For this shoot of Sorasaki Hina Ver.02, I chose a perspective referencing ballet movements to interpret this character. Compared to previous compositions, this version pursues the control of body gravity and the elongation of lines even more. To perform this large-scale forward lean and backward look, the core muscles had to be kept tense at all times, which also left a very prominent visual tension in the photos.
The wig is a silver-white large bun style, and the black halo floating above my head underwent serrated edge processing, forming a contrast with the overall dark style. Although the original character setting might not have wing elements, this version of the costume, makeup, and props specially incorporated ice-blue feather-like decorations, which, paired with the black tail behind, makes the back-view perspective look richer. When the white tight pantyhose are paired with a minimalist gray-and-white top, the person's temperament naturally leans toward cold elegance and slenderness. During the shoot, special attention was paid to how the garment's tailoring refined the waistline and hip lines, because the large-angle bending movements heavily test the wrapping property of the clothes, placing certain demands on post-processing as well.
The shooting location this time was at the Qimi Xuanjing Studio. The studio's gray background wall is exceptionally clean, without any redundant interfering colors, maximizing the prominence of the character's silhouette and body curves. For lighting, a softbox was used as the main light, and a rim light was added from the back-side to light up the edges of the white hair and the reflection of the stockings. Through this lighting, the originally white hair and white stockings can generate clear-cut layers, avoiding a flat frame caused by an all-white appearance. The photographer was myself (on-camera self-shoot/mutual shoot). To capture the exact right gaze when looking back, I repeatedly adjusted the camera height and focal length; since the camera position was relatively close to the ground while concurrently needing to accommodate the eye level, the shooting process was actually quite hard on the knees, but the final prints were well worth it.
I added censorship plates to this shared photo, which counts as a tacit understanding against content-filtering among the vast number of cosplayers. Those two black blocks on the screen saying "Censored for" and "Anti-filtering" were originally meant for self-censorship considering the publishing platforms; although it is a pity not to show the entire torso, it also serves as a way to protect the inner ring of the frame. Actually, the overall composition of the original photo is highly coherent, and the black blocks didn't block the body's momentum and sense of extension.
In the process of turning anime characters into real-life figures, many people overlook the character's sense of body control. Sorasaki Hina in Blue Archive inherently carries a cool and power-packed attribute, but under these high-difficulty ballet movements, it derives a flexibility and coordination unique to dance performers. To replicate this feeling, I specially did some stretching before the shoot, especially on the posterior thigh muscle groups and the waist and back. This way, when looking back, the spine can present a natural bending curve, letting the lines of the arms, tail, and legs form a complete geometric composition in the frame. Especially the S-curve extending from the hips to the thighs and then to the ankles is presented even more intuitively through the wrapping of the white tights.
Although the gray-and-white top doesn't use much fabric, the tailoring is highly exquisite; to avoid any awkward skin-pinching feel, an extremely elastic Lycra fabric was chosen. The halo above the head was made of acrylic board with paint treatment, while also needing to guarantee the transparency of the light effect. Plus, with the rather bold movement references used this time, the post-processing required an ultimate restoration of color uniformity across the legs, waist, and abdomen. Every time I shoot such high-difficulty movements, I feel that body control is the core capital of the shoot.
In terms of body language, ballet is characterized by openness, tension, and straightness, requiring coherent and clean movements, with a sense of extension in both hands and feet. Although my body is wearing the attire of an anime character, my inner consciousness is leaning toward stage art. This cross-boundary fusion is actually quite interesting, because everyone is familiar with this anime character, yet they can see a different dancing tension in a real person. Shooting this kind of performance-oriented theme is actually exploring the character's possibilities outside the original settings—putting on the gear, posing, hitting the shutter, and then leaving a photo worth reminiscing about, making this an ideal piece of cosplay photography featuring ballet cosplay and anime-style dance.