Let's jump straight into discussing this set of photos. Back in late September, I booked a session with photographer @HeliXieyang in a dark alley for a set of Eleg photos. Everyone has probably seen the photo I posted earlier—it's more than half retouched now, with a teddy bear overlaid in the middle leaving a little mystery. The backdrop for this official photoshoot was actually quite special, bounded on both sides by old-fashioned dark red brick walls with white abstract street art graffiti left behind by passersby, and a black sedan parked beside us. We didn't use harsh fill lights; instead, we utilized weak ambient light on set combined with slow shutter speeds to build atmosphere. Many mentioned loving this texture, and I personally adore Low-key photography aesthetics. Details exist in the shadows while highlights outline the subject's silhouette—rather than blowing out the environment completely with a wide aperture, retaining environmental weight lets the character integrate seamlessly into this street setting.
This time, I wore a modified white-and-yellow Sailor suit outfit that fits closely to the body, with a red necktie brightening the visual focus. For the wig, I picked light golden twin pigtails; under side-backlighting, hair strands created lovely rim lighting along the edges, which was a point we deliberately emphasized during post-processing. The lower half was paired with white short socks and white sneakers with yellow accent stripes; leaning back on the car hood with legs crossed like this during the shoot, looking from a low-angle perspective, leg lines were stretched very nicely.
Another interesting aspect during filming was the smooth painted surface of the car hood. Acting like a mirror, it clearly reflected surrounding light fixtures as well as reflections on my knees. Handled well, this mirror reflection adds great value, enriching narrative depth. However, if unconstrained in post-processing, the glass and metal surfaces can easily steal the spotlight from the character. Finding a harmonious balance between reflections and matte surfaces during retouching ensured everything looked realistic without feeling abrupt.
Moreover, that night's shoot wasn't easy—the ground was damp, and there were quite a few mosquitoes around. To find a good low-angle camera position, we were basically lying halfway on the ground operating the gear. Observing the photographer's position looked exhausting, but enduring a little hardship was well worth it to capture the optimal perspective displaying long legs and poise. Doing location shoots in Cosplay photography often goes like this: while photos look gorgeous, only you know the hard work behind them.
Regarding post-processing, as I mentioned in my post, I am genuinely retouching. Especially for photos shot at night or in low-light environments, post-processing offers vast creative space requiring meticulous adjustment at almost every step. Highlights shouldn't blow out, and shadows must retain substance. The light casting on the character in this image was a key focus, needing to outline clothing contours while expressing fabric softness and folds. Recreating natural skin tones was equally vital—it shouldn't look ghostly white or excessively cold under such ambient lighting, but rather maintain authentic warmth. Although an orange teddy bear currently covers the middle section hiding most details, this is merely a stage in my retouching process, or a form of self-expression. In this area, I will handle folds, shadows, and subtle details thoroughly later, and once the full version is released, everyone should feel that silky-smooth transition. In truth, shooting official cosplay sets isn't just a quick hop from point A to B; focusing during shoots, waiting patiently nearby, and meticulously refining details step-by-step in post-processing are all integral parts of the artwork itself.
As for Goddess of Victory: New Hope, its artistic design and character concepts are highly recognizable. The character Eleg in particular embodies a spirit that appears somewhat cynical yet fiercely holds onto her own convictions. While attempting to portray her, I aimed not just to put on the outfit, but to draw closer to her vibe through my eyes and body language. Persisting with this dark-toned, street-style scene was because I felt it aligned with certain character traits—not the clean, bright polish of plain studio shoots, but carrying a sense of story and everyday life.
The composition of this photo set also involved careful thought, selecting a slightly lower angle to shoot. This displayed car lines while giving the character a commanding presence in the environment. I prefer frames with spatial depth containing foreground and background layers over putting faces right up against the lens. In summary, organizing my work over this period and reviewing that day's shoot, I'm very satisfied with the fusion of light, shadow, and character temperament. What everyone sees now is a semi-finished piece covered by graffiti overlay; once I fully refine details, light and shadow, and sailor suit folds in this section, I will present the completed work to you all.