This time, I cosplayed the autumn outfit version of Takanashi Hoshino from Blue Archive, with the location chosen at Jiulonghu Park in Huangpu, Guangzhou. I had previously seen many fellow fans sharing photos of the Bald cypress autumn scenery here, and visiting in person proved that it's very convenient—about a ten-minute walk from Exit C of Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City Station on Metro Line 14 to reach the lakeside shooting spot.
To capture a golden autumn vibe, we specifically started shooting around 3:00 to 4:00 PM. The slant of the sunlight at this hour was ideal; the Backlit atmosphere and side-backlighting highlighted hair strands and the halo with beautiful rim light, while the tree shade created natural light bokeh. This autumn version outfit leans toward a casual academic style: a textured white loose-knit sweater on top, paired with a khaki pleated midi skirt featuring white hem stripes and side drawstring ties, along with White slouch socks, black loafers, and a dark brown crossbody leather bag. The overall look is clean, refreshing, and perfectly matches Hoshino's relaxed, gentle demeanor.
For the wig, long straight pink hair with side-swept bangs features a top hair loop structure, complemented by the iconic floating halo accessory; the expansive warm-toned woods nicely balanced the high saturation of the pink hair. Throughout the shoot, the photographer suggested several poses to blend with the scenery. The first set captured a casual moment holding a small bread bun and paper bag, where sunlight filtering through the trees fell softly upon the hair. Later, to add vibrancy to the frame, we attempted a snapshot pose lifting one leg while raising an arm; although it challenged my balance, the dynamic energy turned out fantastic against the golden fallen leaves and lakeside railings.
One of my favorites is a photo sitting on a boulder eating snacks, resting one leg while cradling my cheek and looking into the lens. This relaxed posture feels truer to Hoshino's daily persona, while the White slouch socks and shoes occupied just the right proportion in the frame to visually elongate my silhouette. I also highly recommend the half-body close-up waiting sideways for sunlight to wash over me—the backlighting made both hair and halo glow, and the dappled shadows cast across the rocks behind me created pure autumn storybook charm.
Regarding post-processing, since the raw lighting was already great, we mainly unified the overall tone toward warm golden-yellow hues, slightly suppressing highlights so the white sweater's knit texture stayed crisp without harsh glare. The pink hair popped brilliantly against the vast orange-red foliage, with strong color contrast making the subject stand out. Reflecting on this shoot, for autumn outdoor portrait photography, besides timing the light, prop utilization is also crucial. Bread packaging bags and drink props give the hands something natural to hold when facing telephoto lenses, making poses feel effortless.
Additionally, the Bald cypress woods in Jiulonghu Park are quite dense; for full-body shots, using a telephoto lens from further back is recommended to utilize spatial compression, making the background forest appear lush and tight to emphasize the subject. We intentionally selected relatively low, leafy branches as foreground and background elements to capture both facial expressions and the ambient scenery clearly. Wearing this autumn outfit under golden leaves to capture these moments was a wonderful experience, and blending a beloved game character into such a warm natural setting was truly memorable.