The retouching focus of this set of final camera photos is actually how to compress the overall atmospheric vibe while retaining rich details. In the first single photo, the platinum-blonde wig and the gold-thread embroidered costume show immense expressiveness under the dim light environment. The textures of the black sheer tulle gloves and the tortoise-shell pattern folding fan must not be over-smudged during cosplay post-processing; the touch of the material itself must be retained. Those complex golden three-dimensional embroideries on the chest easily look gaudy under the light, so while pulling down the highlights in post-processing, the shadow details need to be brightened separately.
The second duo photo in the bamboo forest is an atmospheric night view. The contrast between the light from the warm yellow paper floor lamp on the left and the dark bamboo leaves heavily tests one's post-processing skills. The high saturation of the pink and deep blue hair colors needs to be separated from the skin tone, yet the faces cannot appear too dull due to the influence of the ambient light. The details of the woven belt and rope knots on the modified Japanese-style clothing must be sharp so that the texture of the photos can be transmitted through the screen.
Honestly, posting this set of images right now is mainly to test the compatibility for future collaboration, since final camera photos have a great baseline, but the retouching cost is exceptionally high. I am also exploring better post-processing directions myself. If any friends feel there is room to showcase their style on this photoset, feel free to take the images for a trial run. If the style hits the right note, I will proactively leave my contact info for long-term commissions—I refuse any slipshod, fast-food style retouching.
Additionally, I'd like to say something blunt to those who steal photos without permission: stealing them along with the watermark, do you really not find it embarrassing? It's bad enough that you snoop around my homepage, but taking others' hard work as leverage to swindle people? Photo thieves will get their karma sooner or later. As for those who like to maliciously attack my and my bestie's appearance in the comments section, I always suggest you check your own true state under a raw camera lens first. Stop pointing fingers at others. I'll block this kind of behavior immediately without explanation.
Turning back to the photos themselves, the single shot this time emphasizes the cool aloofness and elegance of the figure, while the duo shot takes a tranquil, aesthetic atmospheric route. For the post-processing color grading, I didn't turn it into that dead-white high-key skin smoothing; instead, I preserved the warmth, coolness, and directional flow of the live lighting. For example, to prevent the shadow transitions of the white-base garments from looking dirty, one needs to use dodging and burning combined with neutral gray to brush it out slowly. The bamboo forest background of the duo photo was pulled down by one to two stops, making the figures stand out more prominently in the frame.
I hope interested retouchers can unleash their own style while maintaining the seriousness and precision that an ancient style portrait deserves. As long as you properly handle these three items across the two sets of photos—clothing creases, hair strands texture, and skin texture—it will be considered a pass. Looking forward to seeing another iteration of this photoset under someone else's mindset.