[Wang Zhaojun cosplay] Honor of Kings Phoenixes Flying Together Convention Photos Shot On-Site

The convention photos for Wang Zhaojun cosplay in her Phoenixes Flying Together skin from Honor of Kings are finally organized! Taking advantage of a free weekend, I retouched this set of convention photos shot on-site—the overall state and lighting coordination turned out quite fitting.

Starting with the outfit, the color scheme transitions in a gradient from red to white to gold. The main body of the dress uses a structured, firm material, while the white pompoms on the chest feel soft to the touch, though adding plush layers at that position can feel a bit stifling, especially with large crowds at the venue. The highlight of the outfit lies in the abundant feather decorations; the white feather wings extending from both arms are actually mobile and directly fastened to arm bands. The feather hem was hand-glued piece by piece across multiple inner and outer layers; to ensure a light, fluttering motion while walking, the feathers weren't sewn completely flat, which meant I had to move with great care while wearing it. The high-slit design beautifully exposes lower-body silhouette lines, though walking on the venue floor required short steps, as taking strides too large could easily pull on the fabric.

Speaking of the lower body, I specifically paired the look with nude clear high heels this time. Wearing heels on convention floors requires extra caution regarding slip resistance; luckily, the venue for these convention photos was a semi-outdoor glass curtain wall area with natural lighting and flat flooring. Although wearing heels for long stretches tired my toes, seeing the final renders made it entirely worthwhile. My legs featured a golden armor piece on only one side while the other remained bare, which, paired with the skirt's feather hem, maintained an asymmetrical aesthetic without feeling visually cluttered. The wig for this look was long, straight silver-white hair. The two slender golden headpieces on top required numerous bobby pins to stay firmly anchored, as the heavy wig and wind around the exhibition hall could easily blow them out of alignment.

Regarding props, this long magic staff was truly the heaviest burden of the entire shoot. The staff body was crafted from a combination of resin and metal piping, with the flame styling on top and the central orb executed with great texture. However, due to its complex shape, the center of gravity was slightly off, making my wrist sore after holding it single-handedly for extended periods. When shooting, I tried to leverage angles or support to make it look weightless rather than gripping it tightly. We tried several poses; one-legged raise compositions effectively displayed the connection between outfit and props, while tilting the staff slightly allowed the feathers to drape naturally, giving the overall composition breathing room. Reflection from the venue's glass walls proved very helpful, bouncing ambient light onto the bright parts of the outfit and saving considerable lighting work during post-processing retouching.

Honestly, whenever I cosplay characters with oversized sleeves and flowing robes, the biggest headache is dressing, undressing, and moving around—going to the restroom is extremely inconvenient, and the long hem easily drags on the floor, picking up dust after a loop through semi-open exhibition halls. But seeing the final shots puts all that hardship out of mind. While shooting, I tried to stay relaxed without worrying about facial expressions breaking, focusing attention on hand movements and staff placement while letting the photographer candidly capture moments. These convention photos emphasize authentic presence and natural states on-site, so I refrained from forcing stiff poses, simply standing in alignment with the outfit's natural drape.

Though the convention was packed on the day of the shoot, this set taken in front of the glass curtain wall effectively harnessed natural light, making the red-white-gold palette pop brilliantly against the cool-toned backdrop. It was a thoroughly enjoyable shooting experience, and I hope to strike an even better balance between gear convenience and character accuracy in the future.