[Ellen Joe cosplay] Zenless Zone Zero bunny girl styling photoshoot record

This Zenless Zone Zero Ellen Joe bunny girl concept focused on how to properly capture the light and shadow of the patent leather material and semi-transparent black stockings inside a white studio. For the hair, I chose a short layered wig with wispy ends. When trimming, I deliberately kept the sideburns a bit long and used hairspray to shape some irregular flipped-out tips. Combined with the red eye makeup, this better restores Ellen Joe's slightly cold and arrogant gaze. The bunny ears for the headpiece used a glossy material, echoing the leotard on my body. To make the costume fit the body shape, I specially adjusted the tightness of the leotard and the back tailoring before the shoot to ensure that the patent leather wouldn't crease excessively when sitting, maintaining that crisp contour. The white handwritten letters on the chest were also applied using special heat-transfer decals, and up close, the texture is quite on point. To prevent the patent leather from sticking to the skin and causing excessive sweat reflections, I actually wore a base anti-glare chest sticker and transparent shoulder straps underneath, carefully hiding them at the edges of the clothes during the shoot.

Although white studio shooting has great lighting conditions, large areas of white reflectors can easily wash out facial contours, especially when wearing an all-black patent leather leotard where the contrast between highlights and shadows is extreme. Therefore, I used a warm-toned softbox for fill lighting to brighten the skin's translucency while creating separation from the black clothing. As for showcasing the legs, black stockings paired with black high heels are a classic combination. To create a frozen frame of falling down, I tried this cross-legged sideways-sitting posture, with the right leg slightly extended forward. Combined with the action of holding the high heels, this naturally guides the line of sight to the leg lines and the material of the stockings. Geometric cut patterns were applied to the stockings, which needed to be kept smooth at all times during shooting to avoid breaking the illusion. Moreover, the matte texture of the stockings and the extreme highlight of the patent leather formed a visual textural contrast, which is a clever little touch in the styling.

Regarding wearing the stockings, the biggest fear during a shoot is snagging, so I pre-laid white carpets on the floor and applied anti-slip treatment to the shoe soles. The barefoot state after taking off the high heels nicely highlights the contours of the feet and ankles; by slightly tensing the instep, the lines look fantastic. While posing, the waist and back must remain straight; even though sitting on the ground, core strength cannot be relaxed, otherwise it's easy to look hunched over and lose the character's aura. Since it's a side profile, attention must also be paid to shoulder orientation and neck extension to better display the collarbones and shoulder-neck lines. When holding the shoe with the right hand, the wrist should be relaxed, with fingers resting gently on the heel so the motion appears natural and stiff-free.

The eyes and expression are parts that require repeated refinement. Ellen Joe's personality carries a hint of cynicism and sharpness, so I didn't go for a sweet, well-behaved expression. Instead, I stared into the lens, tucked my chin in slightly, revealing a tiny bit of lower sclera, and paired it with the red eye makeup at the corners of my eyes. During the shoot, I deliberately captured that subtle state of being slightly aggressive yet feeling annoyed right after falling. The wig bangs also needed their position verified before each shutter click to avoid blocking the catchlights in the eyes, and I used multiple layers of setting spray to prevent the high temperature of the white studio from melting the hairspray.

The entire shooting process was quite a test of physical stamina, especially maintaining the action of holding the shoe suspended, which makes arm muscles sore. But when the final photos came out and I saw the light and shadow hitting the patent leather to present those crisp yet smooth lines, I felt all the preliminary adjustments and preparations were worth it. This process of combining the character's classic elements with different clothing styles is actually a manifestation of understanding the character. I hope this set of photos can convey the shark girl's cool yet slightly sexy vibe.