Holding a custom red four-leaf clover beret, putting on elf ears, slipping into a dark red inner top and a fluffy red coat, then strapping on the brown leather backpack that has accompanied me through many battles—the moment everything was in place, it felt as though I had truly transported to Mondstadt. This shoot adopted a new lighting strategy: instead of harsh studio light, we used soft natural light filtered through curtains complemented by a warm indoor floor lamp, aiming to create that glowing fairytale-book feel. The light-colored wig required careful styling; hair fibers were layered and trimmed specifically around the ears to fit the Elf ear style and prevent a heavy wig from pressing on and deforming the ears. Curling irons shaped the subtle curls at the ends, avoiding excessive hairspray to maintain airiness. A warm palette was chosen for makeup, using low-saturation maple red eyeshadow to highlight the aegyo sal and inner eye corners for rounder, livelier eyes, paired with a tomato-red lip with orange undertones to neutralize the coolness of the light hair.
When preparing poses, I referenced many official illustrations and in-game actions. The pose in Photo 2—lifting a hand to hold the hat brim while laughing with an open mouth—took multiple takes to find the best angle, balancing a naturally raised arm while keeping glove creases from looking stiff. In three-quarter side profiles, the Elf ear style works wonders to visually elongate the face and make it appear smaller. My partner kept praising my gaze while resting my cheek on my hand in Photo 1, saying it perfectly captured a cunning yet innocent and trusting look toward the camera. Since the shoot was indoors, to simulate an outdoor grassy atmosphere, we stacked yellow cushions and large white plush dolls on a pink plush rug. Light rendered the red coat fabric texture so soft that subtle tonal variations in the weave were visible.
Adjusting the backpack straps on my shoulder, I realized this little prop really elevated the atmosphere, giving the whole outfit an adventurer's storybook feel. The moment in Photo 3 where I tilted my head and smiled softly happened right as I adjusted my breath, resulting in relaxed facial muscles without looking forced. Between takes, I even carried a big bag of snacks, feeding plush dolls nearby while shooting—a moment that felt completely aligned with the character's greedy and cheerful personality. Occasionally, wig bangs would stick to my eyelashes or thick gloves made holding things tricky, but these all added to the authentic life feel of a real shoot.
The whole set wasn't over-retouched, retaining natural skin texture while focusing on eye brightness and costume color accuracy. I kept reminding myself during the shoot to express a positive, fearless, and curious side, using intuitive body language to tell a daily mini-theater story belonging to this character. Putting together glances from different angles and interactions produced these most satisfying moments. This creative process of Anime cosplay is always filled with unexpected sudden glitches, but as long as the frozen frame conveys that energetic vibe, all preparations feel worthwhile.