Today, I finally wrapped up retouching this finished photoshoot of Cartethyia from Wuthering Waves. For this shoot, we opted for a white cyclorama studio. Heartfelt thanks to photographer @QingYun for capturing these frames—the pristine white backdrop brought out the character's blue, black, and white attire with exceptional clarity. This costume features an abundance of draped stoles and metallic charms, requiring quite a bit of study during dressing just to figure out the proper layering sequence.
To faithfully embody the knight persona, sword-holding stances were adjusted countless times. The blade features a metallic finish that was tricky to control under studio lighting, easily blowing out under direct light. Master QingYun helped troubleshoot angles throughout, ultimately solving the issue with side fill lighting. My favorite setup was sitting atop the cylindrical pedestal, particularly the pose raising the sword overhead; it showcased the rich layers of the skirt and trailing stoles while flattering the leg lines. Because the skirt is on the shorter side, seated poses required keeping my toes pointed continuously, leaving my legs genuinely sore after wrapping. The long hair paired with twin side braids also tended to wrap around my shoulders with every turn or wide motion, demanding constant tidying to prevent visual clutter in the frame.
For this shoot, I wore blue contact lenses and opted for cool-toned eyeshadow gradients, deliberately deepening facial contours to complement the elf ears. The ear ornaments carried noticeable heft, creating a tangible tug whenever I turned my head; however, seeing the flutter of the tassels in the final shots made every bit of extra hassle feel worthwhile. To deliver my best state in the white studio, I began doing my makeup two hours in advance. The hair texture on the wig had to be sculpted piece by piece, especially the sideburns framing the face, which needed to hug the cheeks closely to create an airy, weightless look.
Compared to practical locations, White studio photography places higher demands on lighting and dynamic body tension. With zero contextual background elements, all attention locks onto the subject, magnifying every subtle expression and posture. During one part of the shoot, I stood barefoot on the pedestal; the surface was rather chilly, requiring me to balance core stability alongside facial control. The prop sword was quite heavy, causing my arm to tremble slightly when holding it one-handed. To capture an aura of effortless mastery, I could only hold the pose for a few seconds before lowering it to rest, resetting several times before nailing a satisfying take. Poses sitting on the floor or kneeling on the pedestal were equally tough, as the hard surface left my knees aching. Yet, seeing the stoles pooling elegantly around me in the raw previews washed away most of the exhaustion.
I am personally very satisfied with the color tone and textural depth of this finished set. Skipping overly complex CGI effects allowed the clean visual aesthetic to shine. A few behind-the-scenes moments and detail shots remain, which I will retouch and share in due time.