Taking on Bai Ningbing for this shoot at the Beijing IJOY Anime & Game Festival on August 17 was an exciting challenge. Before shooting, I felt a bit anxious because the white-and-blue robes demanded high fabric texture, and the barefoot character concept highlighted leg lines while completely breaking away from conventional historical costume setups.
For hair and makeup, a fair foundation was selected to match the character's cold disposition, paired with a long, straight silver-white wig. Trimming the bangs took considerable time to ensure balanced forehead framing. Pale-colored contact lenses and low-emphasis eye makeup were chosen to avoid a sweet look, emphasizing a detached, aloof, and slightly world-weary aura instead. The wide-sleeved white-and-blue robes had structured fabric that draped with great weight when seated or walking, though the heavy sleeves easily pressed red marks onto my wrists during extended holding.
The convention was packed with attendees. The designated shooting spot had a white shag rug, but the hard floor beneath made standing barefoot cold and painful. To achieve flattering leg lines, the photographer and I repeatedly fine-tuned kneeling and squatting angles. The pose in Photo 3 looked effortless, but actually required strong core engagement—leaning the torso forward while lifting one leg and anchoring the left foot firmly. It took several takes to find that balanced stretch, allowing the cool-toned lighting to sculpt clean thigh contours.
The prop sword was crafted from solid material, making it quite heavy and prone to causing hand tremors when held for long periods. To keep poses natural, I lightly held the hilt with my fingers to let the sword tassel hang freely, coordinating my cold gaze toward the lens or slightly to the side. Overhead high-key lighting paired with lower bounce cards made my fair skin look translucent on camera. In the frontal seated shot, the direct light cast a clean, natural highlight across the midsection for great texture.
Being a niche character, I initially worried few would recognize the cosplay, but meeting fellow fans who appreciated this sharp design was encouraging. Despite foot soreness and muscle fatigue from holding the sword, the finished event photo delivery delivered the icy, striking visual impact I aimed for, capturing this detached immortal aura authentically before the lens.