[Houraisan Kaguya cosplay] Touhou Project Coastline Convention Photos

This set of Houraisan Kaguya cosplay from the Coastline Convention is a collection I'm quite satisfied with recently. For the costume, a soft-textured dark red was chosen to pair with pink, and the white-trimmed ruffled neckline added layers. When photographer @若叶 called out to me to do some actions in front of the lens, I subconsciously wanted to hold the bamboo branch prop steadily. The combination of red eyes and the overall styling allowed me to quickly enter the mood of the shoot.

When I first got this outfit, what attracted me most was the golden bamboo leaves and star patterns on the skirt hem, which produced a beautiful reflective effect under the convention hall's top lighting. The wig was also specially combed and is long enough so that when spinning, the ends of the hair spread out, which, paired with the thick blunt bangs, visually fits this image beautifully.

The venue was actually very noisy on the day of the shoot, but when focusing in front of the lens, the ambient sound faded away. Doing an outdoor shoot or an indoor venue each has its own benefits. Although indoor venues have more complex lighting, teacher @若叶 is very skilled at utilizing the convention hall's top lighting and architectural structures. Those metal trusses and lights instead became natural light spots and textures in the background, keeping the frame from being too monotonous.

This beaded bamboo branch prop in my hand was matched by myself. It echoes the overall outfit and is one of the focal points of the styling. When shooting the first spinning action, I needed to grasp the timing of throwing the sleeves and lifting my hands perfectly, otherwise the flowing essence of the skirt hem would be slightly lacking. Fortunately, after a few consecutive shots, we caught the desired split second. The action of pointing at the lens in the second close-up close shot actually carried a touch of playful intent, wanting to break the character's originally cool and aloof feel to add a bit of interactivity.

The concluding third sitting photo instead made me feel it resembled Kaguya-hime the most in her usual state. Quietly sitting on the floor, the reddish-brown skirt hem naturally spreading out, there was no need for too many complex expressions; maintaining a calm and focused gaze was enough.

For classic characters like this from Touhou Project, many predecessors have actually produced highly stunning versions. When working on the styling, I hoped much more to find a balance point that would not only align with the visual elements of the original setting but also integrate with the live lighting, convention environment, and my personal physical expression habits. The tailoring of the clothes is on the looser side, but the waist straps and bow tie tightened the waistline, so it doesn't look bloated when worn.

Photography is a tool to record the immediate atmosphere, and cosplay is like building a bridge between the character and the photographer through this piece of cosplay photography. Meeting many fellow fans on-site, with everyone taking photos of each other and having fun together, it felt like everyone could appreciate the character's charm. The post-processing for this set of photos didn't undergo any exaggerated color grading; it primarily adjusted the light ratio and clarity, doing its best to preserve the inherent fabric texture of the garments.

For me, every time I put on the wig and clothes, I can briefly detach from reality within a few hours to experience another personality or worldview setting. Although finishing a photo set is exhausting, seeing the material finally organized into a complete collection of convention photos brings a very solid sense of fulfillment. Though this convention trip was short, because of this set of photos, it left behind a highly joyful memory for me in this realm of Anime cosplay.