[Eyjafjalla Cosplay] Arknights, The Journey Afar: Measuring the Earth with Footsteps

This Eyjafjalla shoot was located at a canyon reservoir transformed from a natural mine pit. The water surface was as blue as a translucent emerald, and the exposed grey-white stone walls carried a coarse, primitive texture. Standing there at that time, looking across to the opposite bank against the wind, truly gave a realistic projection of reaching vastness and freedom; the wind blew head-on, almost pushing me a step back.

I decided to shoot this character because of her setting, which combines a scholar's focus with the trait of exploring unknown lands. When preparing this costume, the biggest challenge actually lay in handling the props and clothing layers. The fabric for the white outer cape was chosen for its draped texture, and the red borders were taken apart and resewn several times so it could fly smoothly in the wild wind without looking rigid, which greatly helped the visual tension in post-production. The black over-knee socks on the lower body were spliced with red stripes, paired with thick-soled brown boots—on one hand, to ensure friction when standing in the rocky zone, and on the other hand, to make the character's overall shape look slender and sharp, beautifully highlighting the leg lines.

The sunlight was exceptionally brutal on the day of the shoot. The light beamed down directly from above, making the water surface intensely reflective, which easily caused unpleasant shadows on the face. The photographer brought several reflector boards to suppress the high-contrast highlights, and we braved the blazing sun to climb back and forth over several rocky slopes before finding this angle that could use both the water surface as a broad background and the rock face as a natural frame. The scepter was primarily used by me as a support point to adjust my center of gravity, especially on those uneven, crumbly dirt slopes, where it happened to maintain a natural standing posture.

The snapshot of looking back in the first photo was particularly interesting. At that time, I had already turned around, preparing to walk away, and the wind just happened to wrap the long cape to one side. I subconsciously glanced back at the lens, and my eyes caught the light just right, bringing out a slightly lighthearted feeling. The following two images facing the wind from behind were not actually intentionally designed; instead, once the gear was in place and the wind blew at its most violent, I stood by the water's edge, and that white outer cloak instantly stretched into a long streamer. Coupled with the backlighting from the sky and water, the overall aura was immensely powerful. The scepter was plunged straight into the dirt, lengthening the sense of space on both sides from a compositional standpoint.

Anime cosplay, to me, is not merely about restoring an outfit, but more about searching for the emotions that the character would have in a real scene. An outdoor setting like this, desolate yet full of openness, coordinates perfectly with her temperament of collecting samples everywhere and conducting field investigations in the lore. Every piece of crushed rock and every clump of stubborn wild grass on the surface shared a wonderful harmony with the character.

Here, I also want to offer a small piece of advice to fellow cosplayers who want to try outdoor scenery cosplay. Wild terrain is complex, and mountain winds are particularly difficult to control, so make sure to pay attention to securing equipment and props—especially long-handled hard props like this, which are hard to repair if broken. Additionally, under such extreme light-and-shadow contrast, if you want to capture a translucent skin tone, it's best to use front-lighting or front-side lighting; otherwise, the highlight edges will turn out very harsh.

The preparation work for this session took a long time; every detail from makeup to costume accessories was repeatedly confirmed. Looking at the serene blue water and the fluttering red-and-white fabric in the final cuts, I feel that baking under the scorching sun for several hours and getting blistered skin was completely worth it. Though outdoor shoots are grueling, being able to walk a path in the natural wind in the identity of this character is already a very special experience.