[Ibuki Cosplay] That Figure Holding a Bear Sketchbook on a Rainy Day in Blue Archive

Guangzhou's weather always carries a damp sense of inclusivity. On the day we scheduled this outdoor photoshoot, we happened to run into continuous rain. Initially, I worried that the rainy day would get the equipment wet, but once we arrived at the greyish-white industrial-style architectural exterior walls located in this city, I actually found this moisture surprisingly fitting for this shoot's theme. The puddles accumulating on the ground acted like a flat mirror, and paired with a clear umbrella, the post-rain air carried a chilly freshness, giving the overall frame its own physical cool-light filter layer.

This time, I chose a navy-blue styled uniform dress, layered over a white long-sleeved shirt inside, with a solid red butterfly bow tie knotted at the collar—a standard academy style coordination. But to integrate into the rainy scene, I specially picked a pair of bright yellow short rain boots, paired with white tights. The collision of yellow, white, and blue looked exceptionally crisp under the soft diffused light of the overcast day. This color combination provides very distinct visual cues; set against the background of the greyish-white exterior walls, the character easily becomes the focus of the frame.

Speaking of body movements, to capture a dynamic feel, I didn't maintain a static, post-like stance the whole time. The action of balancing on one foot in Figure 3, as well as the exact moment of kicking the water out forcefully in Figure 5, actually required controlling core strength to maintain my center of gravity. Because I wore white tights, during these movements, the refraction effect generated between this fabric and the light made it easier to present a smooth texture compared to ordinary cotton fabrics. Usually, wearing short skirts makes one worry about accidental exposure, but the design of this uniform adopts a wider skirt hem, which, paired with the tights, makes moving around much more comfortable.

The clear umbrella I held in my hand the entire time serves as a key element in the composition. Beyond blocking the rain, its translucent material lightens the heavy, oppressive feeling brought by the large area of grey background in the frame. When placing the umbrella casually on the ground, the semi-circular outline formed by the umbrella ribs in the puddle happens to create a geometric echo with the standing silhouette. Meanwhile, the blue butterfly-winged bear doodle on the sketchbook was a prop I prepared intentionally. This pattern with a slightly naive drawing style excellently positions the scene within a lighthearted, playful character persona, making the overall shooting atmosphere less solemn.

The shooting day happened to coincide with the parade season around the Guangzhou Anime Convention. Although we took shots in outdoor alleyways this time, putting on this gear still allowed us to feel the bustling residual rhythm of the 2D exhibition in the air. The photographer captured snapshots very rapidly; to prevent the rain from soaking the sketchbook, we often had to control our pace, quickly packing up after completing an action. The ground was slick, and stepping into the water required perfectly matching the camera's shutter timing—this synchronization rate requires grinding out a mutual understanding. I tried several times before pinning down that exact splash position for these convention photos.

This kind of rainy outdoor location shoot heavily tests the makeup; if one sweats or gets caught in the rain, it's very easy for the makeup to smudge. Fortunately, the temperature on this day was quite low, keeping the makeup clean. What gratified me quite a bit was that the hair strands of the wig still maintained a clear, defined piecy look under the damp environment, without appearing clumped due to the high humidity. Overall, this combination of an industrial style paired with an academy uniform, a clear umbrella, and bright rain boots forms a visual scheme highly suited for social media sharing through puddle reflections and splashing water droplets.

Probably because of this pair of yellow shoes, when shooting wide or medium shots, the high saturation of the shoes became a visual guide line. The photographer would sometimes choose a low angle to shoot, utilizing the water surface and low-angle low shots to visually elevate the character proportions, making the lines of the tights and uniform look even more slender. Different angles, paired with changes in how the clear umbrella is held, can bring completely distinct visual styles to each photograph.

In the past, when shooting outdoor locations, I always liked to pick sunny days, chasing that crisp brightness of hard light. But trying out this moist texture this time, I found the bright, translucent cool tones in the frame highly durable to look at. Especially against this empty, grey-blue-toned background, all the details on the clothing can be clearly preserved. Even the hemline of the skirt or slight wrinkles on the tights present an excellent texture in the final output. Sometimes, a simple water-kicking action or crouching down to let the frame form a vertically symmetrical composition is already more than enough to deliver the atmosphere this shoot intended to express.