October 10 marks Momonoka's birthday, and I deliberately chose today to release this preview set. The greatest challenge of this photoshoot lay in our attempt at fish tank photography, framing shots through the glass of an aquarium tank—a technique that heavily tests precise focusing and the interplay between light and shadow. To craft the dreamy ambiance of an underwater realm, we placed vibrant orange-red goldfish inside the tank, ingeniously utilizing surface water droplets on the glass and natural lighting for backlit captures.
Looking at the makeup and costume details, I wore a dress adorned with a large red bow and a black choker, complemented by a soft-pink wig and pointed elven ear accessories. To bring the character vividly to life for this Momonoka cosplay, I strove to maintain a calm, slightly detached composure before the camera. Because we were shooting through glass, compounded by shifting ripples and swimming goldfish, unexpected glare and reflections frequently occurred in the frame. This demanded that I keep my breathing and movements extraordinarily slow and measured, continuously adjusting the distance between my face and the glass while collaborating with the photographer to find the optimal refraction angles for shimmering bokeh.
Under backlit conditions, the edges of my hair displayed an exquisitely soft texture, while the swimming goldfish in the foreground blurred into painterly swatches of color due to the shallow depth of field, beautifully enriching the spatial depth of the composition. Shooting through water-speckled glass demands not only razor-sharp focus control, but also an acute sensitivity to refracted light. Although the entire shooting process was quite tedious and physically draining, seeing the dappled glimmer refracted through ripples in the finalized images and that otherworldly underwater dimension made every exhausting adjustment completely worthwhile.
On this special day belonging to Ponyo from Arknights, I am thrilled to capture and preserve such a unique visual record. I hope sharing this photographic work infused with refreshing aquatic mist brings joy to everyone—and once again, a very happy birthday to Momonoka!