Getting today's returned photos was incredibly fast. The photographer from Guangzhou Firefly ACG Expo D1 was too quick—I just left the venue at noon, and received the first batch of finished images by evening. Due to the high temperature that day, I was worried my state wouldn't be on point, but the finished results exceeded expectations. The lighting and atmosphere were excellent, so I couldn't help but quickly type up some thoughts to share this costume test and shooting experience.
This time, the styling focuses on a Jirai-kei doujin style. The pink-to-white gradient wig has a subtle soft glow under the sunlight. The smoothing and flat bangs of the wig are very solidly done and thick; even under Guangzhou's sultry weather and after hours of wearing, the hair strands still maintained their original fluffiness without collapsing. The red halo prop on the top of the head was custom handmade by someone. The thin-line ring combined with the wing design and a bracket fix meant there was absolutely no risk of it falling off even while walking around the convention, providing great balance.
In terms of details, great attention was paid to the layering of accessories. The wide black choker around the neck paired with a large black velvet bow at the collar, adorned with a pearl pendant right in the center, brings the sweetness and darkness to a perfectly balanced state. The gradient black-and-white feathered wings on the back are also a key element of this outfit; they not only add volume to the frame during photos, but the fluttering feathers also make the photos look more vivid in motion. The matching high-waisted black pleated skirt is just around mid-thigh length. Combined with white mid-calf socks and black leather shoes, it accentuates the leg lines to look more slender. Whether naturally hanging down on a swing or standing up, this outfit excellently highlights the overall body proportions.
The blush and lip gloss of the day were chosen in a reddish-pink tone. To recreate that weary yet innocent expression, the eye makeup focus was placed on color smudging, without using harsh eyeliner or heavy mascara, leaning towards a clean yet richly detailed makeup look. Facing the camera, as long as I slightly defocused my gaze and paired it with small movements like pointing at my cheeks or making a cross sign with my hands, it was very easy to capture the playfulness and blurriness belonging to the character herself.
Looking back at Figure 1, holding a bright pink beverage cup standing in front of outdoor tables and chairs, hands naturally cradling the cup, with a slightly tsundere expression. The swing scene in Figure 2 was an absolute stroke of genius—sitting on a semi-outdoor woven rattan swing with light and shadow casting obliquely from the top onto my face, one foot slightly extended forward, clearly displaying the details of the white socks and shoes, making my entire state look very relaxed and cozy. Especially the half-body close-ups in Figures 3 and 4, with fingers lightly poking the cheek and the final crossed-hands gesture; the composition perfectly focuses the character's gaze and expression right in the center of the frame, capturing the unique cuteness and touch of coolness characteristic of 'Jirai-kei' to the absolute extreme. Such natural candid moments are often much more brilliant than posed ones.
Honestly, to participate in this Firefly D1, I spent a lot of time the night before tidying the wig and readjusting the straps of the wings. Though the preparation process was tedious, the moment I saw the returned photos, all that exhaustion automatically dissolved. The photographer's retouching approach was to maintain the original skin texture as much as possible without excessive skin smoothing; when zooming in, the pores and three-dimensional features of the face are well-preserved, and this more realistic post-processing instead gives the cosplay outfit and character expressions a higher quality texture. Moreover, the turnaround speed of the entire set was extremely swift, saving me from a long waiting process during cosplay photography. The high outdoor temperature in Guangzhou is a nightmare for every convention coser, navigating through crowds with headpieces and heavy wigs, while wearing leather shoes on the feet—my soles were aching all day long, but the moment I saw the lens, I could immediately enter the state. Although I walked over 20,000 steps today, having these returned photos packed with good stuff serves as a perfect conclusion to this hard-working day.