[Xuan Li cosplay] Overcast Seaside of Lanxi Town: Documenting Brother Dog's Water Playing Moments

Off to the beach! Documenting Brother Dog playing in the water. This was indeed part of a seaside team-building trip. Although the weather that day was truly less than ideal—overcast with heavy clouds—standing with my back to the water as the breeze blew in felt surprisingly refreshing. Without the burden of scorching sunlight, there was a touch of that damp, cool atmosphere unique to the seaside.

This outfit focused mainly on the elf ear props and black braided pigtails. Purple contact lenses gave my eyes a deep, mysterious gaze, which, paired with upturned eyeliner, brought out Xuan Li's distant, cool aura. The blue-and-white printed shirt worn open over a white T-shirt created a very casual everyday ensemble, using loose cuts to balance the character's innate sharpness. When styling the wig, I intentionally left a slight frizziness so it wouldn't look overly stiff when fluttering in the sea breeze.

Of the two photos taken, one is a close-up high-angle shot, and the other shows me standing in shallow water looking back. In the close-up shot, I relaxed my facial and neck muscles to appear softer. The full-body shot was actually quite challenging to hold, as it's hard to get good leverage in the water, and incoming waves made it easy to lose balance. I originally wanted better light and shadow dynamics, but unfortunately, the sun remained hidden, leaving only the grey-blue sky as a backdrop. However, the shallow water was crystal clear, revealing the sand near my feet, while distant mountain silhouettes loomed faintly through the mist, giving the entire frame a uniquely misty ambiance.

I feel that location shoots don't always require bright sunny days; the cool grey tone brought by an overcast sky actually fit remarkably well with the icy blue elements of my printed shirt, delivering a cool yet understated quality overall. Xuan Li's temperament as a character is naturally independent and quiet; on this coastline far removed from city noise, it formed a subtle contrast with passersby swimming and playing nearby—both an experience and a moment of emptying oneself within the character.

Regarding shooting timing, team building was also part of my schedule. In fact, after the tide receded that day, the shallow area yielded fantastic shots. Despite the bad weather, when framing photos during Cosplay photography, lowering the camera lens or shooting slightly low-angle avoided catching vast expanses of grey sky, yielding much better negative space.

One thing to note regarding expression in front of the lens is the eyes. Because the purple contact lenses are very striking, slightly relaxing the gaze while focusing, paired with slightly drooping eyelids, often looks much better than a big smile or a tense expression, aligning more closely with the underlying personality of this character in my mind. When arranging the wig, pay attention to neatening the braided pigtails in the back to prevent the sea breeze from blowing them into a tangled mess.

This seaside location shoot broke through the boundaries of pure studio shoots or anime convention check-ins, truly stepping out into the outdoor seaside. Although crowded and noisy, seeing my integration with the backdrop through the viewfinder yielded a genuinely authentic and realistic feel of Chinese fantasy grounded in daily life. This is precisely the feeling I wanted to convey through these photos.

There were also little episodes along the way—for instance, sea sand kept accidentally dirtying the hem of the white T-shirt, though a light brush made it clean again. Also, when standing in the water, failing to keep balance meant sudden waves could wet the pants legs, but since it was a beach trip, staying water-conscious became a necessary task.

Final thoughts: although there were many people on the team-building trip, everyone was fully immersed and having fun. Taking time to snap these photos of myself with my phone felt like letting Brother Dog out to catch some fresh air—leaving a mark of summer not just in character, but at a real beach in reality. Even if the weather didn't cooperate, the inner desire to document this moment was real.