The theme of this comic exhibition was truly interesting, titled "2D Vision Project." My original intention was purely to photograph cars, but upon arriving and seeing the striking car wraps, I decided on a whim to step up and model beside them myself.
The first set featured pale platinum-blonde straight long hair paired with blue eyes, wearing a maid-style dress in a black, white, and red color scheme. This dress has plenty of intricate details: the black leather choker at the neck and the red gem ornament on the chest felt very premium, complemented by a white ruffled headband. Standing beside the white Itasha, the venue lighting was exceptionally intense, essentially requiring my body to block the direct glare to prevent overexposing my face. Because the vehicle had complex decal wraps and acrylic standees around it, the photographer had me step slightly forward to blur out the cluttered background elements using shallow depth of field, keeping the frame clean. I was quite nervous at the time, surrounded by onlookers, while needing to maintain an subtly bashful interactivity—propping my chin with one hand or posing with gestures, keeping a natural expression on my face.
Changing into the second outfit completely transformed the vibe. Long straight black hair paired with red contact lenses, switching into an all-white long dress. The dress material had a delicate see-through quality, paired with translucent white tulle gloves on my arms and golden geometric metal accessories around the waist. To complement this styling, instead of standing at the front hood, I chose to sit beside the white sports car. Posing seated on the floor was somewhat challenging: not only did I have to keep my back upright, but I also had to mind the drape and tension of the skirt hem. Slightly bending one knee or extending my legs forward made the overall lines look much more elongated. Even though the floor was a bit chilly, the layered depth revealed by the white tulle under the light was gorgeous, creating a captivating dialogue with the large anime wrap on the car door.
The final set packed the strongest visual impact: split black-and-white twin tails, red hearts and cross marks dotted at the corners of my eyes, a cropped red jacket over a white collared shirt with a black tie, and a black pleated miniskirt paired with Black stockings on the bottom half. These chunky platform boots were heavy to walk in, but they certainly flattered and slimmed down my leg lines. Holding a red tomato plush pillow as a prop, I sat in front of the black sports car. In seated shots like this, the texture of Black stockings is crucial: because the exhibition lighting was complex, any carelessness would create glare reflections that obscure leg contours. So I had the photographer adjust the angle slightly to catch rim light that accentuated the lines of my legs. Making gestures like pretending to take a bite or raising the tomato infused storytelling into the frame rather than just sitting there statically.
Wrapping up the full day of shooting, it was not only a showcase of outfits, but also a test of portrait photography and on-site environmental control. Photographing cars and photographing portraits share a lot in common—both demand careful composition, lighting, and seamless integration with the background. In such a complex convention environment, balancing costume presentation and relaxed body posture while coordinating with fluctuating crowds and shifting light is genuinely a test of endurance. Today's hair, makeup, and venue coordinated well together. Recording these moments casually with my phone made for a truly unique convention experience.