[Herta cosplay] Honkai: Star Rail: Neon Light and Shadow in Witch style Attire

Shooting this Witch style look for Herta cosplay from Honkai: Star Rail required a lot of pre-production preparation. The costume features numerous intricate details: a purple-and-black gradient patent leather corset paired with abundant white lace ruffles, which tested texture restoration in post-editing. The purple-blue witch hat is rather stiff and was blown over several times during outdoor takes, so we had to wait for the wind to calm down before capturing full-body shots. The prop staff was quite heavy, leaving my arm sore after holding it for long periods; to achieve great visuals in Photos 1 and 2, I had to rest my hands on props for support while posing.
For this Cosplay photography session, we specifically chose two completely different environments. The first three photos were shot in a studio featuring a large mosaic reflective backdrop, which, combined with pure blue-and-purple cool-toned lighting, created a deeply psychedelic ambiance. It's worth noting that because the background was highly reflective, we had to carefully control lighting angles during the shoot to prevent color contamination from reflectors onto the face. Using a wide aperture to blur the background into colorful bokeh bubbles truly complemented the aura of this outfit. Photo 4 transitioned to a vintage study room setting, using a warm-toned gramophone and mahogany cabinets as accents, lit by a warm-purple rim backlight that instantly quieted the atmosphere into serenity.
Regarding makeup and hair, to match the character's cool and alluring presence, I wore blue-purple colored contacts, with waist-length light-golden straight hair and blunt bangs. The Black tights outfit paired with tall boots flattered the leg silhouette within the overall black-and-purple palette. During the shoot, we experimented with multiple poses, including casting spells with the staff, glancing back toward the lens, and sitting quietly leaning against a chair—hoping to faithfully capture the haughtiness and elegance of this space station genius scientist. I spent a long time fine-tuning details from pre-ironing garments and accessory layering order to post-processing color grading. I am very satisfied with the overall atmosphere, making this a wonderful photoshoot experience.