This duo photoshoot of Hu Tao in NARAKA: BLADEPOINT took quite some time to polish from early planning to actual shooting. Having occasionally stumbled upon the twin concept of white Hu Tao and black Hu Tao before, I was finally able to materialize this idea in my mind through photographer Futaba's lens.
The scene setup on site was a bit more compact than expected. The constructed cherry blossom tree paired with wooden lattice screens behind, plus rockery stones and wooden tables on the ground, instantly brought out the overall atmosphere. Yeye and I, one as white Hu Tao and the other as black Hu Tao, perfectly created visual color contrast. The white Hu Tao look leaned toward elegant agility, decorated with a lot of white lace alongside gold and red obi sashes; while black Hu Tao was more ornate, featuring a blue-white-yellow color-blocked vest paired with black Animal-eared girl traits that formed a nice contrast with my hair color.
The biggest difficulty during shooting was actually that red paper umbrella. Under studio lights, the red umbrella showed vibrant color, but holding it with one hand not only required nice arm lines, but was also prone to looking unnatural when posing. Yeye and I tried several angles, finally discovering that sitting together on a wooden chair with Yeye holding the umbrella while I posed—or interacting while taking turns holding the umbrella—made the image far less stiff. Especially Yeye's solo photo sitting as black Hu Tao, where leg lines and black stocking textures popped brilliantly under the light. The photographer advised us to relax our legs as much as possible and rest our feet against the wooden chair's edge so the resulting image would look natural.
Speaking of costume details this time, the obi sash and animal ears truly played the biggest finishing touch. Hu Tao in NARAKA: BLADEPOINT has many costume elements; complex rope knots and hanging ornaments often got tangled when moving around. To maintain the best visual effect, we barely moved much on site, making subtle adjustments to sitting poses and gazes within a small range. White Hu Tao's white undergarment paired with sheer tights, along with black Hu Tao's dark tights paired with white gloves, created a wonderfully harmonious visual balance.
Futaba-sensei was extremely patient this time. To capture the most satisfying dynamics, lighting positions were adjusted repeatedly, placing wine bottles and porcelain on the wooden table as foreground embellishments. This kind of traditional Chinese retro set places high demands on side-backlight, needing to ensure sufficient facial exposure without letting the red umbrella and cherry blossoms wash out in light. Seeing the final photos, I truly felt that hazy yet authentic texture was beautifully restored in this Sakura Photograph set.
Reviewing this set of photos, what cosplay tests most is actually not how accurate the outfit is, but the tacit understanding between cosplayers. This was the first time Yeye and I attempted such a complete duo theme together; from eye contact to pose flow, although shooting took a long time, the final outcome felt very comfortable. The original intent of sharing this piece was mainly to record shoot insights, hoping to provide a bit of reference for fellow enthusiasts preparing duo Chinese style cosplay. The joy of shooting was truly hidden in moments stretching legs on the wooden chair and that instant when shadows from the red umbrella's rim brushed across the cheek.