[Ling cosplay] Arknights: Ling's New Year Photo Drops

Specifically made time around New Year to shoot Ling from Arknights (Ling cosplay). This outfit truly gave me a burnt-out feeling. Let's talk about the prep work first: the wig featured a blue-green base with pink-red highlights and white strands, taking considerable time to trim and style. The horns and elf ears on my head needed to be firmly secured with glue and bobby pins, as tilting my head slightly made them prone to falling off. The white outfit is made of fabric with great drape, but easily gets dirty, so I had to be extra careful not to brush against walls during shooting.

The mirror shot was mainly to check the overall effect and document the moment. The leg straps took a long time to adjust without digging in uncomfortably, and the proportions between the shorts, straps, and shoes were quite crucial. The frontal close-up shot was actually easier to capture; the highlight of the makeup was the blue contact lenses and red outer eye corners, paired with a casual demeanor with deliberate expression control.

Throughout the shoot, most of the time was spent fighting the head accessories—whenever the wind blew, hair and ribbons flew all over the place. Yet sometimes these candid, unscripted captures turned out much more natural. For the costume's detail fidelity, such as the yellow bow on the chest and the blue-trimmed edge of the white cape, we tried our best to recreate the textures from the original 2D design.

After finishing, the biggest takeaway was that costumes and accessories truly demand enormous energy to manage. As a Cosplayer, experimenting with unfamiliar styles is always an intriguing journey; although exhausting, seeing the results was very satisfying. For this look, I chose a clean, crisp, and translucent makeup style—not too heavy—fitting the character's traits to highlight her cool, sharp elegance. Paired with this white-and-blue color scheme, it is a great choice for casual portraits or convention cosplay. Immersing oneself in the preparation process for a beloved character is a joy in itself. Despite being busy during the New Year transition, capturing this cherished look provided an irreplaceable sense of accomplishment.

Looking at it from a makeup and styling perspective, the base makeup had to be clean because the costume is white. Eyeshadow couldn't be too heavy, relying instead on eyeliner to elongate the eyes. For the lips, a muted bean-paste shade was chosen. The wig was divided into three layers, with the outermost layer being the longest, and the red-and-white highlights had to be tucked naturally within the bangs. The midriff-baring design has strict requirements on silhouette, but wearing the jacket actually looks quite slimming. The horns were spray-painted a deep purple with great texture, with the small block above revealing a hint of white.

Shooting right around New Year meant the venue was freezing, but wearing heavy clothing wasn't an option, so I relied on heat packs stuck to my back. The cape is very long; to capture that flowing, ethereal dynamic, I had to walk back and forth multiple times to catch a naturally draped shot. For the mirror selfie, to make the pose look effortless, I actually posed in front of the mirror for quite a while, finally finding that extending one foot slightly forward elongated the leg lines best.

Looking back at the whole process, it was definitely exhausting, but that is precisely the joy of cosplay—truly transforming 2D settings into 3D reality. I hope to have the energy to challenge even more complex looks next time! A small tip learned: definitely remember to buy a portable wig stand next time, otherwise holding it by hand is way too tiring. Huge thanks to the photographer for their guidance, and to the friends on site who helped adjust the costume. This outfit photographed amazingly under the lights, with the vibrant blue and white reflections performing impeccably. This combination of translucent white and blue-purple matches the character's temperament and my personal aesthetic taste perfectly. Although equipment was limited and the location was improvised, there were no regrets—the communication and professionalism throughout made it thoroughly fulfilling. That confident look into the lens was also deliberately practiced for the role. I relish the challenge before every shoot, and I hope everyone can feel the charm of this character!