I completed this photoshoot fully immersed in the nation of water. The moment I put on this blue-and-white coat and tidied the white-and-blue gradient wig, a profound sense of connection hit me instantly. The focus of this shoot was not only to faithfully recreate the outfit, but also to express the nimble energy of the Hydro element through setting and post-production special effects.
There are actually many details in the costume, such as the teal eight-pointed star brooch on the chest, the dark blue bow tie with golden chains underneath, and the ribbons and bows along the coat's lower hem. To keep the lower body silhouette neat, I chose white shorts paired with a black leg ring; this avoids feeling cluttered while optimizing overall proportions and beautifully showcasing leg lines. Photo 4 in particular was shot during the sunset golden hour, where side lighting cast natural long shadows against the wall. Combined with post-processed water splash effects, it truly felt as though I was summoning the Hydro element.
As for props, the silver cane topped with cyan-blue held a satisfying weight in my hand, making it easy to perform various spellcasting poses while serving as a fantastic visual extension in the photos. I also incorporated subtle post-production designs, like bubbles and that cute barrel-like blue creature, giving the image a richer story feel. Rather than forcing rigid poses, I immersed myself in the character's elegant yet playful state, letting the shutter capture naturally occurring moments.
Regarding the shooting location, I initially shot close-ups against a pure white indoor backdrop, discovering it highlighted the clothing's texture and tailoring wonderfully. Later moving outdoors to streets and before a white building with cross-shaped hollowed-out designs, we found these scenes with spatial depth and geometric aesthetics better accentuated the silhouette of the outfit, giving the composition richer layering. We even conducted light and shadow experiments using tree shadows and natural light; when dappled light fell across the skirt and staff, it felt remarkably authentic and lively.
During post-processing, besides unifying the color palette, I deliberately preserved the character's natural translucent skin texture without excessive smoothing, because the charm of cosplay lies in dynamic expressions and spirit. Adding transparent water splashes and flowing water effects brought the concept of the nation of water into physical form. This process was challenging yet immensely fun, as conveying the fluid movement of water within a static photo required combined solutions in both initial framing and post-compositing. In this set, my personal favorite is Photo 4's side-glance back shot, where the warm-toned sunset forms a captivating cool-and-warm contrast with the water-blue outfit.
As a character creator, I thoroughly enjoy the process of recreating a character's charm through costumes, props, and settings. For makeup, I designed a crisp, radiant look paired with light blue contact lenses, aiming to capture the authentic feel of stepping from 2D into reality. Although shooting all day was tiring, seeing the splashing water in the final photos made every expense and wait worthwhile for this Genshin Impact Creator Incentive Program submission. This is my little Casual cosplay sharing about this shoot, and I hope these photos convey the freshness and vitality of water to everyone.