Recently, I've shot several sets of photos with vastly contrasting styles, and along the way, I prepared my Independent anime convention tour application for the event held at Building A, Shanghai Hongqiao Inpoint on January 2, 2027. The convention is named Shanghai Arknights Only - Rabbit Tour No. 01. I plan to participate in the photography department's independent tour under the codename Zhu.SAMA and real name Scene. The contact info records my journey since joining the fandom: Amiya has accompanied me for 814 days, the shutter has clicked 62,600 times, organized into two physical photo albums. During this convention trip, I plan to take in all the stage contents—whether it's DJ sets, stage plays, or singer performances, I don't want to miss a single thing. At the same time, I really hope to interact with the guest creators present and exchange experiences with fellow artists and handicraft masters in the creator area.
The first set of photos was shot in an indoor realistic studio. To create that misty, ethereal atmosphere, the dry ice machine was turned up to maximum, paired with warm yellow lighting, making it feel as though I was standing in another world. However, this outfit was exceptionally heavy; the black leather jacket outfit fabric was completely non-breathable under the studio's high heat. Coupled with the heavy weapon prop I modified myself, after finishing one set of poses, my gloves were completely soaked in sweat. To pursue the oppressive feeling of a low-angle upward shot, the photographer was practically lying on the floor pressing the shutter, while I had to constantly tense my core muscles to maintain my standing posture, leaving my back and waist aching after the session.
The leather jacket outfit set was a completely different style. To pursue the Cyberpunk pink-and-blue dual-color lighting, we set up two gel lights in a narrow space. Although the leather waist cincher and white high collar looked cool, the tightness made it hard to breathe. Since we were shooting half-body close-ups, facial expression control and the catchlights in the eyes became the focus. For that hint of translucent clarity, I tried keeping my eyes wide open without blinking under the cold light, only letting my guard down after capturing a satisfying gaze. This cool-toned play of light and shadow placed extremely high demands on the makeup; even a slight smudge in the eye makeup would destroy that metallic texture.
Shooting at the abandoned factory and the sea of flowers at night was the ultimate test of physical stamina. The abandoned factory had no light source, relying entirely on a narrow beam of light from our portable fill lights. Pitch black all around, walking on the dust-covered concrete floor required extreme caution. I wore rabbit-eared attire while finding my direction in the dark, and also coordinated with the photographer for light painting and composition. The flower sea set was similar; the late-night outdoor grass was damp. To wait for the wind to stop and for the right light source, I crouched until my legs went numb before daring to move slightly. There were many mosquitoes around, but for the clean, pure blue flowers and night sky in the frame, I just had to grit my teeth and push through.
814 days of records, 62,600 photos—behind these numbers lie countless early weekend mornings, trekking across mountains and rivers carrying equipment, and late nights sitting in front of the computer post-processing images. Every costume's pattern cutting, wig trimming, and prop polishing had to be done hands-on. Sometimes, to restore a specific lore detail, I had to search online through mountains of references for a long time. But I thoroughly enjoy this process of gradually bringing imagined imagery to life; from lighting setup to character posing, the adjustment of every single step is a reconstruction of the frame.
For this convention, my goal is not just to integrate as a participant, but to bring my camera and capture the live moments with a photographer's eye. I've prepared two backup batteries and a high-capacity memory card, ready to catch the dynamic movements of singers and dancers on stage, and I will also visit creator booths to document those exquisite peripheral displays. Although the Independent anime convention tour requires gathering likes and bookmarks, compared to numbers, I look forward much more to meeting everyone on-site at the exhibition. I want to see with my own eyes those gorgeous props, exquisite makeup styling, and everyone's deep love for these characters. No excessive embellishment is needed; simply being in that environment, with the sound of shutters intertwining with everyone's chats, is the absolute best state. Looking forward to seeing all my fellow fans in Shanghai.