[Rei Ayanami Cosplay] Neon Genesis Evangelion: Reality and Reflections Beneath the Silent Water

"Life is the beginning of death, death is the continuation of reality, and rebirth is the end of dreams." Placing this line in an underwater photography setting evokes a strange sense of fatality. Deciding to challenge underwater photography for Rei Ayanami was not only about recreating her cool, distant aura, but more about blurring the boundary between "reality" and "dreams" through the medium of water. The imagery you see in this set is actually a complete combination of long exposure and overlapping reflections, which we spent a whole afternoon working on inside the water tank.

Let's talk about the shoot preparations first. First of all, the underwater environment places extremely high demands on wigs. To maintain a natural flowing look underwater, this light blue wig wasn't treated with too much hairspray, but once submerged, it became very heavy, floating like seaweed. To ensure the hairstyle wouldn't cover my face, I specially used bobby pins to hide-secure it before diving in, but the force of the water current was far greater than expected. The moment I entered the water, the wig plastered right onto my face. I had to hold my breath, stabilize my core, and slowly brush the hair away, relying entirely on the buoyancy of diving to balance my body.

Next is the makeup. Underwater photography cannot accommodate heavy makeup because water washes away foundation and smudges eyeliner, yet it still needs to stand up against camera wash-out. We used professional waterproof facepaint makeup, emphasizing saturation under the eyes and on the lips so that my skin could project a subtly cold, fair texture beneath the blue and purple underwater light. For the costume, a light white gauze fabric was chosen. Once soaked, this material clings to the body, outlining contours while creating a "detached from reality" fragile aesthetic through its semi-translucent visual effect. To achieve the overall look in the photos, we dove in no less than twenty times, waiting each time for bubbles to clear completely and for light refraction to align perfectly.

Holding your breath underwater is a major hurdle for ordinary people. I held my breath for about 40 to 50 seconds each time, during which I also had to manage facial expressions and limb movements. Hands couldn't be stiff while posing; knees had to bend slightly with toes pointed straight, allowing the body to present a weightless, floating/falling state in the water. To ensure compositional completeness, we incorporated several reflector boards and lights with different color temperatures. The photographer Ah Kong worked tirelessly as well, remaining half-submerged in the water holding the camera to capture perfect facial expressions and bubble distributions during those few seconds when we were both holding our breath.

During post-processing, we overlayed multiple action shots from different angles using horizontal mirroring and vertical inversion, creating the multi-layered overlapping reflection effect seen in the photos. Through this geometric collage form, I wanted to hint at the philosophical meaning of the quote: "death is the continuation of reality, and rebirth is the end of dreams." Floating bubbles, a still figure, and chaotic, intersecting reflections—all inherent reflections of the deep loneliness within the character's soul.

Underwater photography is definitively a project with extremely high requirements for physical stamina and teamwork. The whole process was full of challenges, yet thanks to the gentle nature of water, the resulting photos carry a dynamic play of light and shadow rarely captured on land. Every sink below the surface is a rediscovery of oneself; every rise to breathe is a return to reality. I hope this set of underwater life-defining photos provides everyone with a tranquil, crystal-clear visual experience to feel the fragile warmth hidden beneath the character's icy exterior.