[Nekozuka Hibiki Cosplay] Blue Archive Cheerleader Ver. Live from Firefly ACG Expo

For this Firefly ACG Expo shoot plan, we settled on this blue-and-white cheerleader outfit. Working with photographer Zhi Youyou is always smooth, with every location shoot sparking fresh creative ideas. To avoid the peak afternoon crowds, we intentionally entered the exhibition hall shortly after doors opened, finding a relatively open area in the side wing of the main hall. Setting up the black carry-on suitcase and portable lighting equipment, we immediately immersed ourselves in crafting the atmospheric mood.

Recreating this look required solid effort. First, the yellow halo atop my head had to be firmly secured inside the wig base to ensure it wouldn't wobble even during quick turns or sitting down; meanwhile, the fluffy black-and-gray animal ears needed angle adjustments relative to head shape so the wig bangs transitioned smoothly beside my cheeks. The yellow pom-poms held in hand seemed simple, but every single pleat had to be opened up under the light to avoid looking thin. Carrying pom-poms, resting them on shoulders, or holding them casually added beauty to arm lines. Pure standing compositions easily grow dull, so the suitcase was deliberately used as a fulcrum. Raising one foot onto the side of the suitcase or sitting sideways on it allowed leg, waist, and hip lines to extend more naturally, while the white platform sneakers on my feet made overall proportions look exceptionally crisp before the lens.

The biggest challenge during this shoot was the rather complex lighting inside the hall. Overhead lights arranged in arrays combined with fill lighting from neighboring booths caused multiple different color temperatures and light sources to hit the subject simultaneously. To cope with this, hair and makeup specially reinforced eye makeup layering—particularly that wash of red-orange shading at the outer corners of my eyes paired with light blue contact lenses—allowing my eyes to remain sharp and translucent even under direct flash or indoor warm lights. In post-processing, we avoided over-editing the Convention photos into unnatural, sugary-smooth portraits, choosing instead to retain original skin textures and natural shadows to present a more realistic and believable athletic style under wide-angle distortion.

Among the entire photo set, I personally feel quite satisfied with several sitting poses. Without deliberately tensing my torso, settling down naturally with elbows propped casually on the luggage edge or partially blocking my body with pom-poms brought out that lazy temperament, creating a charming gap contrast against the athletic feel of the outfit. Raising pom-poms high while capturing eyes through the cluster of yellow created a strong visual focus. The outfit itself utilized simple blue-and-white checkered and solid color paneling, with collar ribbons and waist lettering decorations sufficiently highlighting the sporty theme.

Schedule planning before departure was tight, but thankfully this independent tour went smoothly overall. During shoot breaks, occasional passersby paused to ask questions; getting appreciation for these props and color palettes was deeply satisfying. Even better, photographer Zhi Youyou is seasoned in storyboard framing and candid motion capture; we barely needed to painstakingly refine strict angles—simply walking along hall aisles, pausing, or sitting on the suitcase allowed the camera to capture a relaxed state. Though noisy, the convention environment helped me relax in front of the lens and focus on communicating with the camera.

Corridor lighting along convention perimeters was sometimes subtle, with diffuse light reflections unexpectedly creating cooler tonal shades. Leveraging this ambient light, we deliberately avoided cluttered backgrounds, rendering a sense of space even in narrow walkways. A fast prime lens blurred background passersby and exhibition displays into beautiful bokeh, locking viewer attention completely onto the character.

The final results turned out wonderfully surprising, with prop-costume synergy and venue atmosphere utilization hitting the sweet spot. I look forward to taking these props with Zhi Youyou to different conventions and locations in the future, continuing to explore more unique lighting and shadow styles in our Cosplay photography.