During this trip to the Changchun Nanxieli Anime Convention, I shot event photos of Xiao Qiao from Honor of Kings in her Doodle Dog Collaboration styling. The overall visual identity is anchored by blue, yellow, and white, requiring a harmonious balance between 2D anime cuteness and tactile fabric textures.
Starting with hair and makeup: for the wig, I selected a short, light blue-green style, trimmed into defined layers with slightly outward-flipped ends. On top, I wore white plush cat ears with pink interiors. To faithfully recreate the character's charm, I accessorized with yellow, pink, and green star-shaped hairpins alongside a text-printed rectangular barrette. Bright blue contact lenses were chosen for the eyes, where the makeup focused on widening the eyes over a clean, luminous base, finished with a natural soft-pink lip.
For wardrobe, I prepared two distinct sets. The first featured a chunky white knit off-the-shoulder sweater layered over blue-and-white stripes. The centerpiece was a thick, bright yellow scarf adorned with a pink cat-paw motif on one end. The second outfit consisted of blue-and-yellow color-blocked pajamas bordered by white plush ruffles, decorated with star motifs. On my legs, I styled white plush leg warmers tied with pink ribbon bows, paired with chunky white platform plush shoes bearing animal face designs across the toes.
The prop was a large square cushion featuring blue-and-yellow checkered patchwork, trimmed in white plush edging with a cheerful cartoon puppy smiling face at the center. During the shoot, the cushion offered fantastic interactivity—whether held against the chest, placed beside me, or hugged while seated on the floor, it helped poses feel remarkably organic.
The venue was an industrial-style warehouse with grey walls and metal scaffolding, offering a vast space and diffused, gentle light. The first shot was a half-body portrait flashing a peace sign toward the lens. The second captured me kneeling on a white plush rug with both hands hugging the cushion. In the third, I sat on the ground with my left fist pumped high and right leg extended to showcase the plush leg warmers and footwear. The fourth was a forward-leaning kneeling pose pointing a finger toward the camera.
Shooting convention event photos places high importance on posing and facial guidance. For instance, pointing at the lens requires adjusting finger angles and body center of balance to build three-dimensional depth. When holding the cushion, keeping arms relaxed prevents obscuring facial features. Paying attention to lighting angles is also crucial to avoid blown-out highlights or heavy shadows.
The Doodle Dog Collaboration design is bursting with charm, and the plush accessories and cushion brought vivid life to the whole concept. This Event photo sharing captured the joyful energy of the convention floor. I avoided heavy color filters, preserving the authentic hues of the costume and props. Ambient light was somewhat tricky that day, so most shots relied on lower ISO settings paired with wide apertures to isolate the subject. In composition, centering or the rule of thirds worked best while framing the recognizable cushion and plush details into view. Post-processing leaned bright and crisp, ensuring clean contrast between the teal wig and yellow scarf. With so many intricate details—from hairpin placement to the tension of the leg-warmer bows—careful adjustments before each take prevented asymmetry. Amidst the convention bustle, locking in great angles for quick candids while staying naturally relaxed yielded the best results.