[Li Sushang cosplay] Honkai Impact 3rd: Ancient Style On-Location Photography, Wishing Every Success

This Honkai Impact 3rd Li Sushang cosplay photoshoot was specially scheduled for release right before the college entrance exams. We specifically booked an ancient style on-location photography site featuring dark wooden pillars and stone piers, where the ambient light was relatively dim. The costume itself is well-tailored with a white-and-blue patterned design, paired with stockings and a leg ring to elongate the leg lines; however, wearing it was somewhat intricate, as the front lacing and flowing ribbons required meticulous positioning.

The prop was a blue-and-white LED glowing sword, boasting impressive length and weight. Its light source was remarkably bright, delivering great texture in low-light conditions, but it also introduced substantial shooting challenges. Because the cool light source was so intense, the subject's face would fall completely into shadow without precise exposure control; therefore, we relied primarily on the cool glowing sword as the key light, balanced by small continuous lights and reflectors to manage the contrast ratio between the face and background.

In the first shot, I leaned against a stone pillar with the sword pointing diagonally toward the ground, utilizing its cool glow to illuminate both the pillar and my leg contours. This composition felt the most grounded and effortless, showcasing both the garment's cut and body silhouette. The next two shots featured rapid turning motions; to freeze the fleeting moments of fluttering hair and the sweeping blue skirt, the camera shutter speed had to be increased significantly. This movement was tough to capture because the skirt hem was relatively heavy, making it difficult to find the right pivot force while keeping head ornaments from flying off. After numerous continuous burst attempts, we selected two frames where the movement was on point and the headpieces stayed secure. The billowing skirt revealed the lines of the legs and leg ring—a detail the photographer intentionally composed.

Post-processing primarily balanced the warm and cool color tones across the frames. Since the historic building featured warm yellow street lamps, we dialed down the ambient color temperature slightly to preserve the character's cool, aloof presence. The fabric was fairly structured with gold thread embroidery, meaning the hem tended to twist during turns. The high heels matched the character setting, but walking on stone slabs made the soles of my feet ache, requiring several short breaks during the shoot. The weather that day was rather average, so we relied heavily on the illuminated sword to establish the atmosphere. Having rarely done shoots with glowing props before, I gained valuable practical experience—especially regarding highlight management on the sword and achieving even light distribution across the face. Knowing that many students are about to take the exam, I kept the character's movements crisp and decisive to convey an all-out momentum to conquer challenges. After wrapping up, everyone agreed that the cool blue-and-white palette harmonized wonderfully with this ancient venue. Releasing this set serves as my cheer for all candidates. I hope this record of effort reminds everyone to stay calm and focused during life's crucial tests.