The preparation for this Honkai Impact 3rd Elysia Cosplay bikini shoot took roughly two months. Initially, I felt quite a bit of pressure regarding how to recreate the character's signature airy grace, as doing Swimsuit outdoor photography in a pool places high demands on physical form and confidence.
For the wig, I selected high-quality Long pink hair with gradient shading, teasing volume into the crown roots while styling soft, wide waves toward the ends. To keep the white bunny-ear accessory firmly secured atop the head without looking jarring, I tested numerous mounting techniques. In terms of makeup, I used specific violet contact lenses to deepen my gaze, paired with pinkish-purple eyeshadow that brought vivid dimension to the eye makeup.
The wardrobe styling was the true crux of this Anime cosplay; the distressed coloring on the purple bikini and the adorable puppy print on the chest required meticulous cross-referencing with official art. The white ruffled sleeves and mini-skirt were custom-tailored separately—the frills needed adequate structural support to flare out gracefully when floating across the water. Because the bikini fabric is lightweight, I applied plenty of safety tape underneath to maintain clean body contours while ensuring zero wardrobe malfunctions.
The shooting environment was an outdoor swimming pool surrounded by palm trees and bathed in ample natural sunlight. To project the allure and vitality of the swimwear, the photographer had me submerge repeatedly, tossing my Long pink hair. The split second when water droplets sprayed into the air required locking my core while maintaining an effortless, natural smile. At one point, to capture a flawless splash, we repeated the action nearly twenty times; soaking in the water left me feeling rather chilled, but I persevered for the final shot.
In posing design, I used a swim ring as a prop, bending one knee or turning sideways to visually elongate the leg lines. Because swimwear photography is so unforgiving on body posture, I completed a full month of core conditioning and stretching beforehand to present peak physical form before the lens. The floating motion of the hair in the water was also particularly satisfying; though the practical shoot was physically demanding, previewing the raw camera frames made every bit of effort worthwhile.
To faithfully capture Elysia's sweet, confident, and playfully cheeky charm, I incorporated many personal nuances during shooting—such as subtle pouts, slightly arched glances, or casually running fingers through my hair. Sunlight sparkling across the water cast shimmering reflections across my face, weaving a dreamy atmosphere that aligned perfectly with the character's fairy-like essence.
I am actually very sensitive to the cold, so tackling a summer Swimsuit outdoor photography shoot was a major personal challenge. We kicked off during the hottest afternoon hours, but the water grew fairly brisk by evening; wet clothes clinging to the skin required prompt towel-drying and hair-drying. Fortunately, the team was incredibly supportive, constantly touching up hair and makeup on set to ensure the entire shoot wrapped up smoothly.
All in all, this was an immensely rewarding creative experience.