This shoot featured Phoebe from Wuthering Waves. From getting the raw wig to the final look, a lot of thought went into every step. At first glance, this outfit seems very minimal, but it is precisely this simplicity that demands extremely high attention to detail—the fit of the tailoring and the harmony of the color scheme all required thorough preparation beforehand.
Let's first talk about the hairstyle: the light blonde long straight hair serves as the visual anchor for the character. To achieve a light, fluffy, yet gracefully draping visual effect in front of the lens, I spent nearly an hour styling the wig. The original wig bangs were quite thick and tended to look heavy, so I layered the strands and used a flat iron with setting spray to adjust the curl of the bangs, letting a few wisps fall naturally before my eyes to add a sense of visual breathability. Paired with light-colored contact lenses, I hoped to convey the character's clear and pure qualities.
Regarding the costume, the main teal-blue hue presented a rippling, water-like sheen under the indoor soft lights. Because this fabric surface carries a certain luster, controlling the light source angle became extremely important. I paired a black neckpiece with metal rivets at the neckline—first, to avoid the monotony of a large area of teal-blue, and second, because the metallic feel of the rivets adds a refined, sharp edge to the overall styling. The golden cross-star pattern on the chest was the finishing touch; adjusting my body angle during the shoot allowed side-front light to illuminate this golden element, enriching the visual layering. To ensure natural hand gestures while shooting, I specially chose black short gloves that fit the contours of the fingers tightly. This snug material sculpts hand outlines beautifully without looking bulky when posing.
The side-lying perspective I selected actually poses quite a challenge for the model's line control in conventional portraiture. Because the angle was a high shot combined with a side tilt, simply lying flat and relaxed would make the face outline look widened and the jawline less defined. Therefore, I used my core muscles throughout to subtly support my body, maintaining an elongated feel through my neck and shoulders, which allowed me to present a relaxed yet spirited state in close-up shots. For the lighting setup, the photographer provided soft light from above and the front-side, especially around the face area, to avoid overexposed highlights that would destroy the wig's texture while keeping the skin looking translucent and fair. On set, we adjusted the light ratio multiple times to find the balance point that suppressed fabric reflections while letting catchlights appear naturally in the eyes.
When portraying a character with a tranquil demeanor, emotional expression is far more important than exaggerated poses. Instead of making large movements, it relies more on eye contact and a slightly raised chin to create a serene yet resolute aura. The focus in the eyes must be controlled very gently, without being too sharp, to match the easygoing and peaceful nature of the character design. I often watch works by other talented cosplayers to ponder how to infuse a character's soul into static images. Looking back on this set of photos, my biggest takeaway is that beyond delicate makeup and styling, one must capture the character's intrinsic calm and composure. Whether it's fabric texture, accessory detailing, or overall ambiance control, this was a comprehensive test of my ability to understand the character. Overall, I am quite satisfied with how these photos turned out, and I hope to convey that serene power inherent to the character through these images.