[Specter the Unchained Cosplay] Dominating Convention Photos, a Crimson Phantom on the Escalator

'Held hostage' for five minutes at the convention, the photographer raised their camera and shouted, 'You! Come over here and let me take some convention photos!' The moment I heard this, despite being quite tired from walking around the con for most of the day, I stopped immediately and got into character with this outfit.

This Specter the Unchained outfit today was actually specially readjusted for this Arknights Carnival. The hat used quite a few fasteners, along with those star and flower decorations that would fall off with the slightest movement, so I had to maintain great posture the entire time. The long, straight white wig was extremely eye-catching under the venue lights, and combined with the specially done red eye makeup, it instantly maxed out the character's cold yet slightly playful aura. But the most grueling part was actually the staff in my hand; although the giant 3D star prop looks incredible in photos, holding it up in a packed convention meant not only making sure not to bump into other attendees but also balancing the strength needed for the shots. It was definitely a test of arm strength.

Deciding to do a real-scene shoot on the escalator was actually because I liked the reflections on the glass railings and the interlocking horizontal and vertical lines here. A setting like an escalator, full of modern and geometric lines, creates a wonderful visual clash with this magical and magitech-style costume. Often when we take photos at conventions, we rarely think of utilizing such common public facilities in a mall, but as long as you cleverly use the natural side light and the diagonal lines brought by the escalator handrails, the character naturally gains a sense of forward motion in the frame. Moreover, sitting on the escalator steps can fully showcase the deep blue corset at the waist, the strap details above the knees, and the over-the-knee long boots. Compared to a normal eye-level standing pose, this angle with a height drop allows for a more flexible body language.

This type of character really tests the cleanliness of the makeup. Because the eye makeup leans red, if it smudges, it looks very messy, so I put extra care into the eyelashes and eyeliner for this look. Paired with the staff and gloves in my hand, I tried to express that 'elegant yet dangerous' feeling of the character in front of the lens. Of course, moving up and down the escalator in this gear while constantly being careful not to let the skirt get caught in the gaps between the steps made the five minutes of being 'held hostage' in exchange for these few usable convention photos quite physically exhausting—more so than expected.

I used to watch others take convention photos and think it looked easy, but only when you actually wear these props and stand in front of the lens do you understand the 'heavy-lifting' joy behind every perfect photo return. After taking these few shots, I rushed to the nearby resting area to have a cup of water, but looking at the final results on the screen, I feel that these few minutes standing on the escalator at the con were well worth it. Normally, there might not be a chance to do such a complete styling display in this environment, and the advantage of an Arknights carnival or convention is that it completely combines your love for the character with a secondary creation of the venue. There is no need to forcefully strike any high-difficulty poses; simply capturing the character's natural personality is enough.