The night convention photos from the Chengdu World Line Anime Exhibition are finally retouched! This time, I cosplayed the bunny girl version of Formidable from Azur Lane (Formidable cosplay / Bunny girl cosplay), centering the overall styling on a classic black-and-white gothic lolita dress aesthetic. I wore white plush bunny ears on my head, accented on the side with a large lace bow featuring star motifs. For the wig, I chose silver-white long straight hair styled in a hime cut, paired with pink colored contacts and reddish eye makeup, striving to recreate the character's aura while adding a doll-like porcelain refinement.
The costume details are remarkably rich. The top is a white corset bodice adorned with a black bow and a ruby gemstone at the chest, with black lace trims spliced along the neckline and the sheer tulle flared sleeves. The shoulders feature an off-the-shoulder design; to cope with chilly outdoor nighttime temperatures and add visual layering, the lower half is styled with Black stockings featuring white lace frills and black crisscross straps at the thighs. For shoes, I chose black stiletto high heels to visually elongate the leg lines. Putting on this outfit was quite complex, especially since adjusting the corset lacing and sleeve ties took a long time, but seeing the results before the lens made it completely worthwhile.
The choice of shooting venue was a huge bonus for this set. To cultivate an atmospheric night scene, we found an open rooftop with expansive views, laid a white plush rug on the floor, and framed the city skyline at night as our background. A wide-aperture lens blurred the distant lights into gorgeous circular bokeh orbs. To make the subject pop against the darkness, we used off-camera flashes for frontal fill light while using warm light sources from the side to trace the hair contours, underexposing the background environment to achieve a striking, high-contrast texture.
Regarding props, I brought several yellow plush bird plushies—their chubby, rounded shapes formed a vibrant color contrast against the monochrome black-and-white dress, subtly softening the otherwise slightly aloof aesthetic. In terms of posing, I alternated between sitting, lying on my side, and posing with a silver folding ladder. When posing, I paid special attention to extending my leg lines, utilizing the synergy between Black stockings and high heels to showcase curve tension in the composition. Because night photography produces strong contrasts, every flash required remaining absolutely still, holding my breath the moment the shutter clicked; everyone worked tirelessly to nail the shots.
The convention atmosphere was fantastic. Although the schedule was packed that day, under this lighting setup, the synergy with the photographer grew increasingly seamless, significantly boosting our shooting efficiency. When receiving the raw unedited files, the black lace details, the sheer texture of the Black stockings, and the pristine cleanliness of the makeup were all preserved impeccably. I will definitely continue this shooting approach for upcoming convention photos, constantly exploring fresh feelings in costume faithfulness and chiaroscuro control.