This time shooting Cartethyia, from getting the costume to the final finished photos, it actually took a considerable amount of time to adjust the details. Those branch-like embroideries on the white base skirt are not simple prints, but textures with a three-dimensional quality that reveal layers under the light. The black collar and chest patchwork design, coupled with the hollow-out on the side of the waist, carries both the ethereal feel of an elf and a sharp sense of tailoring. The most time-consuming part was actually those two long White and blue gradient ribbons. The material chosen was very light chiffon yarn so that when walking or when a gentle breeze blows, they can fly naturally like in the photos without needing to be intentionally tossed.
The location chosen this time was a continuous arched long corridor. These repeating geometric arches are perfect for creating a sense of depth and a sacred atmosphere. We specifically chose around two in the afternoon, when the sunlight just happened to slant in from the side, cutting alternating paths of light and shadow on the floor tiles. If you look at the walking one, the moment the ribbon flies up happens to step right onto the light spot, and that sense of transparency is truly wonderful. The prop long staff is actually a solid object, so holding it for a long time makes my wrist a bit sore. When shooting standing poses, I tried to let my arms hang naturally or rest on the side of my body to avoid looking stiff.
The two kneeling photos actually involved adjusting the angles many times, because the length of the long staff and the perspective of the ground can easily make the legs look short. Ultimately, we chose a more forward and side camera position, paired with the elongating effect of the high-heeled sandals, to make the entire posture look extended. For the overall makeup and styling, I used medical glue for the Elf ear cosplay adhesion, which is more durable than regular double-sided tape, so there's no need to worry about it falling off from sweat. The wig was also trimmed in layers to avoid being too heavy and obscuring the side contours of the face.
Many details are actually hard to get right in one go on-site, such as the draping direction of the ribbon or the hand positioning on the long staff, all requiring repeated test shots before pressing the shutter. This time, the team had great chemistry, capturing the light just right. We didn't rely excessively on post-production soft focus, preserving the hardness of the sunlight itself, which instead made the white and blue tones cleaner. As a creative piece of roleplay, I feel that reproducing the character's temperament is more meaningful than a 1:1 replica of the clothing, so I didn't deliberately strike a cold face in my expressions. Instead, I tried to be as natural and relaxed as possible to make the character look more like a real, breathing existence. This wraps up the Long corridor light and shadow photography session nicely.