[Helektra Cosplay] Original Character Setting Version of Honkai: Star Rail, The Gothic Girl's Mirror World

This shoot features the original character setting version of Helektra from Honkai: Star Rail, counting as an attempt at another stylistic conception of this character.

Regarding the details of the costume, the texture of the entire black lace gothic dress displays different layers under the lighting setup, and the lace texture combined with the hollowed-out shoulders looks exceptionally mysterious. This kind of all-black clothing is actually highly selective of lighting. To avoid losing details in the dark areas, the lighting chosen this time was a slightly stronger main light and cool-toned ambient light, which both highlights the blue-and-purple dual-tone wig I tried on this time and prevents the pure black dress from turning into a flat dead black.

In terms of makeup, since it is a creation geared toward an original character setting, I didn't rigidly restore a specific official illustration, but instead combined the temperament of Gothic style cosplay, selecting blue colored contacts paired with black eyeliner tilted slightly upward at the outer corners of the eyes. The blue cross mark beneath the corner of the eye is the crowning touch of this look, and it represents my own understanding of this character's specific atmosphere. To match this headwear, the white origami styling on top of the head underwent some shaping treatments in advance so that it could maintain a crisp form under natural light.

For the set construction, this time retro picture frames, a red velvet sofa, and roses were used as the foreground and background. The geometric lines of the frame contrast with the soft texture of the sofa. Especially the few shots sitting on the ground, looking outward from the inside of the picture frame—I personally love this composition very much. This way of posing that breaks spatial boundaries allows a strong sense of interaction between the subject and the props, rather than simply stuffing a person into a scene. The black-and-white chessboard pattern on the floor also plays a great role in visual guidance, giving the entire frame a retro picture-in-picture texture through this retro atmospheric photography.

Regarding the conception before shooting, the socks and skirt hem chosen in this styling cooperate very tacitly. The high-gloss material combined with the loose lace skirt hem ensures that the leg lines do not look too abrupt in the lens while blending naturally with the overall gorgeous feel. What required the most attention during the shooting process was tidying the attire; because black lace easily gathers dust or wrinkles, it was necessary to confirm the direction of the skirt hem and the position of the origami headpiece before every click of the shutter to make it look sufficiently harmonious.

I don't quite like over-solemnizing cosplay; this time, rather than a restoration, it is more like a concrete expression of character aesthetics. I hope to convey that quiet yet slightly mysterious, aloof atmosphere through the light/shadow atmosphere, prop arrangements, and hair/makeup details. Although an original character setting might provoke differing views from some fans of the original work, I personally feel the charm of cosplay lies precisely in shaping a 2D character through one's own understanding, and this process of self-expression is highly worth recording.

In post-processing, I tried my best to preserve the skin texture and the authentic details of the clothing, without over-smoothing the skin or forcibly changing the facial light and shadow structure. After all, the clothing material is also a part of expressing the character's personality; preserving the garment's texture and the flowing sensation of the hair strands makes the audience feel that this is a truly existing image. The styling and posture control throughout the shooting process underwent repeated trials and adjustments, hoping to leave an excellent visual record for this character's original character setting creation.