[Gongsun Li Cosplay] Honor of Kings Gongsun Li original skin Shoot: Red Leaves Dancing with Longing

This shoot of Gongsun Li original skin underwent careful deliberation regarding styling and costume details, accompanied by many interesting behind-the-scenes moments. In terms of wardrobe, the revised design of this original skin is exceptionally refined: the fabric is silky smooth, blending the dominant red tone with orange and white gradients, while the maple leaf embroidery along the collar and cuffs is remarkably exquisite. When I first put on these platform shoes, it took some getting used to; the red velvet lining flatters fair skin beautifully, and the high platform sole elongates leg proportions and silhouette lines wonderfully in both full-body and half-body shots.

Moving on to hair and makeup: to achieve that subtle upturned wing at the outer corners of the eyes, a lot of time went into the fine details of the eyeliner. Pairing the golden wig with fluffy bunny ears instantly brought the character's signature visual traits to life the moment they were put on. The paper umbrella prop was quite heavy; holding it aloft while conveying a lightweight, fluttering grace was the shoot's biggest challenge. The photographer designed a pose where I leaned far back against a white pedestal, creating visual balance among the bunny ears on my head, the diagonally held paper umbrella in my hands, and the long legs in a single cohesive frame.

For light and shadow, we chose a warm-toned solid background, casting high-intensity backlight onto the hair and paper umbrella so the hair edges appeared to glow. Achieving this effect required repeatedly adjusting the distance between the backdrop and the studio lights. This process demanded immense patience and deepened my understanding of how light influences hair and skin textures.

When choosing the cover image, I hesitated between Photo 2 and Photo 3. Photo 3 featured a full-body composition with gorgeous leg lines, where the black trousers paired with the black platform shoe base looked very textured. In the end, I chose Photo 2 as the cover because its half-body framing more directly presented the character's facial expression and gaze while highlighting the most captivating areas—the silhouette from the bust upward along with subtly revealed leg lines. This composition was tighter, free of unnecessary empty space, and prevented the character from feeling pushed to the edges of the frame.

In post-processing, I kept the natural feel of the photos, primarily brightening the skin tone, enhancing the costume's rich reds, and emphasizing the contrast between light and shadow without exaggerated stretching or liquefying—I prefer the raw tension that authenticity brings.

Speaking of the shoot, I must mention those velvet-textured trousers: their drape and sheen under the camera lens were fantastic, which, combined with the heeled red shoes, elongated overall visual proportions. Although the high soles meant constantly maintaining balance with care, the effort was well worth it for the visual results.

Throughout creation, the photographer's direction and team collaboration were seamless. Sometimes, to capture a natural catchlight in the eyes, everyone repeatedly fine-tuned positions and angles. Posing in that deep backward lean truly tested core strength—the waist had to stay tight while simultaneously expressing a relaxed, languid ease, requiring expressions and body language to align perfectly. From the moment the costume arrived to the final photo delivery, we spent about a week fine-tuning everything, including pre-measuring dimensions, organizing accessories, and studying how to present the best fabric drape on camera. This dedicated atmosphere created a deeper resonance with the character, while the relaxed, enjoyable mood on set was key to the shoot's success.