[Youmu Cosplay] Touhou Project — A Story That Happened in a Certain Spring

Preparations began late last autumn and stretched into early spring's cherry blossom season. Over this half-year timeframe, this cosplay photoshoot set for Perfect Cherry Blossom has finally officially debuted. I truly poured my entire heart and soul into this project, as everything from cosplay photography, costume and prop coordination, to post-processing retouches was handled entirely by me alone. Watching me hustle around, my friends teased that I had fully maxed out my photographer skill tree. Looking back, being able to persevere through a project spanning multiple seasons came down to my sheer love for this IP. This year happens to mark its 20th anniversary, and I always wanted to commemorate it in my own way.

To recreate the distinct traits of each character, we covered nearly every real-world location we could find nearby. For instance, shooting in the forest snowscape of early spring while wearing thin dresses in the freezing cold was a real test of endurance. My hands were so frozen I could barely hold the props, but seeing the contrast between that touch of blue and white and the pure white snow in the viewfinder made every second worth it. The subsequent indoor studio setups and spring courtyard scenes received even more dedicated thought. This included communicating repeatedly with the tailor over outfit cuts and lace details—ensuring both retro ruffled full skirts and belted vests matched the texture of the original design as closely as possible. As for props, such as those big fluffy tails, several layers of internal support were made using iron wires and metal skeletons of varying thicknesses to achieve a light, voluminous fur flow in front of the camera without collapsing.

In terms of photography and lighting, I favor the clarity brought by natural light. For outdoor woods and hillsides, we made a point of choosing two or three o'clock in the afternoon, as the light filtering through the leaves creates the prettiest dapples, capturing the transparent, airy tones of the Japanese-style Western dress without needing excessive post-processing. In Japanese wooden interiors and night settings, we appropriately added cooler blue-purple light sources, complemented by warm yellow ambient lantern light, to create a serene and dreamlike atmosphere. Looking at the character in the final shots—holding instruments, sitting cross-legged with eyes closed, or reaching out to touch treetops—every frame embodies the spring tranquility we wanted to convey.

In reality, the shooting process was far more complex than imagined. Moving between different locations often took an entire day, and sometimes, to capture the first green buds of early spring, we had to set out with gear and equipment cases before dawn. However, seeing everyone come together out of a shared love for the same work, cooperating seamlessly to reach a goal, revealed a team tacit understanding and resilience that was truly precious. This project was not only a homage to a classic, but also a comprehensive summary and elevation of my own skills in photography, costuming, and prop crafting. Moving forward, I will gradually release detailed individual photosets and behind-the-scenes BTS footage for each character, hoping to deliver this work—carrying the chill of cool air and the fragrance of petals—straight to all of you.