From the very beginning, this Arknights Amiya cosplay photoshoot was conceived around the birthday girl theme. In the pre-production stage, most of the effort went into preparing the costume and props. The blue-and-white checkered dress is very classic, complemented by a white lace apron and a red-accented collar to create a clean visual effect. Considering the birthday celebration, I specifically chose a White Rabbit milk candy shaped plush pillow paired with fluffy bunny ears to maximize the character's signature visual elements. To match the overall aesthetic, the hairstyle was styled into subtly curled twintails with highlights, which caught the backlight with a beautiful sheen. Since the shots included plenty of leg framing, I deliberately selected White stockings paired with black Mary Jane shoes—a color contrast that delivered great texture under the reflected light on the wooden floor.
The set was a pre-decorated flower room arranged with artificial flowers, plush bunny dolls, a wooden bookshelf, and an afternoon tea table, aiming to create a fairytale-like sense of everyday life. During the shoot, the photographer and I designed several sets of poses to avoid monotony. When sitting on the wooden floor, bending and extending the legs showcased the costume's layers, while shifting the gaze in different directions evoked varying emotions. The pose hugging my knees visually accentuated the stockings and shoes; resting on the tea table focused on an authentic expression, requiring half-closed eyes or leaning on the arms to make the posture feel genuine; and the moment of tossing the plush pillow into the air relied on precise timing to capture a dynamic tension. A standing bent-over pose flatteringly highlighted the leg lines, during which I paid close attention to facial expressions with a slight chin tuck.
The biggest challenge during the shoot was controlling the light. The harsh diagonal afternoon sun created a massive contrast ratio that easily overexposed the face, so we primarily utilized reflectors to soften harsh facial shadows and ensure sculpted features without dark patches. Sitting on the wooden floor in a dress also meant carefully arranging the skirt folds to look effortless while avoiding any wardrobe malfunctions. This soft backlit setting put both makeup and styling details to the test; after testing several eye makeup styles, I settled on a translucent blue-toned eye makeup that made the eyes pop and harmonized with the character's color scheme. Catchlights in the eyes were also a key focus during post-retouching to keep them natural. The editing aimed to preserve the vintage, soft-lit feel of the actual shoot. Fine adjustments to costume textures and prop placements in pre-production made this complete set possible. Although the process was demanding, the synergy of the setting and props allowed me to immerse myself quickly—like stepping right into a fairytale picture book—and I hope these photos preserve this unique visual birthday memory.