This time I cosplayed Cirno from Touhou Project, and I've already received the raw photos for these two convention shots from the Golden Dolphin Anime Convention. Preparing this outfit truly took a lot of thought: a light blue wig with elf ears, paired with large-diameter colored contacts, a sheer base makeup, and extra emphasis around the eyes to give my face a more youthful, fairy-like appearance.
For the dress, I selected this tiered light blue puff dress. Because the fabric contains sequins, the skirt glimmers whenever it spins or catches the light. The red bow tie was the finishing touch, creating a complementary color contrast with the blue that really caught the eye against the busy convention background. The wings on my back were crafted from translucent acrylic layered with iridescent film; when the venue's lights hit them, they refracted beautiful flashes of blue and purple light.
The anime convention was very crowded with few clear, empty backgrounds. The first photo is taken from a high-angle overhead perspective. Standing on a slightly elevated platform, the high camera angle bypassed surrounding crowds and clutter to keep the framing clean. Overhead shots can make the head look bigger and legs shorter, so pairing this with a half-crouch or dynamic pose while raising my hand gave the overall silhouette a lively, energetic feel.
The low-angle shot in the second photo was one of the few angles we successfully dialed in. Sitting on a stool with one foot on the seat and the other dangling naturally elongated the leg lines. Low-angle shots are a real test of the cosplayer's body control—a low camera can easily accentuate a double chin or make calves appear thicker—so I consciously pointed my toes and braced my core tight. The crystal prop in my hand had multi-faceted light-refracting surfaces that echoed the wings behind me, and looking upward along my raised arm let the photographer nail the perfect lighting angle. Master Wakaba's lighting control was spot-on, expertly dodging harsh overhead lights to find a side-backlit position that outlined the wings and made them look remarkably translucent.
The costume, makeup, and prop preparation had endless details: ironing the lace hem, texturing the wig strands for natural flow, and matching contact lens color with base makeup. Moreover, because the petticoat was quite large, maintaining stability during poses was crucial to avoid wardrobe malfunctions or tripping. For instance, sitting on the stool in the second photo required supporting long leg lines while managing skirt tiers—which actually took considerable physical stamina.
Carrying all the gear back and forth from the convention made the whole setup rather heavy. I even debated between Photo 1 and Photo 2: some preferred the holistic vibe of Photo 1, while others loved the leg lines highlighted in Photo 2, as each had different compositional strengths. Post-processing focused mainly on unifying skin tone and balancing lighting without exaggerated liquifying, preserving authentic realism.
All in all, the final visual texture matched our original shooting concept, recreating the character's signature vibrant energy. To portray this character well, I experimented with various makeup styles. Because the colored contacts were already large, drawing heavy eyeliner would look unnatural, so I opted for natural straight eyeliner paired with slightly heavier blush, which suited the character wonderfully. If I shoot this again, I could refine the wig and skirt hem details even further—chalking it up to valuable experience.