[Shameimaru Aya cosplay] Sharing Convention photos of the Gensokyo Reporter from Touhou Project

This Shameimaru Aya cosplay photoshoot was taken at the Xiamen comic convention. The character comes from Touhou Project. To fit the setting of the Gensokyo reporter, I specially brought along props such as a vintage camera, a red fan, and a red mask during the shoot. The black wings on my back were also very eye-catching, creating a sharp visual contrast with the red-and-white color palette of the outfit. Since the character concept required expressing a sense of agility, an altered traditional Japanese style costume was chosen.

Wearing Black stockings and red platform shoes during the shoot helped elongate the leg lines. While the red shoes were visually striking, they were quite heavy, making both standing and sitting somewhat tiring—especially in a crowded comic convention environment where walking around in them really tested my endurance. To achieve the intended visual effect, I intentionally chose a strappy lace-up style, and the sheen of the red patent leather reflecting under the lights looked gorgeous.

The photographer found a very clean corner this time, utilizing the venue's light tubes as background lighting. The resulting effect had a wonderful texture; the cool-toned background contrasted with the bright colors of the costume, enhancing the atmosphere of the photos. We shot in a dedicated photography area with a white plush mat spread on the ground, giving the resulting shots the feel of a quiet corner in a Gensokyo garden.

The shooting process was actually quite demanding, as wearing those large wings made movement inconvenient. I had to be careful not to crush the props, and arm extensions had to coordinate with the angle of the wings. Fortunately, the photographer was very patient and designed several poses using a high stool and the white blanket—such as crossing my legs to show off leg length, or posing standing on one leg holding the camera. Combined with the mask in hand, the poses brought a vivid energy to the frames.

To pursue the desired texture, strict requirements were set for the styling before the shoot. For the eye makeup, red contact lenses were chosen along with curled eyelashes, providing plenty of ambiance. With large crowds at the convention, capturing this clean set of photos was not easy; we had to avoid the crowd during the shoot, and precise color grading was needed in post-processing to emphasize the red-white contrast of the outfit and the texture of the Black stockings. The lighting during the shoot was crucial: the side light tubes provided great rim light, clearly defining the feather details on the wings.

Looking back at the photos, the combination of over-the-knee socks and red platform shoes proved to be very photogenic. This pairing is highly recognizable among red-and-white cosplays at conventions, making the character's leg lines look much more slender. Meanwhile, the red mask and red book served as important props, not only enriching the color palette of the composition, but also showcasing the character's multifaceted nature through different prop combinations—for instance, holding the mask over the face added mystery, while looking down at the book conveyed the dedicated focus of a reporter.

We also experimented with various positions during this Cosplay photography session, such as sitting on a high stool to highlight long leg lines, or reclining on the white mat where the wings formed a sharp contrast with the mat. A lot of preparation went into planning these poses beforehand, and many adjustments were made on-site based on the real-time lighting changes. Although the convention was packed and noisy, thanks to thoughtful framing and lighting arrangement, the final images turned out very clean and refined.

It was a wonderful shooting experience with thorough preparation, and the final results met expectations. Big thanks to the photographer for their hard work. That wraps up the sharing for this convention shoot.