At the convention at Beitou Shopping Park on June 2nd, I finally managed to shoot these Convention photos for Jingliu from Honkai: Star Rail. I had been wanting to find an opportunity to shoot such a cool-toned character in an indoor exhibition hall for a while. The weather this weekend happened to be nice, and although the venue's lighting was on the dimmer side, finding the right angles actually brought out a lot of dramatic tension. Featuring me (Yanyanbaozhen), the prop preparation this time went very well—the proportions and counterweight of the longsword were just right, so holding it for high-angle俯视 or horizontal slashing poses didn't feel awkward or flimsy at all. The wig was a custom-made ice-blue long straight wig; to capture the character's aura, the front bangs were designed to slightly cover the left eye, and paired with heterochromia colored contacts, passing photographers commented during makeup testing that the gaze was spot on. For the costume, this dark blue and light blue spliced slim-fit combat attire had great texture. The circular ornaments on the chest and waist, finished with gold-trimmed outlines, created nice reflective highlights under the flash, and paired with the black over-the-knee high-heeled leather boots, a sleek and slender silhouette was fully achieved. Accessories like the belt, detached bracers, and purple gloves were all edge-treated in advance to ensure the overall color palette was unified and harmonious.
On the day of the shoot, the lighting at Beitou Shopping Park was actually quite complex, but the charm of Convention photos lies in the authentic environmental interaction. In the first and third finished photos, I incorporated post-processing effects of shattered glass and ice crystals, which were natural extensions centered around the character's core setting as an 'Ice Swordswoman.' During actual shooting, to leave room for post-production effects, the movements required a certain sense of energy-charging and poised pauses during sword swings. For example, when posing on one knee holding the sword, the grip strength in my hands had to remain steady while my gaze needed to stay as cool and focused as possible, allowing it to blend seamlessly with the sharp post-effects later on. The convention was very crowded with passersby or other attendees entering the frame, so the photographer often chose tricky low angles or half-body medium shots to avoid the cluttered surroundings while maximizing the display of leg lines and upper-body garment details.
For the overall makeup this time, I chose a clean, pale base paired with a light lip color, avoiding overly heavy tones that might steal focus from the costume and silver wig. During on-site lighting, because the color temperature inside the convention hall varied, the photographer used off-camera flash with cool-toned color gels as the primary light source, resulting in natural, fair skin tones. The high-heeled boots not only elongated body proportions but also faithfully restored the lower-body design of the character. When it comes to Anime cosplay, many behind-the-scenes details are well worth sharing as part of this Cosplay photography sharing. For instance, wearing a wig for an extended period can easily get stuffy, so I constantly adjusted the hair strands to ensure the wig didn't look frizzy in the final shots. Although the prop sword looked heavy, its lightweight material allowed me to hold continuous poses effortlessly. Towards the end of the expo, we took a few more full-body standing shots in a relatively empty aisle to showcase the details of the skirt and belt.
Regarding the styling of this Jingliu cosplay, I actually discussed the color matching and tailoring with the tailor for a long time, mainly hoping to achieve a look that was light and flattering while preserving the character's imposing aura. For example, the high-slit skirt hem faithful to the original design made it easy to take wide strides; the hollow and spliced details on the chest and waist fit snugly without looking bulky. During the shoot, I also paid close attention to balancing tension and ease, since Jingliu is a battle-hardened sword master who shouldn't appear too nervous in front of the lens. In post-processing, I deliberately retained dark tones in parts of the background to make the blue-and-white outfit and shattered glass effects pop, forming a striking visual contrast. This was my first focused convention shoot of June; both my condition and the resulting photos turned out great. I even met fellow fans on-site who recognized the character, and exchanging photography and cosplay tips made the offline interactive atmosphere truly enjoyable.