For the Blue Archive 3rd Anniversary, I shot this Shimoe Koharu cosplay. The pre-production process took longer than anticipated because Koharu's character design includes so many intricate details. The floating pink halo above her head was custom-made; to achieve a superior glowing effect before the camera, we revised the inner structure and acrylic thickness multiple times, ultimately settling on a material with excellent light transmission. The small black wings on my back and the black feather hair ornaments also required shaping in advance. Because the original wing design is relatively complex, I continuously adjusted their angle and anchoring points prior to shooting so they would spread naturally without revealing any rigs during sitting poses, ensuring they looked airy yet three-dimensional on camera.
We picked a classroom filled with natural daylight as the shooting location. The afternoon rim lighting fell across the desks with intense contrast, which was ideal for carving out depth. To make the most of this beam of light, I experimented with various seated poses before choosing to sit angled along the desk edge with legs bent. This pose let the sunlight trace the contours of my legs and face, keeping the composition dynamic. In my hands, I held a dark-covered prop book deliberately styled with vintage filigree and stamped with 'R18' and 'ONLY' labels. Given Koharu's notorious fixation on such literature, this prop served not merely as decoration, but as a key element in faithfully portraying her character. Clutching the book, I stared straight into the lens, aiming to channel that signature flustered, indignant, yet feigned-composed demeanor.
For the wardrobe, I opted for casual athletic wear: a white T-shirt paired with blue gym shorts, bordered by black piping along the collar and cuffs for a grounded, slice-of-life look. To emphasize this everyday vibe, the makeup was kept understated, focusing on the eyes with red contact lenses paired with soft pink eyeshadow to center attention on facial expressions. The wig featured pink hair twin tails with blunt bangs, thinned out and styled along the ends to ensure a soft, natural curve without looking stiff. To match the casual aesthetic of the outfit, I went barefoot on the wooden desktop, hoping to add an effortless, slightly lazy lifestyle mood.
Because the school desk was narrow, maintaining balance while keeping my posture looking relaxed required solid core strength to control my center of gravity. Waiting for passing clouds to soften the harsh direct sunlight meant holding a single pose for extended periods, inevitably leaving my back sore afterward. Yet reviewing the previews revealed that this slight bodily tension actually complemented Koharu's naturally high-strung, nervous demeanor. Embodying the character's nuances through natural light to create this mood was deeply satisfying. The 3rd anniversary offered a wonderful milestone to celebrate and capture a beloved character in an authentic, everyday way. I love studying how different light sculpts texture, and the slightly sharp afternoon sun in this classroom gave the photos an evocative, film-like grain—one of the best joys of raw, straight-out-of-camera photography.