Starting with sorting through the Convention photos from Wuhan CGF Day 2—shooting from morning till night, the yield of great shots was super high, mainly because today was all about shooting close friends amidst the buzzing crowd and lively atmosphere. Because a highly reflective mirror floor was installed inside the venue, lights formed sharp reflections beneath, which added some difficulty to composition while vastly enhancing visual depth and impact. My gear for this shoot included a Nikon D750 paired with a Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART and Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8; for lighting, I used three YN685 speedlights, a Godox V850III, and a Zhiyun M40.
When shooting in an indoor convention environment with such high lighting contrast, we mainly relied on softboxes and off-camera flashes to suppress the ambient background while preserving the floor's reflections. Using the 50mm prime for half-body close-ups offered gorgeous background bokeh, while the 24-70mm was ideal for full-body shots that capture the wider scene. When setting up lights, care was needed to ensure the overhead spotlights created beautiful ripple textures on the floor reflection without overexposing the frame. Additionally, the mirror floor was extremely slick; standing in high heels required extra caution, and posing demanded constant attention to leg lines and foot support points. A side-reclining pose in a red dress and high heels actually tested core strength tremendously—supporting the waist was exhausting, but the resulting shot turned out to be the absolute best in the set.
The advantage of on-site Convention photos is the flexibility to use environmental props, such as the nearby white paper fans, pillars, and semi-sheer white tulle. These geometric shapes looked exceptionally tactile under cool white light, making the costume colors stand out even more vividly. This photoshoot mainly focused on staged poses, involving numerous prep tricks. Because the reflective mirror surface was crystal clear, achieving a clean, translucent texture required slightly darkening the reflections in post-processing to emphasize the main subject. Convention photography is truly a test of physical endurance, racking up huge step counts by the end of the day, but capturing these shining moments of close friends through Anime-style photography made every step worthwhile.