[Arknights Cosplay] 2025 Shooting Fragments: Intertwining Wasteland and Fresh Flowers

Finding light from the ruins, freezing moments among the flowers, and then moving to the dual interaction inside a picture frame—this is probably the full record of my 2025 Arknights cosplay photography sessions. The shooting projects this year spanned a long time, from freezing concrete structures to warm forests, from pure white seas of flowers to deep blue dark studio sets; every change of venue felt like a new challenge. And this photoset is the report card handed in for this year's hard work.

Let's first talk about the sets in the ruins. The unfinished industrial architectural structures had an immense sense of oppression, but we precisely wanted to use this desolation to contrast the character's refinement. On the day of the shoot, the ground was covered in gravel and dust. To find a perfect lighting angle, I squatted in the ruins for a long time wearing heavy clothes and props. That staff prop with a screen actually integrated complex circuits and light tubes inside. During the shoot, we also had to balance its blue light reflection with the character's facial lighting. After adding glowing line special effects in post-processing, the entire cyberpunk sci-fi atmosphere of the frame was instantly maximized. This kind of real-scene CG texture is exactly what we have always pursued in our ruins style photoshoot.

For the shots with artwork replication needs, we invested the most effort. To achieve that kind of 'uncanny likeness' effect in the top-and-bottom comparison charts, it required not only strict research on costume materials to achieve character accuracy, but also precise measurement in composition and lighting. For example, the composition of the expansive flower sea and flying petals—although there was no real flower sea in the actual ruins, we stacked scenery and certain real props, combined with post-processing synthesis of flowing light bands and scattered petals, to ultimately give the flat illustration a three-dimensional breathing feel. This is also why I prefer this form of photography, because it is the most intuitive display of anime breaking the dimension wall into reality.

The outdoor flower cluster shoots were an entirely different experience. Double interaction paired with large-aperture natural light broke free from the constraints of studio shoots, making the whole atmosphere very relaxed. Cooperating with my partner on the grass to pass props, adjusting the angles of plush ears and tails, and even diving into the bushes to adjust focus—this sense of team collaboration was the most enjoyable part of the shooting process. As for the picture frame theme in the indoor studio shoot, we returned to a cold Gothic style. That vintage golden picture frame was actually very heavy on site. We stood it diagonally to let the models stand behind it, paired with the stained glass and blue-purple neon lights in the background, making it look like displaying an exquisite piece of art.

Looking back at this year of shooting, I feel deeply moved. Arknights as a work itself has an extremely strong artistic tension. Whether in the desolate wasteland, backlit ruins, or gorgeous interiors, the coldness and elegance given to characters by the original artists all need to be captured through the coser's interpretation and the photographer's lens. We experimented with various lighting arrangements, especially the extremely low angle and deep purple highlights in image 6, making the pure black-and-white outfit exude a unique cold and glamorous feel.

Looking back at these 6 selected photos from the cosplay photoshoot, they are actually just the tip of the iceberg of my entire year's shooting volume. Although carrying heavy props out every time was exhausting, and the details I spent immense effort to polish might only be a flash of a moment, the sense of fulfilling satisfaction when seeing the final finalized photos on screen is irreplaceable. Maintaining love for characters and anime culture, and treating every shutter click with professional standards—I will continue to walk down this path.