This set of Madoka Kaname kimono photos shot back in March was dragged out until now to finally be completely edited and shared. The mental journey of a procrastinator is always the same: thinking there's still plenty of time, only to find several months have flown by. First, speaking of this Photo set sharing, it was extremely windy on the day we shot under the cherry blossom trees. You cannot move vigorously while wearing a kimono without it easily coming loose, so shooting progressed very slowly. The photographer, Yuntuantu, was remarkably professional, constantly waiting for lulls between gusts of wind to press the shutter. I was quite nervous myself, as my long pink hair kept blowing over my face, requiring constant adjustments. The fabric of this Kimono cosplay outfit is relatively stiff with great layering; the sash belt is wide and tied very tightly, and that physical constraint actually made it easier for me to immerse myself into the character's mindset. That white plush prop photographed beautifully—as long as I didn't hold it up for too long, the shots turned out great.
As for the selfie at the subway station, that was taken while waiting for the subway after the main shoot wrapped up. I was honestly exhausted, so I naturally leaned against a pillar and squatted down to check my phone; feeling how relaxed the posture was, I casually snapped a picture. Looking back at the raw image later, it felt quite fun, so I decided to include it with the rest. Regarding the editing process, I placed high importance on the balance of light and shadow. Because it was shot under bright outdoor sunlight where harsh shadows easily fall across the face, I first restored the skin tones in Lightroom before handling the ambient light. When processing the background in the Cherry blossom outdoor scene, I deliberately lowered the saturation to prevent the blossoms from stealing the subject's spotlight.
It was only when tidying my wardrobe and spotting this costume that I remembered I needed to finish editing this set. Over these past few years of doing cosplay, from preparing outfits and wigs, studying the character's movements and expressions, to communicating with photographers, the entire process is physically and mentally demanding, yet the joy upon completion is genuinely real. Camera presence develops gradually; this time, I specifically practiced angles when looking into the lens, and the outcome was far better than before. Looking back at the photos now, I can feel how hard my March self worked. I want to convey this dedication—purely documenting and sharing the things I love—and I am thoroughly satisfied with the final results.