This set of work for The Shorekeeper is a bold attempt completed together with photographer WiFi and my partner Jiuyin. Actually, right from the preparation stage, we were constantly thinking about how to present that cool, aloof, yet dynamic and ethereal feeling unique to this character.
Let's talk about the costume first. The main blue and white color scheme was quite a lighting test during the shoot. Those translucent sheer fabrics you see worked exceptionally well when shot backlit by indoor windows, where light filtering through could fully showcase the fabric's textures and layers. However, to maintain this ethereal aura, the costume accessories—such as the fine silver chains on the arms and metal ornaments at the waist—needed to be worn and secured with extreme care; otherwise, they could easily break or snag on the gauze skirt during scene transitions.
The venue for this shoot was somewhat different from before, taking place mainly in an indoor space with a vintage wooden windowsill. That large window helped tremendously—the beams of sunlight streaming in formed a beautiful rim light, illuminating right through the blue strands of the wig. To enhance that mysterious and dreamlike atmosphere, photographer WiFi arranged some light particle effects and smoke on set. The faint light particles floating in the frame were environmental effects created through manual setup. Sometimes, to get the smoke to disperse just right around the body, we had to re-run our positioning several times.
The bouquet of white flowers I'm holding was actually genuine white roses meticulously handpicked from a flower shop, because if artificial flowers showed up in the frame, the texture would be compromised. While holding the flowers, there was a subtle tension between my fingers and the stems—neither applying too much force to affect the posture, nor letting the flowers slip—a delicate balancing act coordinated with body posture.
What made me especially happy was shooting duo frames together with my partner Jiuyin. She did a Rover cosplay, creating a striking contrast with my blue and white sheer color scheme—her black-gray combat outfit and blue glowing sword looked genuinely cool. When shooting duo photos, our sense of interaction was much stronger than in solo shots; we had to maintain our respective character styles in front of the camera while creating a tacit response through positioning, eye contact, and gestures. I feel this kind of shared frame gives the entire Cosplay photoshoot a stronger story arc and sense of bonding.
During scene transitions, we specifically headed outdoors to find a shrub filled with small blue flowers to take a few shots. As you can see from the three collage photos, outdoor natural light is actually harder to control than indoor lighting, but the small blue flowers created a color unity with my hair and costume, making it a worthwhile experiment.
After returning in the evening, we added a studio shoot set against a pure black background. In a completely pitch-black environment, casting a single strong light focuses all attention onto the light spots, character contours, and the fluttering of the sheer fabric. To capture the exact moment when the wind lifted the skirt and hair strands, everyone timed the shutter with incredible precision. In fact, that's what shooting a Cosplay photoshoot is all about—more often than not, picking out those few most dynamic moments from countless outtakes.
Including that final shot of sitting crouched in the dark scene, I really like it too—it represents a state of complete calm, different from the previous dynamic feel. Looking through the entire photo set, I believe The Shorekeeper's temperament lies precisely in that balance of movement within stillness and stillness within movement.
Therefore, every time a gentle breeze brushes past the windowsill, every light, butterfly-like turn, is actually a piece of dedication infused into this cosplay work. I hope this photo set allows everyone to feel the care we put into pre-production and on-site shooting. Today, I'm simply sharing the behind-the-scenes tidbits and live impressions behind this set of photos with you all.