This Seaside cosplay shoot had actually been planned for quite a long time, mainly aiming to recreate the seaside interaction between Shimoe Koharu and Kasumizawa Miyu from Blue Archive. To capture that suspended feeling of being reeled in by a fishing rod, the other cosplayer, the photographer, and I spent an entire afternoon tossing ideas around on the beach. In the photos, I portray Shimoe Koharu, wearing a white off-shoulder ruffled short-sleeve top over a swimsuit paired with denim shorts, with a pair of black feathered wing props strapped to my back. My partner wore a straw hat and a white two-piece swimsuit printed with small fish motifs, holding a long fishing rod for this Kasumizawa Miyu Cosplay.
The sea breeze was strong on the day of the shoot, with thick cloud cover and soft, non-glaring sunlight, which lent our shoot a dreamy palette. The biggest challenge was conveying the sensation of hovering in mid-air. Initially, I tried jumping in place, but timing the shutter was extremely difficult and facial expressions easily distorted. Later, we tried having the photographer shoot from a low upward angle while I stood on tiptoes, with the sand under my feet slightly retouched out in post-production. But the true core prop was that fishing rod. The line ran through my back prop; my partner pulled hard from behind, striking a straining pose, while I tensed my body, stretching both arms forward and bending my legs backward to create the visual illusion of being hooked and caught in this Anime cosplay.
To ensure the composition looked graceful, I had to keep my core tight continuously, leaving my lower back aching after just a few seconds. Yet the moment I heard the shutter click, I instantly switched my expression to the liveliest state. While the final effect looks effortless, the water reflections and ripples required perfect timing and setting. With water barely covering our ankles, the reflection produced an ideal mirror-like finish. For this Shimoe Koharu cosplay, I did my best to convey a delightfully startled yet buoyant expression.
Crafting the props also took considerable effort. The small black wings on my back had to be fastened inside the outfit with straps. Being by the sea, waves lapped over us constantly, leaving our clothes soaking and drying repeatedly. Furthermore, my partner's straw hat was specially customized with metallic thread embellishments to stay truer to character design. We scouted this shallow pool of water on the beach, standing in the water for nearly an hour waiting for just the right wave crest and break in the clouds. Though exhausting, the finished photos truly made every bit of effort worthwhile. Narrative-driven cosplay photography like this is far more challenging than static posing, capturing the communicative chemistry between characters much more vividly. I hope everyone enjoys this whimsical Seaside cosplay concept!