Preparing this set of Marisa Kirisame cosplay (Touhou Project) took quite a bit of time. The first set has just been retouched, with 7 more sets lined up in the queue; seeing the folder packed with drafts waiting to be edited gives me something exciting to look forward to. The costume primarily adopts a classic vintage black, white, and red color palette: the upper half features white lace paired with a structured black leather corset that tightly cinches the waist—breathless as it was, the visual results on camera were fantastic! The lower half consists of a layered white ruffled skirt spliced with a black star-patterned tulle underskirt, complemented by white over-the-knee tights (White tights cosplay) and brown leather boots, creating prominent dynamic layers when in motion.
On the day of the shoot, much of our time was spent managing the outfit. The Forest exterior was full of thorny plants and mosquitoes, threatening to snag the skirt hem at any second; thankfully, an assistant helped hold up the train so we could complete each movement smoothly. That vintage lantern served as the core prop of this session; amidst the dappled light of the woods, it acted as a wonderful fill-light accent while elevating the mysterious atmosphere. To avoid cluttered backgrounds, photographer Fengzi Yun crouched directly on muddy, wet stones for low angles—sheer dedication. To capture that feeling of lightly traversing the woods for this Character photography project, I constantly shifted poses beside the pebble-strewn stream, keeping firm footing while adjusting expressions toward the lens until my legs were completely sore. This forest-stroll style is truly a classic setting for Marisa, and the captured texture resonates deeply with me—the natural shadows and Tyndall effect from sunlight piercing the canopy form the crowning highlight of this set. Managing light hardness and angle was challenging because cloud cover caused immediate drops in contrast, requiring meticulous metering between takes.
Beyond the demanding shoot, post-processing is meticulous work: preserving raw light and shadow textures, balancing natural skin tones, and neatly defining the tiered lace and star-patterned tulle. In particular, the texture of the White tights cosplay and leather boots, along with the glass reflections of the lantern, had to look authentic. With the remaining 7 differently styled sets sitting on my computer, the next phase will be spent retouching. Seeing the finished light and shadow results crafted alongside the photographer makes all the fatigue worthwhile. To better capture the vintage black-and-gold aesthetic, we tested several color grading schemes before deciding to preserve subtle vignettes amidst the lush green forest to make the subject pop. Looking ahead to editing the rest of the sets, it's a labor of love—exhausting yet deeply rewarding.