This time, the lens of Touhou Project is focused on Sakuya Izayoi. The ease and skill that everyone often talks about is actually extending all the preparation work at the moment the shutter is pressed. From setting the makeup to shooting, the thing I cared about most in this look was that seemingly casual sitting posture and the raised leg. It required finding a very precise weight-bearing point on the soft leather chair surface so that the curvature of the high heels would card perfectly between the stockings and the wood grain. During the shoot, I collaborated with photographer @蚀叁三Nodas palette for a long time. The tilted composition indeed broke the conventional visual habits, but it perfectly matched the character's composure of taking control of the entire situation alone while time is paused.
Regarding the coordination of this costume, when I first got it, I felt that the complex blue and white lace and the maid ruffles, combined with the black and gold metal chains, actually carried an inherent sense of classical theater. However, wanting to wear it with the temperament of Sakuya Izayoi, the clothes alone are not enough. In this Sakuya Izayoi cosplay, I specially chose round gold-rimmed glasses for the details to pair with the fluffy white hair, wanting to bring a touch of crisp and sharp texture into the vintage elegance. The semi-translucent flesh-colored stockings actually place high demands on the skin tone and condition; it must present a natural and delicate luster without a single wrinkle, otherwise it would look extremely obtrusive under the lens. The height and angle of this leg when raised were also determined after trying repeatedly on-site many times. The photographer kept correcting my center of gravity because the chair would tilt backward and sideways if I wasn't careful.
Many people asked about the post-processing and editing concepts for this set of photos. In fact, the tone of the texture, light, and shadow was already set in the early stages. We specially chose this vintage decor scene with dark wood carved pillars. The post-production work was more about unifying the warm tones and creating a color balance between the wood texture, brass candlesticks, and the blue of the skirt hem. I didn't deliberately express too much emotion in front of the lens; what I wanted was that kind of laziness and composure of "things are just meant to be this way." Since the setting is a perfect and elegant maid in a maid outfit, there is naturally no need to over-tighten the nerves just to show elegance. From the leg-raising pose to the V-sign hand gesture, they are all states naturally revealed while balancing the force line of the entire body.
Enveloped in vintage tones, this tilted perspective gives a higher degree of integration between the character and the scene. To achieve that near-weightless visual effect in the frame, the core strength must be tightened at all times; even the strength of a finger resting on the knee will affect the expansion degree of the entire body language. Sakuya Izayoi has always given me a feeling of being at ease and doing things with skill. She travels through the gaps of time, handling delicate yet complex work, so I wanted this sense of leisure to be reflected at the tip of every limb. The carved background behind and the blurred dark shadows in the foreground form a very full depth of field space, which not only highlights the main character subject in front but also makes the layers of the frame more three-dimensional.
This shoot heavily tested the photographer's snapshot capability. Due to the limitations of the props and clothing, the range of movement was not large, relying entirely on the scheduling of the camera angles for this cosplay photography session to showcase the character's tension. The complex carvings on the chair back and the stacking of the skirt hem form a sense of wrapping, but at the same time, the raised legs open up a space extending outward in the composition of the frame. I think this is also the charm of cosplay; you can completely step inside the shell of another character, using another posture to collide with the surrounding environment. Whether it's the texture of the props or the tight-fitting wear, everything becomes extraordinarily real at the moment the shutter is pressed to create a unique retro portrait.