of the frame from looking monotonous.
My attitude toward shooting swimsuit works has always been very composed, which is to generously showcase physical beauty. As long as preparations are well made in the early stages, safety precautions are taken seriously, and wardrobe malfunctions are avoided. When shooting in a bikini, because the tight-fitting clothing is relatively thin, it is too easily affected by the ambient temperature and body posture to generate wrinkles. Therefore, during the posing process, I constantly adjusted my abdomen and breathing consciously to ensure the clothing state in every single picture remained flat, smooth, and sharp.
For post-color grading, we didn't deliberately chase after high-contrast or strong-comparison tones, but instead preserved the authentic texture of the background's blue-green tiles and the shallow water area, using the background blur effect to effectively highlight the character. Looking at this photo set after production, whether it's the bokeh formed by natural sunlight hitting the water surface or the moment the breeze blows the skirt hem, they all recorded the refreshing summer atmosphere. Shooting under this kind of outdoor natural light environment, though not as controllable as studio lighting where lights can be adjusted at will, yields that authentic light-and-shadow transition and the naturally presented relaxed state of the person, which are exactly the most captivating aspects of this type of summer-themed swimsuit cosplay works.