Here is the completed cosplay photo set of Hu Tao from NARAKA: BLADEPOINT, shot on-site at the Beijing IDO Anime convention on July 21st. First, a huge thanks to photographer Yingdi for capturing these moments. Getting such clean and atmospheric shots in a crowded Anime convention with complex lighting is truly no easy feat. I started prepping this outfit a month in advance, endlessly adjusting everything from styling the wig and securing the beast ears to positioning the metal floral ornaments and pearl accents on the waist. Hu Tao is known in the game for her healing yet charming persona, so I intentionally emphasized my eyes with makeup and chose bright blue colored contacts for added clarity. Paired with natural peach-pink lips, blunt bangs, and medium-length silver-white hair, I hoped to fully capture her lively and spirited maiden aura.
The trickiest part of this costume was the layered pink tulle. While it flows gracefully as you walk, it easily snags on props or the wig if you aren't careful, so I had to strictly control my range of motion while shooting. The hair accessory with bells and tassels was also hand-modified by me—I spent an entire night tying it just to get the proportions right with the beast ears. It was extremely hot on the day of the convention and the air conditioning barely helped, but to get great shots, I pushed through and stayed on my feet in high heels for a long time. The sitting pose resting on the suitcase in Photo 2 was actually a candid shot taken right after the photographer called a break; he mentioned that this relaxed state looked far more natural, so we ended up including it in the final selection.
Throughout the shoot, we experimented with various backdrops. In addition to the wide-aperture bokeh of the convention hall, we set up a simple white sheer drape and candelabras in a quiet corner to recreate the game's dreamy, traditional Japanese indoor ambiance. The heart sign in Photo 4 was a fun interactive prop reading LOVE LOVE LOVE, though holding it required care to prevent glare from the sequins from disrupting the lighting on my face. Hu Tao's palette revolves around white, red, gold, and pink—a color scheme that looks lovely on camera but poses a real challenge in color grading, as you need to preserve the cool white skin tones without washing out the delicate layers of the pink tulle.
To be honest, after cosplaying for so many years, I still get nervous facing unfamiliar lenses at an Anime convention. Luckily, I met so many enthusiastic fellow fans that day, and several people recognized the character from NARAKA: BLADEPOINT and took photos with me, which made me genuinely happy. We kept heavy retouching to a minimum in this set to preserve the authentic lighting of the venue, hoping to convey that genuine passion and energy of the convention. The best part of being a cosplayer is putting on the outfit you love and stepping before the camera—in that moment, all the exhaustion becomes completely worthwhile. This set captured my most authentic self at that time, and I look forward to sharing even better works with everyone in the future.