What were you thinking when you signed the contract with the Counter Force? This question indeed makes one pause involuntarily when lifting the long sword. When shooting this set of photos, what was on my mind was actually not some grand narrative, but how to use the camera lens to segment that highly tense aura. The shooting concept of "rivers of blood" proposed by the photographer Lian-chan just happened to match the underlying tone of this look. This collaboration combines the classic character with the theatrical style stage presence of Honkai: Star Rail. The royal blue dress coat paired with silver pauldrons, and the layered look of the white lace high collar and black inner wear, presents a flavor that is both vintage and modern under multiple light sources.
The construction of the real-scene studio took a lot of effort, with white Roman columns and high-positioned candlestick chandeliers laying down a highly solemn keynote. What moved me the most was the high-hanging red drapery, which, illuminated by the surrounding cool white lights, easily reminds one of a red long staircase and the clash of kings. This custom-made cross long sword in my hand, with detailed rune patterns carved on the blade and a blue hilt with gold trim details, feels solid when held, providing a perfect balance point for the entire movement. Four sets of photos tried different compositions, among which the postures of standing with the sword on the shoulder and lying on the side on the ground can clearly present the silhouette lines of the weapon and the clothing.
To stay close to the character's cool-toned emotions, the makeup this time specially adopted light-colored contact lenses and a clean base makeup, paired with meticulous braiding, allowing one to quickly immerse into the battle atmosphere. During actual shooting, it heavily tested muscle control, especially while maintaining a stable posture and keeping the reflective surfaces on the pauldrons and the sword hilt aligned with the light source the whole time. Throughout the process, the photographer repeatedly adjusted the angles of the reflector and ambient lights several times, showing great dedication. The pairing of the white mesh skirt and black Martin boots also added a sense of weight to the visual center of gravity, which, combined with the red ambient lights hitting the ground, beautifully manifested that visual impact woven from oppressiveness and gorgeousness.
Although the states in the photos you see look very natural, we spent a lot of time on the set design. Especially how to smooth out the black-based gold-patterned cape and how to handle the creases of the white mesh on the ground were repeatedly deliberated. After completing this work, I also reviewed the choice of clothing materials; being able to precisely restore a design with metal accessories, a high standing collar, and a long hem all at once in the studio truly tests the early preparation work for prop reproduction. The post-processing color grading of this set of final photos also preserved the original royal blue dark patterns of the clothing without relying excessively on filters, maximizing the three-dimensional feel of the real-scene light and shadow. I thoroughly enjoyed this creative process of pursuing visual restoration through cosplay photography.