[Wang Zhaojun Cosplay] The Ethereal and Dreamy Vibes of Yingshanke: How to Create a Pink Muhly Atmosphere on a Cloudy Day with a Dual-Flash Setup

Chengdu has been cloudy and rainy lately. On the day of the shoot, the weather forecast originally predicted sunshine, but when we arrived at the location, the sky was completely overcast and the light was extremely flat. Since there was no natural sunlight, we had to create our own light. For this Wang Zhaojun - Yingshanke themed shoot, we wanted an overall hazy, dreamy, and ethereal feel, so the flash lighting setup became the decisive key to the entire set of photos.

I brought two Godox AD200 flashes. I mounted one directly on a 3-meter-high light stand, positioning it about three meters behind and to the side of the model. I attached a 1/1 CTO color gel to simulate a warm rim backlight and used a four-leaf barn door to shape the beam so that it only illuminated the pink muhly grass in the background. This operation was meant to separate the subject from the background, creating high-key layers in the frame to mimic the sunset diffusing from behind the sea of flowers. For the front, another AD200 was paired with a 90cm octagonal softbox for key facial lighting. Since the ambient light on a cloudy day is too scattered, the front softbox added dimensionality to the model's face while retaining the softness of her features.

The camera was paired with a Sony A7 IV and a Sigma 85mm f/1.4 large-aperture prime lens. The 85mm focal length works wonderfully in pink muhly grass fields, naturally blurring the foreground grass into a fluffy pink frame while creating soft color blocks in the background. The Sony A7 IV performed solidly in controlling highlight clipping, and it beautifully handled the integration of the skin texture with the ambient colors.

This Wang Zhaojun cosplay look has a lot of details. The most striking is a giant yet lightweight white bamboo hat adorned with pearl tassels and sheer white veils; when the wind blows, the veils flutter, which is perfect for building atmosphere. It is paired with long purple hair, a red floral bindi between the brows, and a faint purple smudge at the outer corners of the eyes, keeping the overall makeup cool and gentle. The clothing is a pure white light chiffon style, decorated with 3D pink and red silk flowers on the shoulders, and accented with red ropes at the cuffs and collar. Initially, everyone worried that white clothing might look dull or flat on a cloudy day, but the warm backlight from behind outlined the edges of the clothes and hair strands. Against the backdrop of the pink flower sea, this white outfit looked exceptionally eye-catching instead.

In terms of posing guidance during the shoot, we mainly matched the flower branches and bamboo hat to capture that sense of lightness. In the shots holding a flower branch or turning around sideways with hands crossed, the flowing elegance of this outfit's wide water sleeves was beautifully displayed. While shooting the first picture, we even encountered a gust of wind, and the fluff of the pink muhly grass drifted along with the veil on the hat, completely maximizing the atmosphere.

Overall, using a dual-light setup to create artificial light on a cloudy day actually gives more control than simply waiting for good weather. Especially with the side backlight plus the CTO gel, it adds warmth to the environment while retaining the cool white skin, giving this patch of pink muhly grass a warm hue akin to a sunset. The final photos indeed achieved the expected ethereal feel.