[SP Guardian Ubume cosplay] Onmyoji, ink-wash wings in the Meizhou Reed marsh

Sorting through this set of SP Guardian Ubume photos, it has actually been several years since the shoot. Taking advantage of Onmyoji's 10th-anniversary milestone, the photographer and I finally retouched these ancient, old photos together.

First, let's talk about the details of this outfit and props. The clothing of SP Guardian Ubume has many layers; the inner wear, outer robe, floating ribbons, and waist decorations take a lot of time to put on layer by layer. The heaviest part is the wings on the back. Because they are physical props, a lot of thought went into the backboard and fixing mechanisms to present a light, spread-out effect on camera, and we had to constantly adjust the stress point of the shoulder straps during the shoot. The Oiled paper umbrella in hand is also very elaborate; the calligraphy on the umbrella surface was deliberately antiqued, perfectly echoing the ink-wash style feather patterns on the clothes, instantly giving off that ancient fantasy atmosphere the moment you hold it.

The shooting location was in Meizhou, where we found a waterfront area covered with reeds. It was very windy that day, and the wind resistance was especially noticeable when the Oiled paper umbrella was opened; I had to use wrist strength to constantly control the direction, otherwise the umbrella surface would spin wildly. But strong wind also had its benefits: when it blew the hem of the clothes and the feathers of the wings, the dynamic sense was extremely strong. To catch the natural light, we avoided noon and chose the evening when the light was warmer. Side-backlight hit the white clothes and semi-transparent gauze, and the rim light was gorgeous. While walking around the Reed marsh, we also had to be careful to avoid sharp grass blades to prevent snagging and ruining the clothing fabric.

Regarding the control of character emotions, the character of Auntie holds a special sense of companionship for many Onmyoji players. In the early days of progression, everyone was brought up single-handedly by Ubume. Therefore, in terms of expression management, I didn't choose an overly flamboyant or sweet smile, but instead tried to maintain a detached, calm, and even slightly distant protective feeling. Looking back, lowering the head, holding the Oiled paper umbrella and standing sideways—all these actions attempt to showcase the character's sense of storytelling, hoping to remind players who see the photos of the days when we used to grind the game together.

When editing this set of photos, the photographer and I discussed the color grading for a long time. Because we wanted to highlight the texture of ink-wash paintings, the overall color saturation wasn't turned up too high, preserving the main color tones of white, light gray, and purple. The reeds and withered grass in the background also kept their natural grayish-yellow tones without over-editing. Although by current standards, the makeup, styling, and props at that time might still have imperfect aspects, the remastering of old photos itself carries the meaning of time settling down. Every time I look back at these photos, I remember the wind blowing through the Reed marsh that day, and the persistence of repeatedly adjusting poses for a single shot. Dedicating your heart to restoring a character you love is truly a fulfilling thing in itself.