These Rem cosplay Angel Convention photos shot at the IJOY convention took about two weeks from preparation to post-processing, making it the perfect time to chat about the details and takeaways from this shoot.
First, let's talk about costume and prop preparation. The light-blue wig was trimmed and thinned, with a curling iron used on the tips to give a natural curve so it wouldn't look stiff. The white dress was custom-made from lightweight fabric, with anti-slip strips sewn on the inside to prevent wardrobe malfunctions. The Angel wings on the back were made of real feathers and were actually quite heavy; to ensure stability, I added a support bracket at the base of my left shoulder—otherwise, in a crowded venue, my shoulder would have been too sore to endure after less than half an hour.
Next is the on-site shoot. The lighting at the IJOY convention was very messy, and the overhead white light was harsh, easily flattening facial features. During shooting, I had the photographer use a reflector and continuous lighting for fill light while searching for a relatively clean corner with nice background reflection. Wanting to highlight the light, floating sensation of an Angel, I struck a pose standing on one leg while raising the other foot. This pose demanded strong core strength, and I often wobbled during the shoot, but to elongate the leg lines and achieve the ideal visual effect, I persevered through it.
Finally, the post-processing phase—the key to this photo. The raw convention background was full of crowds and ceiling structures, so post-processing mainly used radial blur and intense light defocusing to turn the cluttered floor and ceiling lights into bokeh. The floating water droplets, feathers, and glowing magic circle in the background were all composited in post; I spent considerable time tweaking their size, opacity, and perspective. To blend the perspective of the magic circle with the wings, I even redrew parts of the line art. In terms of color toning, cool blues and pure whites were the primary focus to bring out an ethereal feel, alongside brightening skin tones and tuning the overall atmosphere for clearer light and shadow. This Fantasy post-processing approach is quite versatile, and I hope it offers some useful reference for fellow enthusiasts who love shooting Convention photos.