For this Arknights Lily of the Valley Snow Clearing Cosplay shoot, we set the location in a late-autumn Bald cypress forest. In fact, during location scouting, I was immediately drawn to the reddish-brown woods and the reflections on the water surface, wanting to leverage the warm-toned sunset backlighting to complement this character aura—relatively serene yet touched with mystical fox-spirit charm. The lighting in the raw shots was truly immaculate; the setting sun gilded the reddish-brown bark and fallen leaves with a golden rim, delivering immense texture.
A great deal of thought went into the hair and makeup. The long, straight golden wig and fluffy animal ears on the crown were the foundation, with the core focus placed on fine-tuning the eye makeup. I used red contact lenses and pinkish eyeshadow to accentuate a gaze that is both lively and subtly otherworldly, paired with the white-and-red trimmed modified kimono and black-and-red hakama trousers, creating a particularly harmonious overall palette. However, what proved most striking were those massive, fluffy tails. Because they were custom-crafted with fine workmanship, the tails caught the sunlight with a gorgeous sheen, yet they were exceptionally heavy to wear. Carrying them throughout the shoot was physically exhausting; especially when walking or shifting seated poses, I needed the photographer's help to find angles so the tails looked natural.
Prop-wise, the red oil-paper umbrella and the golden phoenix-shaped casting focus echoed each other beautifully. The golden prop in particular gleamed with dazzling metallic luster under the backlit sunlight; holding it in coordination with the extension of the fox tails instantly established rich compositional layers. The shooting process was genuinely demanding: not only did I have to endure the weight of the tails, but I also had to keep posture strictly in check at all times, repeating many full-body and half-body poses multiple times. Fortunately, the collaborating photographer was very experienced, capturing numerous wonderful moments. In particular, for the shots sitting by the water's edge or leaning against the cypress trees, we entirely utilized natural light, shadows, and reflections as visual leading lines. In post-production, I only applied basic adjustments to color and exposure, unifying the distinctive red-orange tones of autumn to accentuate the atmosphere of fallen leaves. Overall, this costume proved an extraordinary match for this scenery; the warmth of the landscape blended seamlessly with the cool, aloof aura inherent to the character's design. Especially the semi-translucent fabric textures exhibited remarkable expressive power under backlighting, making this a truly unforgettable Autumn outdoor scene experience.