For this shoot, we plunged straight into a lotus pond with leaves taller than a person. The feeling of being completely surrounded by massive lotus leaves on set was magical; standing on the outer perimeter you couldn't see any pathway, so we had to feel our way through. Before shooting, the main considerations were the texture of the costume and dealing with the outdoor environment. The color contrast of the purple dress and white lantern sleeves against the lush green foliage felt very comfortable, while the White tights cosplay paired with black leather shoes created clean, striking lines within the frame.
Because the pond's edge was muddy and wet, I applied mosquito repellent to ward off bugs and protect the outfit from stains. Regarding props, the frog-shaped straw hat and the large lotus leaf umbrella prop were quite hefty; moving around holding them was actually rather demanding, especially carrying the lotus umbrella over my shoulder while maintaining a natural expression, which required continuous cues and pacing from the photographer.
In designing poses during the shoot, to capture the character's agile and lively spirit, we incorporated various body movements. In addition to hopping on one leg along the shore, we tried crouching in low grass using foreground lotus leaf blur to add depth, as well as sitting on the wooden boardwalk naturally stretching out my legs in White tights cosplay. This foreground framing technique is widely used in photography, focusing visual attention on the subject while masking cluttered surroundings.
In terms of lighting, because the tall lotus leaves diffused direct sunlight, the ambient light was soft and gentle. Utilizing backlight or side-backlight crisply outlined the silhouette, giving the white sleeves and red tassels a beautiful translucent glow. The water reflections in the lotus pond also served as fantastic backdrops—crouching by the water or turning sideways toward the surface imbued the frame with storytelling charm.
We also experimented with snapping off a real lotus leaf to use as a parasol, pairing a real leaf with prop leaves for organic color variations that matched the lore even closer. However, real lotus stems have tiny thorns and required careful handling, all while maintaining an effortless demeanor in front of the lens. The entire shoot was a pure joy. Although walking around outdoors in a dress was a bit tiring, the crisp fresh air and unique setting made the whole experience feel like truly stepping into that fantasy world. Outdoor shoots always carry uncertainties, but thorough pre-production and a relaxed mindset genuinely help produce more natural photos, giving me fresh insights into interpreting nature-themed Anime-style photography.