[Berrypheasant Skewers Cosplay] Honkai: Star Rail Old Summer Palace Night Shoot

This set of night shots at the Old Summer Palace is one of the finished pieces from this outdoor location shoot. Since it was a nighttime environment, the overall lighting relied entirely on artificial light control. I checked the scenes with the photographer in advance, and the stone and wood railings of the Old Summer Palace, along with the surrounding zinnias, perfectly suited the character's cool yet lively temperament. The red, blue, and white color-blocking of the costume made it relatively easy to get good shots against the pitch-black background; we just needed to control the highlights to give the embroidery and patterns on the clothes a textured feel. The wig this time was a light blue short style. When putting it on, I adjusted the position of the bangs and sideburns, and combined with the gold and green gemstone decorations on my head, I was quite satisfied with the crown height and the smoothness of the hair strands from a profile view. The string of tanghulu in my hand, serving as an iconic prop, was actually made from a mold, but looking closely, it beautifully simulates the gloss of sugar glaze.

In terms of props, the length and weight of this large sword are quite unique. During the shoot, it had to lean against the old wooden guardrails. To keep the blade from tilting while forming a stable triangular composition with my posture, we repeatedly adjusted the angle a few times. This part was the most physically exhausting aspect of the entire shoot; if I lost focus for even a second, the sword would swerve, requiring constant core strength stabilization. Going barefoot was to fit the character's setting. The outdoor wooden steps and flagstones at night were indeed freezing cold, but during the shoot, my attention was entirely focused on my expressions and movements, so I ignored the perception of temperature. The little red bell at my ankle was tied very tightly, so it wouldn't fall off even with large movements. The playful action of hanging the tanghulu from my toes in the second picture was actually a spontaneous idea while fixing the pose, but the final effect turned out quite unexpected, adding some vivid details to the overall quiet frame.

The color of the wooden bridge railings at this spot in the Old Summer Palace had a beautiful layered, distressed finish, presenting a gentle, warm-toned base under the camera flash. The zinnias in the background weren't very visible at night and needed to be brightened slightly with a reflector, which created a perfect contrast in the photo. The blue hair illuminated by the cool light and the red-and-yellow zinnias perfectly restored the high-saturation color feel of an anime illustration.

Overall, the shoot was not easy, especially since the ground was uneven and I had to stand firmly barefoot, making it very easy to slip. Fortunately, the final shots didn't turn out blurry, and the expressions and hand movements in front of the lens were locked in at just the right moments. The red trailing end of the cape would get caught in the gaps of the wooden planks when spread across the ground, so it had to be straightened out before shooting. I hope this finished photoset presents that carefree and slightly eccentric feel of the character. The specific physical sensations can probably only be understood by those who have personally shot a night session, but the light, shadow, color, and visual tension of the final photos serve as a proper tribute to this Old Summer Palace location shoot.