Mulan

The cosplay shoot: Mulan

Six images follow nanami through an open landscape of dry grass, low shrubs and hazy hills, down to the shore of a body of water with dark sand. The palette stays consistent: muted greens, dusty ochres, the greys of an overcast sky, with occasional red and rust accents in the fabrics and in the round medallion that appears more than once.

The first photograph is the closest: a white fan decorated with characters covers the lower part of the face, leaving the eyes and the dark fringe visible. The hands hold the fan frontally, and behind it one can make out the grey jacket with wide sleeves and the embroidered sash at the waist.

In the following images the figure appears seated or kneeling on the ground, sunk into the sun-scorched grass. In one, the arms are raised toward the hair, with her back turned to the hill and the water behind; in another, framed more frontally and from a distance, the long dark-patterned dress spreads across the ground like a stain. A half-length close-up shows her looking toward the lens, the medallion held at face height and loose hair falling on either side.

The last two images move to the waterline. The sky fills much of the frame, dense with grey clouds that open into a brighter area above the outline of the hill. The figure is small within the space: in one she looks upward, head tilted and arms gathered in front of her body; in the other she is seen from behind, barefoot on the wet sand, a slender staff resting against her shoulder and footprints visible behind her.

The overall atmosphere is quiet and suspended, with diffused light, no hard shadows and softened edges at the borders of the frames. Together they build a reading of Mulan far from action, based on distance, silence and waiting.