The studio temperature was on the cooler side, so donning the black plush hat felt just right. Portraying Laowu this time, the overall aesthetic leaned entirely into black-and-white minimalism—no ornate accessories, relying strictly on hair, makeup, and props to anchor the atmosphere. The black plush strips draping down beside my ears, paired with this rounded hat, lent an unexpectedly languid feline charm. To honor the character's visual traits, I specifically prepared these heterochromia contacts—golden-yellow in the left eye and vibrant azure blue in the right. Inserting and positioning them took considerable care, as such radiant lenses can easily catch distracting glares under studio strobes; fortunately, photographer Xieyang exerted razor-sharp control over angles and light beams, capturing effortlessly organic expressions. The base makeup was kept intentionally fairer than usual, blended with generous crimson washes around the eyes to evoke an ethereal, sickly detachment, while muted lip color ensured all visual focus remained locked onto the eyes.
For clothing, I chose a straightforward basic white tee. Yet to keep the frame from falling flat, I added black arm warmers and tied a black textile wrap at the waist into a skirt-like drape, breaking up the stark monochrome monotony. The elongated black backpack served as the centerpiece prop of this look. In the first shot, I sat atop a flight case with one hand resting at my collar, letting the backpack strap sculpt natural diagonal lines. In the second shot, standing before the storage lockers, I cradled the bag with both arms, allowing its dark mass to partially obscure my frame and soften any stiffness. Throughout both takes, Xieyang urged me to stay relaxed—no theatrical gestures needed, just sitting quietly while gazing toward the lens with a subtle flicker of contemplative thought.
Shooting inside the studio, the light stands and softboxes scattered in the background offered intriguing depth. I treated them as natural environmental elements, leveraging soft bokeh circles behind to make the subject pop. Perched upon the massive black gear case, its icy chill seeped through my clothes, instantly grounding me into a stoic, detached headspace. The greatest hurdle in this styling actually lay in managing the white hair wig. A silver-white bob with blunt bangs easily appears flat against the skull, necessitating hidden hair pads beneath the crown to build volume, while the face-framing wisps were textured with pomade to achieve a seemingly effortless yet meticulously crafted fluffiness. The crimson orbital gradient went through multiple revisions: too heavy looked theatrical, yet too faint lost that signature fragile air, ultimately settling on layered washes of varying pink tones to hit the sweet spot.
The entire shoot unfolded at a wonderfully relaxed cadence. Under cool-toned illumination, the black-and-white ensemble clashed crisply against porcelain skin. Stripped of distracting hues, the frames felt remarkably pristine and sharp. Laowu's character design inherently radiates a calm, enigmatic gravity, and channeling that essence through still photography was something I pondered deeply beforehand. Using chiaroscuro contrasts and a steady gaze, complemented by functional utilitarian items like bags and gear cases, pulled the viewer right into that serene, moody Arknights world. The finished set minimized heavy digital effects, largely preserving the raw, straight-from-camera cool palette.