For this Skadi photoshoot, three completely distinct scenes were chosen: from daytime concrete walls under skyscrapers to a dark room lit by real fire at night, and finally a newly built factory floor with standing water. The entire shooting process was physically exhausting, especially because the greatsword had considerable weight, requiring me to hold it up constantly while posing.
In the daytime scene, the sunlight was harsh, casting hard light onto the concrete wall. I held the sword with my back to the camera, primarily to showcase the dynamic billowing of the cloak in the wind. This image was actually composited in post-processing to blend the character with modern architectural backgrounds, creating a striking contrast between the everyday world and the otherworld.
The nighttime darkroom set was the main event and my personal favorite. To build atmosphere, a cool blue light source was placed on the side, accompanied by a brazier lit with real fire. The smoke made my eyes water constantly, but the red-and-blue contrasting warm and cool lighting falling across the body felt incredible. Lighting adjustments took a long time; I crouched sideways, adjusting the thigh-high socks and leg rings to highlight the snug fit of the straps, leveraging the cool-toned reflections to accentuate the texture of the stockings, perfectly fitting the character's cold, aloof demeanor. Although resting the heavy greatsword in the dirt was tough, I held this pose for nearly half an hour.
The final photo was taken in a backlit environment within an abandoned factory floor. To capture reflections in the puddles, the photographer pressed the phone directly against the ground for a low-angle upward shot. Walking directly toward the camera, with sunlight streaming through the corridor edges and reflections gleaming off puddles on the ground, the entire frame took on a wasteland-style silhouette look. The hem of the skirt dragged through muddy water and my boots were covered in dirt, but the resulting presence was intensely imposing.
Many friends teased that this looks like a Door lock photo, mainly because this photo set was shot straight from a phone without wide-aperture lenses blurring out the background, retaining raw sharpness. Sometimes changing the perspective and using straight-out-of-phone shots brings out this gritty wasteland realism. In fantasy-themed cosplay, the weight of costumes and props is a genuine physical burden, but seeing these finished photos capture the character's true essence made the entire journey completely worthwhile.