[Atri Cosplay] Finally Realizing the Wish of a Waterfront Shoot by the Chongqing Riverside

Before the shoot, I kept wondering why such a huge city like Chongqing didn't have a riverside where one could comfortably step in the water and play with sand. It wasn't until I accidentally wandered into this place during my search and saw the iconic red-and-white chimneys in the distance, along with the strings of yellow buoys floating on the water surface, that I realized this was exactly the "seaside" substitute I had always wanted to find.
I'm very grateful for the photographer's efficiency; we hit it off immediately. Although the sandy ground exposed when the river water level is low is quite rough, precisely because of this, the real tactile sensation of the character stepping barefoot on it became a major highlight of this shoot.
Regarding the costume, this white coat with a blue-bordered sailor collar paired with a vibrant red bowtie is actually a very classic setting from ATRI -My Dear Moments-. We abandoned the formulaic operations of indoor studio shoots with intense lighting and instead chose this riverside full of industrial and lifelike atmospheres, attempting to capture a tone that is close to nature yet retains a sense of 2D fantasy. In terms of props, the most satisfying ones are probably the black butterfly knot hair accessory and this light golden long hair; when the wind moves the hair strands, it also brings out that touch of agility in daily life.
We encountered some small episodes during the shoot, such as the river breeze always blowing the hair to one side, or stepping on small pebbles while walking on the sandy ground. However, it is precisely this vivid sense that prevents the final photos from looking like a rigid reproduction of actions. I initially wanted to capture the label "high-performance robo-ko" because I felt there was a subtle contrast in the character's personality: clearly living in a somewhat serious, even slightly ruined galgame world, yet using her unique optimism and innocence to bring a lively vitality to her surroundings. This base tone beneath the blue sky of the riverbank merges with the city outline in the background, looking unexpectedly harmonious.
In terms of composition and shot selection, we wanted to capture some more agile and breathing moments. So besides the conventional standing postures, we also shot many scenes of holding shoes and stepping barefoot by the shallow water, or turning around and looking back. The reflections on the water surface and the slightly moist sand grains create nice reflection effects under the sunlight, which serves as an excellent foundation for post-processing, saving many steps of forcing high-light adjustments. The post-shoot color grading wasn't deliberately made with overly high saturation but leaned as much as possible toward a transparent tone with a slight sense of air, allowing the character to stand firmly in the scene without looking out of place due to overly jumping colors.
Many people asked before, why insist on going barefoot? Actually, it's not just for the compatibility with the character setting, but more about expressing a state of letting down one's guard and being free. When we take off our shoes and make direct contact with this earth, that emotional connection generated by the intersection of character and reality holds a very ritualistic sense for me.
When selecting images during post-processing, looking at the rows of yellow buoys in the background and the majestic river view on the opposite bank, this unique geographical feature made me feel that this frame not only has the soul of the character but also carries the unique mark of this land. This is a unique "characteristic filter" belonging to the Chongqing riverbank, which cannot be found in any built studio set. The entire shooting process actually went by very quickly; although there was no soft fine sand like the seaside, this rugged riverbank sand ground carried a more realistic and heavy feel that fits the character's background.
The moment the final photos came out, I felt the obsession I initially had about shooting this character was finally put down. The sunshine was just right, and the river water was slightly cool; it was a very pure recording process.