This Medea photo set was actually taken at the Shanyu studio in Tianjin, mainly to experiment with overhead lighting ambiance. When coordinating with the photographer, I asked for heavier facial shadows, and the resulting look truly brought out that Dark Gothic style mystery.
The costume is made of deep purple satin paired with a gold cross collar ornament, and its drape and luster stood out brilliantly under dim lighting. To complement the character's elf ears and long straight silver-purple wig, the makeup intentionally deepened the eyeshadow and featured dark purple lips to enhance the character's mysterious and cool, alluring demeanor.
We selected a variety of vintage props to enhance the scene, such as an antique chessboard, a wine glass, a vintage quill and inkwell, red roses, a skull, along with gold coins and pearls scattered across a map. The deep red velvet curtains and vintage carved sofa in the setting added rich depth to the frame.
During the shoot, overhead lighting really tested my facial expressions because it easily casts deep shadows under the eye sockets, requiring constant angle adjustments to find the sweet spot where the light defines facial contours. Poses interacting with teacups and books, holding the skull, or playing chess were all designed to portray the character's noble yet dangerous presence. The final full-body shot of sitting on the sofa raising a glass, with black flats and a high-slit gown showcasing the leg line, felt like the perfect choice for a cover photo.
In post-processing, the rich dark tones of the environment were preserved while slightly pulling down ambient light, focusing highlights on the face and the satin sheen of the outfit to create an oil-painting-like high-contrast aesthetic. The studio was incredibly atmospheric—even the tablecloth texture matched the costume perfectly. It was a wonderful shoot experience and a rewarding endeavor to faithfully recreate this Fate character. The process felt very smooth: once the light direction and prop placement were aligned with the photographer, all that was left was immersing myself in the character's emotion.