[Gongsun Li Cosplay] Honor of Kings Summer of Tangerines & Hello Kitty Crossover Look

For this swimsuit look featuring Gongsun Li Summer of Tangerines and Hello Kitty elements, the key photographic focus was capturing that crisp, refreshing vibe while ensuring safety on the reflective floor. To match the overall interplay of blue and pink tones, the shoot took place on a fully indoor artificial water-stage setup. This mirror-like surface reflects silhouettes beautifully, but it is also quite slick; posing required careful balance control to keep the leg lines looking natural and elongated on camera.

In terms of styling and makeup, I had to manage exceptionally voluminous, extra-long pink twin tails while anchoring the rabbit ears and hair ornaments securely. After brightening the base makeup, a touch of pink-toned blush was swept across the cheekbones and nose tip, paired with a delicate, elongated reddish-brown eyeliner to accentuate the character's lively spirit. The two-piece outfit leaves the midriff exposed, making it essential to balance core engagement with an upright posture. Paired with the pink Hello Kitty slippers, it brought out the character's youthful, playful charm.

We experimented with four primary poses throughout this set. The first and second featured sitting on a wooden folding chair, using a pink-and-white lifebuoy in the foreground while twisting the torso to emphasize the waistline and legs. One pose with a leg extended sideways required straightening the instep and flattening the toes to enhance the reflection's sense of extension. The third pose shifted to resting the chin on one hand while steadying the swim ring with the other, looking straight into the lens with a relaxed, expectant demeanor. For the fourth pose, I stepped away from the chair to pose standing with an umbrella. Because the canopy is translucent, the refracted light cast an intricate interplay of shadows across the legs. Balancing on one foot demanded significant strength to keep steady, while an assistant helped hold the skirt hem and ribbons to keep them from fluttering erratically and cluttering the frame.

During post-processing, the main goal was harmonizing the overall color temperature—imparting a cool blue cast to background highlights while preserving soft, pink-tinted skin tones. The clarity of the floor reflection worked perfectly to visually extend the lines of the legs and feet. During photo selection, the leg muscles appeared slightly too taut from balancing, creating a minor clash with the gentle, pastel aesthetic, so subtle liquefaction was applied to align the proportions closer to an anime figure. Although styled in summer attire, the indoor AC was set very low to prevent the lighting gear from overheating, requiring frequent warm-up breaks. Nonetheless, the final cool-and-refreshing contrast turned out wonderfully, capturing the genuine feel of lounging by a breezy pool.

The shoot was captured using a prime medium-telephoto lens to eliminate perspective distortion along the frame edges. The wig was set with wax and hairspray; the pastel pink strands paired gorgeously with the blue top under cool lighting, creating an elegant warm-cool contrast. For posing references, I drew inspiration from outdoor swimwear photography, finding that pointing the toes elongates the silhouette and sitting slightly back slims the legs. Because the floor collected moisture, anti-slip pads were applied to the bottom of the slippers for safety. With the transparent umbrella, its angle had to be continually adjusted so the light could filter through directly onto the face. While this constant fine-tuning was physically demanding, keeping a sweet, radiant expression was essential for the character. The costume itself features exquisite collaboration details, such as the delicate brooch and waist bow, which are key elements in bringing the character faithfully to life.