[Arknights Hoshiguma & Ch'en Cosplay] Lungmen Guard Department: Frozen Side by Side Under Urban Neon

Recreating the two colleagues from the Lungmen Guard Department in Arknights against a blue-lit subway phone booth background truly tested our patience much more than a simple studio shoot. The left photo utilizes reflections on the foreground glass to separate the subway station's white railings from the character area, creating a sense of depth akin to a waiting room compartment. The close-up on the right abandons complex backgrounds to focus purely on the unspoken tacit understanding during their interaction.

Our main focus this time was a cool, urban night ambiance, so we chose this station featuring neon tubes for a Duo outdoor photoshoot. For the green-haired character on the left in Hoshiguma cosplay, the styling emphasized tactical straps and fabric selection for the black top; to match the scene's lighting, we chose a structured, stiff fabric so the silhouette wouldn't lose its crispness during body movements. Under the blue-cyan light and shadow, the horns on top displayed a matte texture that resonated nicely with the deep tones of the outfit. For the blue-haired character on the right in Ch'en cosplay, the bright yellow sailor knot served as the visual centerpiece; to prevent it from being washed out by harsh lighting, its fabric carried a subtle sheen. Communicators and small accessories were also firmly secured to avoid shifting while moving around on set.

In terms of hair and makeup, the lighting in a subway station is quite complex, as overhead white lights easily cast harsh facial shadows. We dedicated extra care to the base makeup, enhancing facial contours and securing the flow of the wigs. For long straight styles in green and blue hair, lacking smoothness quickly appears messy on camera; we combed through the strands repeatedly before shooting to maintain a natural flow under strong lighting in this Atmospheric photography. The shot on the right where fingertips touch the chin actually took a long time to capture—due to the confined space, the photographer crouched very low for an upward angle. Both of us had to hold our poses perfectly still in that narrow space, waiting for the camera to catch the exact moment our gazes aligned.

When portraying characters with tactical techwear gear, the biggest worry is looking stiff. To manage unwanted reflections on the glass, we made fine adjustments with lens flags and shading, preserving this deep, translucent blue texture. Post-processing avoided heavy special effects, focusing on controlling the environment's native blue-cyan palette and lowering shadow brightness while carefully preserving facial skin translucency so the cold light wouldn't wash us out into pale silhouettes. Brightening shadow details prevented black uniforms and props from muddying together.

Every outdoor on-location shoot—working with my partner on positioning and collaborating with the photographer on angles—is a deeply rewarding and tangible experience. Although confined to the small space of a phone booth, the sharp architectural lines combined with gentle character expressions constructed a safe, dependable atmosphere. The capability and composure that Hoshiguma and Ch'en naturally project in everyday situations were completely documented in these snapshots, making for a truly fascinating on-location recreation attempt.