[Grinning Professor Cosplay] Retro Academic Light and Shadow in Blue Archive

Shooting this set of photos in a leather sofa and classical study scene filled with a retro atmosphere actually set the tone from the very beginning. As the cosplayer of the Grinning Professor, I hope to present the unique aura of this character, which carries a bit of academic flair mixed with a sense of mystery, through the lens.

First, in terms of styling, I chose the iconic long blonde curly hair and a black beret. To ensure the hair's volume, I specially used a curling iron to reshape the ends into a natural curve. For the makeup part, I focused heavily on keeping the base clean and translucent, paired with a natural pink-toned lipstick and eyeshadow to avoid overly heavy colors taking away the visual focus, because the most eye-catching part of the entire gear is definitely that wide bright red bow tie on the chest. The golden emblem embedded right in the center of the bow tie can be called the crowning touch; it conveys a rigorous sense of an exquisite academic style, and combined with the black sailor collar and coat, it has a layered yet solemn feel, perfectly executing a stunning black and red cosplay look.

The structure of the costume is quite sophisticated. The hem of the coat is a slightly open A-line silhouette, and the black skirt paired inside reveals a white ruffled lining, breaking the dullness of the large area of black and adding lightness to the overall look. To match this character's setting, I paired it with black gloves and a black cane with a carved handle; the addition of the cane instantly elevated the overall aura.

During the shooting process, I tried my best to keep myself in a very relaxed yet elegant state, such as sitting cross-legged or with legs crossed on the sofa, leaning the cane to one side, or lightly resting my index finger against my cheek while slightly tilting my head. These seemingly casual movements were actually all to capture the character's composure. For the standing pose section, I specially tried a pose holding up the skirt hem, letting the coat jacket flare up slightly, matching the heavy white thick-soled Martin boots on my feet. Martin boots are truly a wonderful thing; they instantly give a visual anchor to the all-black outfit, brightening the lower half in the dark-toned frame to make the overall proportions more balanced, while injecting a trace of playfulness, showcasing a unique twist in Anime-style photography.

Regarding the overall light and shadow, the photographer intentionally used a few warm yellow fill lights to simulate candlelight, cooperating with several actually lit white candles to make the background bookshelves and wooden furniture glow with a warm luster. The atmosphere aspect was truly grasped tightly. During photo retouching, I didn't do excessive liquifying or color grading, but kept that warm yellow tone of the original image, letting the skin tone present a more natural texture. Shooting in this kind of retro study room outfit and environment naturally slows down one's state of mind, which also allowed me to shape a more three-dimensional portrayal of the Grinning Professor character. I am extremely satisfied with this set of photos as a whole, as the expression, the details of the costume, makeup, and props, and the overall atmospheric alignment all reached my expected goals.