[Himeko cosplay] Shooting Honkai: Star Rail Himeko Nova at Seceda Ridge, Italy

This set of photos from Seceda Ridge, Italy, was shot in such a rush; due to weather and cable car schedule constraints, our shooting window was extremely short. Just stepping off the cable car and walking towards the meadow against the strong wind, I actually felt quite unconfident. This time I'm portraying Himeko from Honkai: Star Rail, specifically her Nova styling. As everyone can see from the pictures, the costume details are extremely abundant. The white battle robe with golden trims and the red-and-black color-blocked cape—to fit the original artwork's slender yet powerful setting, the skirt was specially given a high-slit treatment, paired with long gloves and golden appliqués on the legs, trying hard to restore Himeko's elegant yet dashing traits.

Props were the biggest difficulty of this shoot. That long spear definitely counts as heavyweight; with metal accessories and a long flag surface, it might be manageable on a plain, but at high altitudes and windswept places like Seceda Ridge, the flag was blown to wrap around the spear shaft within minutes, or even directly plastered onto my face. One hand had to grip the spear shaft tightly, while the other hand had to strike a composed pose, pushing core strength to its absolute limit. Several times, the flag carried by the wind dragged my entire body backward, and the soreness in my arms was truly indescribable. Yet, it was precisely this fierce wind that caused the flag to unexpectedly unfold in mid-air, and that fluttering battle flag feeling instead became the most eye-catching element in the photos.

Looking at these finished photos, the light and shadow really have a wonderful atmosphere. The sunset light hits the white battle robe, echoing the distant Dolomite peaks, creating a kind of broken yet heroic beauty. However, because time was too rushed, some details couldn't be fully tidied up. For instance, the wig was blown a bit messy by the wind, and some wrinkles on the flag surface didn't have time to be smoothed out, leaving a slight regret. But the photographer's snapshots were precisely on point, such as those frames where I raise the long spear with one hand or reach out to touch the sea of flowers; the emotions and state are both very natural.

Standing on that vast alpine meadow with stern peaks behind and the ski resort's cable car ropeway nearby, there really was an illusion of being immersed in a fantasy world. For this Himeko Nova outfit, from costume making to wig styling, a lot of effort was poured in, and the golden appliqués on the thighs were also repeatedly adjusted in position, hoping that details could still be seen clearly under wide-angle landscape shots. Although the shooting process was rushed and hauling up and down the mountain was quite exhausting, being able to leave Himeko's figure at Seceda Ridge and blend it with this magnificent natural scenery made me feel it was all worth it. This is the joy that cosplay brings me—continuously stepping into different characters and walking into different landscapes. If there's another chance to come here next time, I must reserve a full day to slowly shoot a more complete photoset. Those brilliant yellow small flowers in the background swaying in the wind indeed added a huge sense of vitality to the otherwise cold and hard mountain scenery.