Direct sunlight beat down on the gray asphalt road, and the temperature of the ground gradually rose. For this Arknights outdoor shoot, we chose this street with double solid yellow lines and a crosswalk. As the cosplayer portraying Angelina, to restore the character's lively feel, I deliberately styled the reddish-brown wig, put on the corresponding beast-ear hair ornaments, and changed into that uniform with a brown vest.
The difficulty of group portrait shooting lies in coordination. The four of us needed to appear in the frame at the same time, and our actions had to echo each other. At that time, everyone was finding their footing at the edge of the crosswalk. To present that hand-in-hand dynamic in the photos, we tried different strides and rhythms. I reached out to grab the partner next to me, who was wearing pink rabbit ears, a white shirt, and a light plaid skirt. The two of us needed to keep our paces synchronized; otherwise, not only would our movements look stiff, but we would also easily step on each other's feet. The partner in the middle with pink hair was wearing a light blue top, and her position played a connecting role, needing to balance interactions both front and rear. Meanwhile, the partner at the bottom wearing a black sailor uniform not only had to be in the frame, but also had to hold a DSLR camera to candidly shoot us, which required her to pose while keeping the lens stable.
The texture and tailoring of the costumes in a real-world setting directly affect the freedom of movement. The hem of the dark plaid pleated skirt is relatively stiff; although it has a good drape when moving around, it creates a pulling sensation when taking large strides. The white short-sleeved shirt was prone to overexposure under the strong sunlight, and photographer Ling Erha kept adjusting the camera parameters to find the most suitable exposure combination. We took a brief break next to a bench, where our phones were casually placed. We slightly adjusted the positions of our socks and shoes; due to standing and moving around for a long time, our calves began to feel a bit sore and bloated.
During the shoot, the lighting changed very rapidly. Due to the high-angle overhead shot, the light directly above our heads cast very heavy shadows beneath our feet. This required us not to rely entirely on natural light when positioning ourselves, but also to utilize the light-dark boundary of the terrain to highlight the figures. Everyone tried hard to maintain their character postures; despite being somewhat dazzled by the bright sunlight, our facial expressions still needed to retain vitality. During the few seconds of waiting for the shutter to press, we needed to hold our breath and control our core strength to ensure our movements didn't shake.
Since it was an open street, passersby or vehicles occasionally passed by, and we needed to quickly complete the shoot during safe gaps. Everyone reminded each other while moving around, paying attention to the yellow lines and isolation pillars underfoot. This authentic street photography experience was full of unknowns and challenges, but when we finally captured these moments of wearing complex costumes and wigs by adjusting our positioning and angles, everything went smoothly.