[Hu Tao cosplay] NARAKA: BLADEPOINT Sakura Cloud Celestial, A Visual Record of Japanese style cosplay

This set of NARAKA: BLADEPOINT Hu Tao cosplay Sakura Cloud Celestial took over half a month from preparation to the final Cosplay photoshoot. The color of the dress is actually very demanding on lighting; the red, white, and gold combination coupled with layers of tulle requires enough warm light to reveal that sense of lightness. The wig is a custom white hair base with pink highlights, and thin braids on both sides. The most painstaking part was the pair of animal ears on top of the head; to make them look naturally fluffy on camera, wires were padded inside and the angles were adjusted repeatedly to ensure they could stand up from any camera angle.

The makeup focuses on a clear and slightly intoxicated feel, using pink-purple tones for the eye makeup, emphasizing the smudging of the lower eyelids, and matching with contact lenses to focus the gaze as much as possible. The nails were intentionally painted dark red, creating a detailed contrast of the hands when holding the folding fan. Actually, shooting this Japanese style cosplay outfit, the hardest part is posture. Although the clothes look great, the upper body features an off-shoulder design, and coupled with heavy metal floral ornaments on the chest and waist, one must keep the chest puffed out and abdomen pulled in while standing; a slight relaxation would cause the clothes to slip down.

This time, folding fans, oiled paper umbrellas, as well as props like white cranes and lanterns were prepared for the shoot. With so many props, the frame easily looks cluttered, so the photographer kept adjusting the camera angles to make the character pop out from the background of cherry blossoms and tulle curtains. I particularly like the pose of half-lying on that piece of red fabric. That action actually tests core strength quite a bit, because after the tulle and long skirt are spread out, you have to find angles yourself to extend the leg lines, while also controlling the stretch of the shoulders so that the lace edges and gold decorations can naturally drape down. Back then, to capture that lazy yet slightly aggressive feel, the photographer shot from a high angle diagonally above, while I held the folding fan with one hand, touched the details of the collar with the other, and directed my gaze slightly above the lens.

When shooting the sitting posture, wearing transparent high heels and the red rope bells on the ankles, the angle of crossing legs required bit-by-bit testing so that the slit of the skirt hem could just reveal the leg lines without feeling deliberate. The cherry blossom trees and wooden lattice screens in the venue were arranged with a strong sense of depth, and paired with the warm-yellow lantern lighting, the atmosphere of the original photos was already very rich. Being able to restore the character's visual effects to this extent is inseparable from Yuchen-laoshi's makeup, styling, and photography, as well as the set design by Chenxing Photography Studio. Although the whole process was tiring, seeing the final deliverables made me feel that every detail adjustment was worth it.