In the world of Medium5, Stardust has accompanied everyone for a full decade. Appearing as Stardust this time is a deeply meaningful 10th Anniversary tribute for me. I decided to name this photo set "Agave Flower," serving as a personal profile of her character in my heart.
Preparing the hair and makeup for this Silver hair styling took quite some effort beforehand. The silver-white wig required carefully aligning the bangs and tying them into specific twintails, with purple hair ropes added for detailed accents. The crown-like metallic leaf headpiece at the top not only anchored the visual center but also elevated the overall splendor. In contrast to the headpiece's weight, I chose lightweight, breathable chiffon and gauze fabrics for the costume—especially those wide ruffled cuffs in gradient pink and orange, which preserved a blend of traditional Chinese and modern fantasy styles while increasing localized translucency under dark-toned lighting.
On the photography front, my partner photographer employed an extremely dark background combined with intense spotlighting. This high-contrast lighting really tested the model's endurance, requiring a relaxed facial expression under harsh beams. During post-processing, I added a soft white outer glow along the contours of the character and flying light arc effects to reinforce her non-human, ethereal fairy aura, preventing the frame from looking dark or dull. I specifically selected a gold necklace adorned with a blue bead to embellish the collarbone area, preventing the outfit's pale colors from losing texture.
Although the props for this shoot were simple, they were eye-catching. I tried holding that yellow origami star in front of my chest and lifting it with one hand several times; it resembled a beating childlike heart. The pink butterfly model in my other hand was one of my personal favorite scenes, with a great frozen dynamic feel that echoed the overall dreamy and vivid tone. Handling post-processing myself, I paid special attention not to lose bony contours or fabric folds during portrait retouching, striving to elevate the picture's tone through light and shadow layers while maintaining realism. Tone-wise, I carefully controlled color cast to ensure that the primary colors—white, yellow, pink, and purple—remained clean and translucent.
Finally, I must thank photographer @Xingzuo_Sidus for precisely capturing my emotions and shutter timing on set, as well as Aoba Lilith_Official, Xingxin, and Hexinglan for their immense support with hair, makeup, and logistics. Ten years marks a phase and the starting point of a new journey; capturing this moment through these Cosplay convention photos is a deeply fulfilling and joyful experience for me.