The concept for this shoot was Tingyun and Fugue Cosplay. During the hair and makeup prep stage, the focus was placed on the material of the animal ears and the curve of the wig. To convey an exquisite Ancient style cosplay atmosphere, reddish tones were used in the makeup. As for the costume, the fabric had rich texture and heavy embroidery, carrying a noticeable weight when worn. To showcase the advantage of Long legs, the photographer used a low-angle upward shot combined with a unique horizontal composition and a side-reclining pose, making the leg lines look even more elongated in the camera. However, holding this posture was quite strenuous; keeping the lower back and legs suspended required continuous exertion, leaving my muscles sore after a full day of shooting.
The set was decorated with a bamboo forest, sheer drapery, lanterns, and smoke. The smoke effect was a major highlight of this shoot; since the diffusion of smoke is difficult to control, seamless coordination with the photographer's shutter timing was essential. Some photos had to be retaken repeatedly because the smoke was either too dense or dispersed too thin. The on-site lighting mainly consisted of warm lantern light and cool backlighting cast from the side. This warm-and-cool contrast effectively enhanced the depth of the image, relying on light and shadow to carry that mysterious ancient aesthetic.
Regarding roleplay details, the expressions of Tingyun and Fugue Cosplay have subtle differences; the gaze requires a touch of aloofness and ethereal detachment. To convey that Ethereal and graceful quality, I stretched my body as much as possible when posing to give the skirt and hair a clear direction of motion. Because the skirt was very voluminous, turning and shifting around was quite inconvenient, requiring an assistant nearby to smooth it out so every movement looked composed and effortless.
Post-processing focused on color grading and subtle adjustments to leg contours. To preserve authentic skin texture, only gentle liquify adjustments were made without excessive skin smoothing. By balancing the ratio of warm and cool tones, the highlight and shadow areas cast by lantern light across the body were distributed more evenly, giving the final images a feeling of serene coolness imbued with gentle warmth.
The makeup artist also refined fine skin textures to capture the character's unearthly delicacy. During shooting, because the side-turning angle while reclining was pronounced, balancing facial expressions with leg curves required continuous communication and camera repositioning with the photographer. Additionally, the angle of holding the silk round fan was crucial—an awkward position would obscure the embroidery on the costume. Despite the bumps along the way, seeing the retouched final images made all the hard work worthwhile. The shoot lasted a long time from day into night; though exhausting, it was a highly professional photography experience that deepened my understanding of such ancient style characters.
To achieve the most flawless angle, I repeatedly reset poses that looked effortless but were physically demanding, especially the horizontal perspective in photo 3. Capturing facial contours, bust, thighs, and ankle curves simultaneously from a single camera angle was truly challenging, requiring precise core control. Though tiring, seeing the raw photos on the photographer's monitor, that naturally flowing classical grace was captured to perfection.