Weekend routines mean seizing time to do cosplay, as if weekends are the only time belonging truly to myself to fuss over these fancy concepts and props. I shot several sets of different styles this week, accumulating so many photos that my phone storage is running low, but looking at the packed results in my hard drive fills me with satisfaction—gradually editing and viewing them is a treat in itself.
As for one of the sets shot this week, I cosplayed my original Touhou fanon concept. For this cyan-green double-bun look, I personally love the wig color—it's not a stiff, high-saturation color, but an aqua green with a soft, misty sheen. Paired with the top's neckline and off-the-shoulder design, the overall look feels light. The multi-layered beaded and metallic chain necklace accessory around my neck truly tested patience, requiring careful unbuckling every time to prevent tangling, but the resulting texture and drape were a huge plus. The handwritten lettering on the red envelope in my hand was also written to fit the overall atmosphere; although the handwriting isn't perfect, crafting such small details often gives a photo more storytelling depth. Lighting-wise, the blue-purple ambient light in the background was the finishing touch, creating a dreamy visual collision with the colors of the wig and outfit.
Another set featured a white lace color-blocked outfit in Lolita style paired with a deep red sheer oversized hat, presenting a completely different feel from the previous one. A purple bob wig paired with such an exaggerated wide-brimmed hat really tested my sense of top-heavy balance. The red sheer fabric on the hat served not only as a decoration; its transparency created wonderful foreground framing at specific angles, softening facial contours with a dreamy aesthetic. The small floral embroidery on the dress was punctuated just right, and the position of the bow tie needed precise adjustment to avoid looking cramped—I spent over ten minutes in front of the mirror tweaking the bow tie position alone.
Taking advantage of the good weather, I also shot a set outdoors featuring a floral and bird element headpiece, switching to long, dark brown straight hair. The beauty of this hairstyle is its face-flattering nature—the flowing bangs combined with soft, natural outdoor lighting produced photos that barely needed color adjustment in post-processing. The exaggerated blue-and-white fabric bow headpiece, accented with golden tassels, showed rich texture under natural light. White hydrangeas beside me contrasted harmoniously with the green trees and foliage in the background; this natural lighting is actually harder to precisely control than studio setups, but finding the right light angle gave the live photos a lively, breathing feel.
Additionally, there was a set featuring black hair, fluffy animal ears, and a unique small geometric hat, which I chose to shoot inside a Japanese-style wooden room. The natural diffuse light streaming in when sliding open the shoji doors was perfectly suited for this Japanese-style outfit. Red maple leaf motifs, white jacquard fabric, and fluffy white pom-poms balanced cuteness with a sense of splendor. The natural wood background created a clean contrast with the vibrant colors of the outfit, making the frame look crisp and neat.
When it comes to Touhou fanon creations in Touhou Project, compared to the rigorous fidelity of official works, fanon gives us immense creative freedom to recombine outfit colors and tailoring according to personal taste. Whether it's small clever touches in studio setups or natural atmospheres during outdoor shoots, extensive preparation is required beforehand—trimming wigs, matching accessories, and even selecting makeup colors require hands-on effort. Although I feel exhausted after every weekend shoot, the sense of accomplishment when the camera captures a satisfying result is irreplaceable. Life needs to be busy with a little passion so it never feels boring.