[Ellen Joe cosplay] Zenless Zone Zero's Shark girl, time for some tail care

This set of Zenless Zone Zero Ellen Joe cosplay Event photo delivery was shot in the outdoor photography area outside the convention venue. The setup during the shoot was quite distinctive, with a large white grid diffuser cloth pulled overhead, paired with reflective umbrellas and studio lights on both sides, blending outdoor natural light with artificial light sources. Stepping on green artificial turf, compared to standard studio shoots or pure outdoor locations, this ambient light brings an inherent documentary feel and exclusive convention atmosphere.

To fit the character, this outfit incorporates complex techwear modifications on top of a conventional black-and-white maid dress. The silver spiked choker at the neck, paired with surrounding black leather straps, neutralizes the softness of the ruffles, adding a cool sense of aggressiveness. The tailoring and splicing of the garment rely heavily on crisp structuring—especially the zigzag patterns on the white apron and the sawtooth hem; to appear structured before the camera, shaping and support were needed inside the fabric, requiring specific postures while moving to look best. The thick metal chain hanging from the waist is a heavy element of this look, clanking with each step and adding genuine physical weight to the character. The cross-shaped hair clips on the head, the pink highlights at the hair ends, and the heavy eye makeup specifically adjusted for a cold look closely match the character setting of being utterly bored yet not to be trifled with.

Speaking of anecdotes during the shoot, the original bloopers mentioned "the scissors broke." In fact, the original shooting plan included a scene holding the weapon, but an unexpected situation arose on-site. However, we didn't panic at all; we casually picked up that large black plush shark tail and shot a few "tail care" interactive photos half-jokingly and half-seriously. As it turned out, holding that prop tail had plenty of weight in my arms, and paired with my slightly aloof deadpan expression, it unexpectedly captured the character's everyday lazy and slightly tsundere side as the Shark girl.

Among these poses, I quite like several dynamic snapshots—for instance, the first one with a slight squat and open hands in a battle-alert posture, paired with body twists, maxes out the character's visual tension. For close-ups with hands on hips or crossed arms, I deliberately lowered my gaze with slightly unfocused eyes; this seemingly careless demeanor is precisely the hallmark of this character. Shooting a cosplay with such heavy-duty elements is genuinely hard physical work: the metal components at the neck and waist carry weight, requiring natural posture while staying alert so gear doesn't scratch or snag, relying entirely on the photographer behind the light stands constantly adjusting angles and rhythm for me. Special thanks here to photographer @ZiMing for the patient snapshots.

In post-processing, instead of pursuing a very bright and saturated style, we slightly lowered the contrast and added a hint of cool-gray tones. This preserved the outdoor lighting texture while reinforcing the character's aloof and distant temperament, making the texture of the Black stockings and the folds of the white lace fabric stand out even more. The essence of this character lies in "contrast": in a noisy convention setting, using demeanor and movements to create an aura of "wearing a maid outfit, yet not wanting to bother with anyone," which I think makes this set of convention photos a solid pass. If there's an opportunity in the future, maybe I'll head to a more open space for telephoto wide shots, exploring Ellen Joe's fiercer posture as the Shark girl in an open landscape.