When I first received this Uma Musume Pretty Derby stage performance outfit for Mejiro McQueen cosplay, I kept pondering how to shoot it to convey both an ojousama's refined elegance and athletic, dynamic energy. Ultimately, I selected the blue track of a stadium as the outdoor location; the blue, white, and yellow color scheme paired with this outfit created an exceptionally crisp, clean visual aesthetic.
In reality, the costume details were far more numerous than I had anticipated. The cropped white jacket is adorned with gold piping and fringe tassels, while the cyan corset underneath and the bow at the collar create a flawless chromatic resonance. To recreate the feeling of the original design, the lower half features white shorts overlaid with a voluminous flared skirt patterned with blue-and-gold stripes and plaid. What gave me the biggest headache was that pair of fluffy ears: securing them took a long time to find the right angle to ensure they wouldn't fall off while running. The array of green criss-cross straps on the boots was also laced up little by little by myself; though walking was somewhat cumbersome, I gritted my teeth and persevered for the sake of the overall aesthetic.
The sunlight was particularly intense on the day of the shoot, hitting the blue synthetic running track with extreme color saturation. The first series of shots consisted of dynamic action captures of me sprinting on the track. Honestly, sprinting on the track under the blazing sun in this full outfit was far more exhausting than regular running—especially when the skirt billowed up, coordinating facial expressions with bodily movements was genuinely tough. Yet seeing the split second where the skirt flared on the camera monitor made every drop of sweat feel completely worth it. Afterwards, we moved to the bleachers, sitting on the yellow-and-grey spectator seats and utilizing the tidy linear rows of the stands as a backdrop, which gave the composition remarkable depth. I also attempted a high leg-lift pose standing on the seats, aiming to capture a moment brimming with dynamic power and tension; wearing tall boots and shorts allowed leg lines to be showcased splendidly.
We also ran into a few minor challenges during the shoot. For instance, the track had intense glare reflections, sometimes requiring constant angle adjustments to avoid overexposure. Furthermore, to capture a flawless starting dash pose, I sprinted back and forth multiple times; my hair and costume got disheveled several times, requiring considerable time to touch up makeup and restyle the wig. It must be said that the blue track and this white-and-blue themed outfit harmonized impeccably, and the yellow seats in the stands injected a vibrant splash of color, creating striking chromatic contrast. While shooting, many passersby gathered to watch, and an elderly man even asked if I was shooting a sports commercial. Overall, I am very satisfied with the completion of this outdoor Cosplay photoshoot; the interplay of light, shadow, and garment colors met all expectations, and I hope this photo set brings everyone a touch of athletic racetrack vitality from Umamusume: Pretty Derby!