The theme of this photoshoot was set in the Hydrangea sea of Shenyang, combining the Atmospheric vibe in the rain from 'Sankarea: Undying Love' to complete a set of Summer Film.
When I first saw the hydrangea fields here, I just thought the colors were beautiful, but because the weather forecast predicted rain, I was actually quite anxious. The light on a rainy day is actually very soft, which is highly beneficial for the photography atmosphere, but the real trouble was the ground. The two of us plunged into the flower bushes with our equipment, only to end up in a survival challenge in a mud pit. The photographer @📷Ketsu-桀 and I were in an absolute limit-testing coordination of solo operations—with no one to help hold the umbrella or the reflector, one had to focus entirely on the equipment, while the other managed the styling and facial expressions.
Shooting in this kind of weather, the transparent umbrella and the white sailor suit actually have a certain visual conflict, but it is precisely this contrast that gives the frame more tension. I kept the character's signature straight black hair with blunt bangs and clipped a small blue butterfly hairpin on the side. The white top paired with a purple wide sailor collar and a matching pleated skirt, along with black over-the-knee socks, allowed the overall styling to have enough color recognition amidst the simple and elegant flowers. Shooting in the rain highly tests the protection of makeup and hair; although the rain would plaster my bangs to my face, at certain moments this natural dishevelment actually fit the character's broken and cool, aloof feeling much better.
In terms of capturing the movements and expressions, we didn't deliberately strike many exaggerated poses. For example, holding the transparent umbrella while looking into the distance, slightly leaning down close to the flower bushes, and holding a wide green leaf near my lips in a few close-ups were all intended to show a casual, everyday feel. Since the weather was unfavorable and the light changed rapidly, we could only make the most of the overcast day's diffused light. We set the camera's aperture to F2.0 and the shutter speed to 1/1000s, luckily capturing the moments when a few raindrops fell onto the surface of the umbrella. Since we didn't have an assistant, adjusting the composition and guiding the light depended entirely on our own constant trials. In some pictures, you can actually see that even with the umbrella, the rain still left many fine white lines in the frame. These unexpected natural textures actually saved a lot of effort in post-processing.
When we finished and packed up, we were actually in quite a sorry state. Both of our shoe soles, pant legs, and even bodies were completely covered in yellow mud, and the camera body and lens edges were also smudged with quite a few mud splatters, so we could only quickly wipe them down with a dry cloth. Although the process was extremely hard work, seeing the frames preserved on the camera screen made me feel that the moist, gloomy yet lively atmosphere was completely captured. Being able to see such plump and richly colored hydrangeas in Shenyang is indeed a happy thing, showing that our local ecology and urban greening are truly getting better and better.
This shoot was a very special experience. Instead of being deterred by the bad weather, we utilized these special natural conditions to complete a work with a strong sense of story. Putting aside the episodes during the shoot, being able to restore the character to the exact feeling I wanted made the whole process completely worth it.