Today at Chengdu CD30, I shot a set of Convention photos. This time I portrayed Remilia, the young mistress from Touhou Project whom I've always wanted to cosplay again. My friend beside me teased that my mind is completely consumed by Touhou Project, to the point where even with photography, only shooting Touhou brings me true joy. Indeed, as long as there is passion, even if it's not a full official studio shoot, wrapping up leaves me completely satisfied.
A lot of effort went into the details of this costume. The bangs of the light-blue wig were carefully trimmed, paired with reddish eye makeup to make my gaze align closely with the character. The pink-and-white lace dress has rich layering, with the deep burgundy bow at the chest and the waist corset serving as the visual anchor. Added to that are multi-tiered pearl necklaces accented with a crucifix pendant, crafting a vivid, three-dimensional vintage opulence. To prevent the black bat wings prop from slipping around, I secured them with transparent invisible shoulder straps. The massive lace bonnet does carry some weight, leaving my neck stiff after wearing it for long, but I had to persevere for the silhouette. The deep red parasol and black cane in hand were also excellent auxiliary props, naturally giving my hands purposeful poses.
The convention hall environment was actually quite complex. The Chengdu CD30 venue is cavernous, featuring exposed metal roof trusses and dense ceiling spotlights. At first, I worried the background would look overly cluttered, but the photographer used a wide aperture to blur out the background, transforming overhead lights into circular bokeh rings that unexpectedly cast a dreamy, magical atmosphere over the frame. Because the attire is primarily red and white while the wings are black, we deliberately chose a side-backlit angle when framing to allow the lace edges to glisten with delicate sheen while ensuring normal facial exposure. During shooting, the angles of the umbrella and cane were continuously readjusted to prevent my wrists from looking stiff.
Convention photos are unlike studio shoots; with so many people on site, one must seize brief openings and drop into character instantly. Tidying this elaborate lace dress truly requires patience—during breaks between takes, I constantly used a lint roller to groom the skirt. While walking around the expo in heavy fabrics, wig, and wings was exhausting, seeing the captures on the camera monitor made me feel the day's effort was not in vain. Although these Convention photos haven't undergone complex retouching, I am already deeply pleased with the raw textures and ambiance of Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, ticking off a small personal milestone. Now I can slowly sort through all these photos.