[Amiya cosplay] Arknights Ambience Synesthesia Monument of Brilliant Melody Photoshoot Record

From receiving the costume sample and finalizing the schedule to the actual shoot, preparing this costume design for Amiya's Ambience Synesthesia: Monument of Brilliant Melody took about two weeks.

What took the most effort on the day of the shoot was this dress made of holographic laser fabric. This material is heavily influenced by studio lighting—if the angle is off, the reflection becomes too harsh or turns into a blown-out dead white. After extensive communication beforehand with the photographer, the key light was intentionally angled from the side, which, paired with the strong rim lighting from the arched window in the background, fully brought out the refractive effect of the skirt hem. The layering of the dress is much heavier than it looks in pictures, fitted with internal support structures; to preserve that puffy, three-dimensional silhouette, stepping slightly too far could easily cause tripping.

Regarding hair and makeup, choosing the blue colored contacts went quite smoothly; the main difficulty lay in those two translucent bunny ears and the silver crown. The bunny ears transmit pink light from within, requiring careful angular adjustment to achieve a translucent look. The hairstyle features twin braids requiring substantial hair volume, so two wigs were spliced together to achieve that thick, silky texture.

The scene setup for the photoshoot was quite elaborate, featuring a giant Roman numeral clock, gear backgrounds, white statues, as well as a sea of blue flowers and draped fabrics filling the room. Although the prop arrangement was complex, it greatly helped the final results. That silver staff prop weighed about 3 to 4 pounds; holding it up for a long time made my hands ache, and my arms were shaking after finishing a few standing poses. In contrast, the high heels, ankle chains, and blue straps were easy to put on and take off, providing stable footing without tiring my feet too much.

Admittedly, the seated and reclining poses in this set were relatively more comfortable to shoot. The photographer had me extend my legs fully, using the black-and-white checkerboard floor and distant lighting for visual elongation, which contributed significantly to the composition. Because of the high slit on the skirt, the leg lines were fully displayed, showcasing the grandeur of the costume while accentuating great body proportions. Post-processing didn't involve much warping; it mainly corrected the color cast of the holographic material and cleaned up complex background lines.

Communication prior to this shoot was very smooth. Although the process was tiring, the success rate of the shots was high. Wearing this outfit gave me a more practical understanding of costume fabrics and styling combinations. In particular, the light filtering through the arched window interacting with the light blue tulle reflections on the skirt accurately restored that cool-toned texture. As a side tip, movement is quite restricted when shooting with such large skirts, so it's best to plan poses in advance before changing.

By the later stage of the shoot, my legs were indeed a bit sore, but the overall presentation perfectly met expectations.