[Tennis girl] Japanese style portrait sporty style photoshoot, white tights cosplay energetic shooting in Shanghai photography

Taking advantage of the great sunshine today, I came to shoot a set of Japanese style portrait sporty style photoshoot. The outdoor temperature in Shanghai is already a bit warm, so wearing this white short-sleeved polo shirt and dark blue sports shorts is just right. To increase the overall anime style feel, it was specially paired with white over-the-knee stockings and black platform loafers; this kind of outfit makes legs look very long and adds a bit of well-behaved element into the sporty style. Holding a blue tennis racket in hand instantly brought the real feel of a tennis girl.
The shooting location was chosen on an outdoor metal overpass staircase. This kind of railing with geometric lines and gray cement steps is very suitable as a background, utilizing a large aperture to blur out distant buildings and vehicles, which can well highlight the subject. Light and shadow are the soul of this set of photos. The midday sunshine is relatively intense, so during the shoot I let the photography teacher try more low-angle shots; on the one hand, it can avoid the direct light from overhead and keep the face soft, and on the other hand, it can use wide-angle distortion to elongate the leg lines. When sitting on the steps, pay attention to placing the center of gravity on the lower back, letting the legs hang naturally or bend, and extending as much as possible towards the diagonal direction of the lens, so the frame will look more relaxed and stretched.
There are also many small details in the actions of holding the tennis racket. For example, raising the racket over the head, carrying it behind the back, or placing it on the shoulder like holding a sword. This time we tried putting the racket in front of the face for frame composition, and the shot effect turned out pretty good. Hand movements are also very important; opening naturally or gently clenching fists is much more vivid than rigid posing. Catching candid shots of walking around carrying that blue sporty shoulder bag was also a very good attempt, bringing out the dynamic sense instantly.
In clothing coordination, actually white stockings are very picky about leg shapes, but the loose fit of the sports shorts can well modify the thigh lines, and combining the two creates a refreshing boniness instead. As a standard of Japanese campus style, the platform design of loafers not only added height but also balanced the overall head-to-body ratio. To match the overall styling, I deliberately kept long hair with straight bangs; the straight black hair and fair skin formed a very strong contrast under the sunlight. We framed at different heights of the staircase, utilizing the high and low staggering of the steps to enrich the composition. Sometimes standing, sometimes sitting, or even leaning against rusted railings, contrasting the softness and vitality of the girl with these cold and rigid industrial lines.
For this kind of outdoor shooting, paying constant attention to changes in light is very important. Because the sun is always moving, we will constantly adjust our standing position to ensure uniform fill light on the face, while also being careful not to let ugly shadows appear under the chin. The photography teacher told me not to be nervous, just like going to the playground to play ball with friends after class on normal days, walking naturally, looking back, reaching out to touch leaves, or pretending to talk to the lens. These inadvertent moments often capture the most authentic expressions. The color grading of the entire set of pictures leans towards a fresh and transparent Japanese style, slightly lowering the contrast, and highlights retain the texture of sunlight. In expression management, try to stay relaxed, without too much facial contortion, smiling slightly or quietly looking at the lens can convey that quiet yet energetic atmosphere. This shoot consumed quite a bit of physical energy, after all, going up and down the stairs wearing loafers. But seeing the finished photos made it feel totally worth it. Every time shooting this kind of daily yet comic-feeling portrait work, I can discover new feelings.