This concept of pairing a blue and white maid outfit with giant angel wings had been brewing in my mind for a long time. On the day of the studio portrait, I deliberately combed my long straight black wig flat, matching it with a dark blue lace headband and white floral decorations, hoping to echo the blue and white color scheme of the outfit.
There are quite a few details on the costume: the white lace at the collar and cuffs, the layered skirt hems, as well as the black stockings and thick-soled small leather shoes. Under the studio lighting, the black stockings can well modify the leg lines and lengthen the overall visual proportions. To better showcase this outfit, I prepared dual swords as props. Holding horizontally in my left hand is a katana with a black handle, and my right hand holds a Western sword with a complex metal handguard. The squatting posture in picture one is to highlight the layering of the skirt hem and leg lines; the right hand touches the katana vertically to the ground while the left hand holds the scabbard, requiring tight core engagement to maintain balance. The standing posture in picture two features arms spread wide, with the feather wings on the back fully expanded, which requires great shoulder and back strength.
The shooting equipment is the EOS R6V paired with the RF 35mm F1.4L VCM lens. The 35mm focal length is quite challenging in a studio portrait; if not careful, perspective distortion will make the frame look strange, but making good use of this feature can instead capture a composition full of tension. With the aperture opened to F1.4, the grey-white wall in the background is cleanly blurred, the outlines of the character and wings are clearly delineated, and the black stockings also appear more textured. Post-processing was done using Capture One. The color grading idea is to retain the cool and aloof atmosphere of blue and white while presenting the skin in a fair and translucent state. I lowered the overall highlights so that the details of the wing feathers would not be lost due to overexposure, and appropriately darkened the background to make the character more three-dimensional in the frame.
The entire shooting process is a test of physical strength and core strength, especially to keep the squatting posture stable and the standing posture relaxed, repeatedly adjusting the angle of the swords and the position of the wings. After tidying up the positions of the lace and bows, as the lights came down, the dark skirt paired with white wings presented a unique sense of power in front of the lens.