[Marisa Kirisame cosplay] Sharing the Broom Witch Photoshoot from Touhou Project

Marisa Kirisame, who I cosplayed for this shoot, is an iconic character from Touhou Project. When I first received this costume, I spent a lot of time thinking about how to best recreate her unique aura—a blend of magical girl and witch.

The design of the outfit is quite intricate, with golden star embellishments printed on the black fabric of the main dress. To achieve the voluminous, puffy look seen in the photos, several layers of petticoats were worn underneath. The sleeves and hemline are richly adorned with white lace trim; during the shoot, great care had to be taken with the hem's positioning to avoid tripping over it or disrupting the overall silhouette. The hat is also a large lace witch hat with multiple ruffled layers, requiring continuous angle adjustments to prevent it from obstructing the field of view. The golden-blonde braided wig was quite heavy and pulled a bit tightly on the scalp, so I secured it carefully beforehand to ensure it draped naturally over both shoulders. For makeup, red contact lenses were used, complemented by soft pink blending and glitter accents around the eyes to enhance that doll-like aesthetic.

The location chosen for this shoot was an old building with wooden doors and windows. The weathered wooden floors and dusty textures perfectly matched the vintage ambiance. The photographer skillfully utilized the natural light coming from outside the doorframe, which illuminated the face with a soft, gentle glow. Bringing along a broom prop, I experimented with various poses. Among them, sitting by the doorframe with legs extended served as a great composition to showcase the combination of white lace stockings and black Mary Jane shoes. To maintain a flattering proportion between the legs and upper body, I had to keep my center of gravity elevated while ensuring the inner layers of the dress remained properly covered.

Because the outfit contains multiple layers of tulle and gauze that become translucent under direct light, the placement of lighting and reflectors required constant fine-tuning. Although the shooting process was demanding—requiring repeated adjustments of poses and expression control—seeing the lighting and shadow effects in the final shots made all the effort truly worthwhile. I am also deeply grateful to the photographer for mastering the composition and lighting, and to the tailor for their meticulous work on the costume. Many details of the garment, such as the lace collar and cuff ribbons, were crafted with exquisite precision.

The pairing of White stockings and black patent-leather platform shoes served as a key visual anchor for the overall look, which was fully showcased in this set of photos. Wearing this outfit all day gave me an immersive sensation of stepping right into the story. To me, characters from the Touhou Project series have always possessed an enduring charm. Being able to present Marisa Kirisame cosplay with such elaborate styling was a very special and meaningful shoot, and I look forward to exploring more Cosplay photography in similar styles in the future.