[Astesia cosplay] Arknights 7th Anniversary, An Encounter of Stars and Songs

Getting this outfit for Astesia ready and finalizing the look took about half a month of tweaking. The long blue curly hair paired with golden star ornaments visually creates a sense of a clear, bright starry sky. The layered white and blue skirt hem uses a generous amount of fabric, especially the inner layer of dark blue tulle dotted with stardust, which exhibits a flowing luster when turning, though it also brings a burden in terms of weight. To maintain the puffiness of the skirt during the shoot, I made quite a few adjustments to the petticoat.

The props were well-prepared this time; the golden mechanical bird was a custom handmade piece from a craftsman, with wings that can move within a small range, and the handheld microphone was coated with a silvery metallic texture. The scene was chosen at the steps indoors next to stained glass windows, surrounded by clusters of blue and white flowers and glowing prism lights. This cool-toned environment fits Astesia's own temperament perfectly. The photographer used a lot of diffused fill light to make the illumination on my face exceptionally soft, rendering the highlight details in my blue pupils clearly visible.

The shooting process was actually a true test of physical control. When posing with the staff in the second photo, I had to simultaneously balance the angle of the prop and the flowing grace of the tulle dress; we had to shoot several takes in a row before picking a satisfying dynamic movement. The high-angle shot in the fifth photo turned out surprisingly well; the lines of the steps and the surrounding flowers centralized the visual focus right on the character. The moment of looking back while holding the bird in the fourth photo was captured just at the right time, with the bird's wings refracting a faint golden reflection in the light.

This set of Astesia cosplay photos serves as a memento for myself for the 7th anniversary. From the initial concept to the final color grading, every effort was made to restore the aloof yet gentle temperament that players hold in their hearts for this character. There was no over-smoothing of the skin in post-processing, preserving the texture of the garment fabric and the translucency of the tulle, because texture is the key to true restoration. The indoor temperature on the day of the shoot was actually quite high, and I was stifled for several hours wearing long gloves and a thick tulle gown, but seeing the natural drape of the skirt lines in the final photos made it all feel completely worth it.

The tailoring of the costume fits my body shape very well, especially the cinched waist and the bow tie at the back, which properly elevated my waist proportions, making the tulle layers emit a subtle rustling sound as I walked. Although the golden scepter in my hand was just a posing prop, its metallic surface was given an antique, weathered finish, creating a subtle contrast with the pristine white of the dress. The stars on the hairpiece were pinned on individually, and I adjusted their positions at any time based on the tilt angle during the shoot to prevent them from shifting out of place.

The lighting control across this entire set of cosplay photography is one of the more satisfying aspects; the shadows retain the color cast of the blue environment while the highlights avoid overexposure, giving the white dress highly rich layers. I hesitated for a long time during the final photo selection because every single image has a different atmospheric feel. The six photos shared this time are the ones I feel best embody the character's stage presence and sense of mystery.