[Exusiai cosplay] Arknights Laterano Group Shoot Record

In 2023, we completed an Arknights group photoshoot centered around the Laterano theme, a project whose planning actually began back in 2022. At the time, I simply really wanted to shoot a complete Laterano set and called out in the group chat. To my surprise, with a mindset of 'whoever can make it joins', we managed to gather an eight-person lineup bit by bit. Looking back at these photos now, considering everyone's current schedules and regional distance, organizing another shoot would certainly be even more magnificent, but also much harder to pull off.

With a team of eight, the greatest challenge lay in the initial coordination and mutual cooperation. From Exusiai to Executor, the costumes and props for all eight characters were mostly custom-made—especially the long firearms, crossbows, and light-effect parts, which took up considerable space when worn. Laterano's primary palette consists of black and white with red and yellow accents. To match that holy yet battle-ready setting, we specifically chose Pigvision Studio (猪视会摄 Studio), where the clean lighting made it easier to add halos, wings, and other visual effects in post-processing. Special thanks to Naya Wang, who not only directed the scene on set but also captured everyone's most in-character actions—especially firing formations and high-angle marching lines, which demanded precise angles and positioning, completely relying on the photographer's swift pacing and patience.

The props also took a lot of effort. For instance, as Exusiai, the weight of those guns was quite noticeable; holding them steady without shaking while maintaining poses was genuinely exhausting, and the straps around my legs and waist were quite tight. Arene's crossbow, Ambriel's rifle, Fiammetta's longbow, along with the respective firearms of Adnachiel, Mostima, Executor, and Enforcer—each weapon varied in length and weight. When raising weapons to aim, we also had to keep our sightlines and stances aligned in a straight line to give the resulting photos maximum impact. The most entertaining part was the back-view shot, where the back effects and wing angles for all eight members needed to be unified, requiring us to spend a long time pacing around on set to adjust positions.

Beyond macro-composition, the hardest part of a group photo is actually unifying gaze and facial expression. Everyone needed to be on the same wavelength to convey a solemn or battle-ready presence. Especially in the set where all members were armed, the white backdrop paired with cool-toned lights appeared exceptionally crisp and clean. During foreground close-ups, people needed to coordinate positioning to block out background clutter and create depth. This set of photos not only boasts rich design sensibilities but also solid internal logic, making it much more fun—yet far more difficult—than solo shoots. Some photos were taken from an overhead perspective, with layered, staggered positioning that looked very commanding.

Because the temperature dropped slightly on the day of the shoot, wearing leather jackets, shorts, black Stockings, and leg garters in the studio was rather chilly, but seeing the pure light and shadow in the raw photos made everyone feel it was entirely worth it. Highlighting halos required careful alignment in post-production, leaving ample creative room for editing. Coordinating body language with different characters, such as holding weapons at multiple angles, required constant confirmation of positioning to avoid blocking one another. This group shoot was one of the largest-scale endeavors since I started doing cosplay; I thoroughly enjoyed spending time in the studio with like-minded friends, as such large-scale group shoots are truly a comprehensive workout for makeup, physical stamina, and mindset.