[Jeanne d'Arc Cosplay] I Shall Become the Sturdy Shield Before You!

Putting on this purple armor main color scheme paired with a silver metallic texture, I stood under the spotlights at the convention venue. Initially, when holding that long-handled weapon in hand, I was contemplating how to express the belief of 'I shall become the sturdy shield before you' through postures, rather than purely relying on post-processing retouching.

The preparation and wearing process of this gear was actually quite exhausting. First were the silver metallic headpiece on top of the head and the golden wig; during braiding, it needed to be fixed very solidly to avoid looking loose while wearing the forehead guard and headpiece. The silver metallic chains between the necklace and the shoulder armor have a genuine drape when actually worn, and the sound generated by slight collisions when walking fits the silver-armored knight setting perfectly. The ruffled folds of the purple top float naturally when moving, and when paired with that silver breastplate independently mounted on the chest, as well as the silver plate armor on the shoulders, the overall sense of layering looks more three-dimensional through real items than imagined.

The design of the lower body is also a focus of the entire look. The silver metallic waist armor around the waist features a horizontal segmented structure, connected with the shield-shaped guard plate bearing embossed patterns on the side, which can frame the body shape beautifully. The purple long skirt adopts a massive high-slit design, forming an obvious material collision with the black over-the-knee socks. In fact, this combination not only matches the character's own image but also genuinely elongates the visual proportions during the actual posing process. The shiny black leather shoes on my feet paired with the silver foot armor bearing embossed patterns allowed me to maintain a relatively stable and upright standing posture before the polished floor and metal truss background of the convention venue.

The long-handled weapon prop in my hand is a highly weighty piece in the entire gear. The silver crossguard and the black long handle form an intense high contrast; when holding it in my palm, I can clearly feel its center of gravity and balance point. Precisely because the prop's center of gravity is relatively moderate, it allowed me more space to perform in the choice of standing postures and horizontal weapon-holding compositions.

Shooting inside the indoor exhibition hall this time, the photographer specially emphasized utilizing the high-rising metal trusses on-site and multiple spotlights on top. The dim cold light of the venue reflected on the silver armor, beautifully highlighting the granular texture and reflective effect of the metal plates. In the first photo, I chose a straight standing position slightly turned sideways toward the front, carrying a just-right sense of downward center-of-gravity pressure, while paying attention to keeping the black over-the-knee socks and the purple high-slit skirt hem at a highly coordinated visual focus, retaining both the solemnity of an armored general and a certain sense of lightness. The angle of turning around and holding the weapon in the second picture was more to display the side lines and the proportion of the long-handled weapon.

In fact, at this kind of convention photography venue, when restoring a roleplay character like Jeanne d'Arc who carries a strong belief in protection, what needs to be pondered is not just the appearance of the clothing and props, but also that unshrinking aura when facing the lens. The character's own resilience and boldness, projected into a realistic 3D scene, often need to be delivered through the gloss of the armor, the tightness of the braiding, and the stability of holding the weapon. Although the external light and venue environment are constantly changing, keeping a good condition is the most crucial part. This process of bringing a character from paper into the real world always gains a deep resonance during this day of participating in the convention.