Recently, I've been losing followers heavily whenever I post photos on Douyin—losing about 50 per post, totaling 2,500 so far. It would be a lie to say it hasn't affected me. But after taking a closer, careful look at what happened, I realized the issue can't just be blamed on looks. Today, alongside this Honkai: Star Rail Ruan Mei cosplay set, I want to talk about the shoot and my mental adjustments.
First, let's talk about the shoot at the convention. The lighting at conventions is often chaotic, and the background is messy with passersby frequently walking into the frame, so the rate of usable convention photos isn't very high. The costume itself has a lot of details: the butterfly ornament on the chest, the ruby pendant, the pearl necklace, as well as the round fan in hand and distinctive gloves—all of which need to be properly worn and styled to achieve great fidelity to the character. In a crowded convention environment, wigs get easily messed up and take quite some time to manage. To get good results, I specifically looked for a corner with softer lighting and background depth. In the first photo, I used a seated pose; the proportion of legs to upper body looks relaxed and extended in the frame, nicely highlighting the costume's overall silhouette, which is why I chose it as the cover.
Regarding the follower loss, I looked at the metrics and think there might be two main reasons. First, my recent photo style underwent a noticeable shift, featuring heavier soft-focus and skin smoothing. This post-processing style might not have resonated with older followers, resulting in reduced reach with each push. Second, platform algorithms naturally fluctuate, and what used to work well might not anymore. In my regular cosplay, I pay close attention to styling and makeup details—like foundation, highlights on the skin, eyeshadow layering, and the reflective finish of accessories. I don't consider myself naturally blessed with an "influencer face"; I'm just an ordinary person who relies on styling and vibe to get closer to the character, so relying on photo editing for refinement is inevitable.
Many people mind when others talk about whether a cosplayer edits their photos, but I've always felt that since we are portraying 2D characters, using technical means to make the visuals closer to the fantasy is a form of respect for the character—it's just a matter of striking a balance between realism and aesthetics. Sharing these photos is just my way of putting my work out there to see how people appreciate the details. Furthermore, I have been a bit slack recently with daily anime style selfie and lifestyle posts, which likely contributed to the dip in engagement.
Going forward, I want to try a different approach. Beyond this Ruan Mei set, I will share more photos with different styles and lighting setups, dial back on heavy effect filters, and try more natural convention candid shots. There are also many ways to explore angles and expressive poses, like freely adjusting hand gestures, shoulder and neck lines, or leg positioning, to give the entire frame more ambiance. Losing followers actually helped me calm down—traffic and algorithms have always been unpredictable anyway. What matters is continuing to polish the details of my work without stressing over fluctuating numbers.
Lastly, as a takeaway from preparing upcoming props and outfits over the past couple of days: cosplay is truly hard physical work. You constantly have to crouch down to smooth out skirt hems or glove wrinkles while dodging passersby. In the future, I plan to shoot more full-body outfits including leg shots, pairing stockings and accessories properly to enhance character accuracy. I'll adjust step by step without rushing.