[Kamisato Ayaka Cosplay] Cherry Blossoms in the Snow in Genshin Impact: A Real Record of a Snowmaking Machine Fail

When doing this look for Kamisato Ayaka's "Springbloom Missive" outfit, the first thing I thought of was combining it with a snowy landscape, so I booked a snowmaking machine. However, it wasn't until the day of the shoot that I realized I was truly too naive.

With that snowmaking machine, there is absolutely no way to make it fall precisely on top of your head or by your side where you want it. If it's sprayed too high, it turns directly into a water mist, and the wind force is immense; if it's sprayed too low, the foam snowflakes smudge straight onto the wig and my face. The most embarrassing part is that as long as it's turned on, the random drifting of the snow is completely uncontrollable, often smashing a big clump right into my eyes and the camera lens.

Later, I called over a friend on set to help as crew, having him hold a long pole and walk around the scene just to barely create a slight illusion of falling snow. But the time cost of that was way too high; holding it manually made his arms sore after a short while, and it was so intermittent that it couldn't connect continuously at all.

Out of options, I could only put the effort into post-processing. Layer by layer, I stacked snowflake assets in the editing software. Especially trying to simulate that dynamic feeling of snow flying all over the sky while avoiding the facial makeup, and also matching it with the dynamic poses of the folding fan and sake cup. This process was truly more exhausting than pressing the shutter; editing until midnight made my eyes go blurry.

Though the process was a bit clumsy, I am still quite satisfied with the final photo results. The snowflake pattern at the bottom of this blue-based kimono and the pink cherry blossom elements at the waist perfectly align with the character design in Genshin Impact. Paired with white lace gloves, a folding fan with gold patterns on a black base, as well as the wooden racks and lanterns in the Japanese courtyard along with the sake flask nearby, the overall atmosphere instantly maxed out. In particular, a few close-ups of sitting and holding a wine cup, as well as the dynamic snapshots of waving the sleeves, beautifully captured that quiet yet agile demeanor of the character.

Doing cosplay is not just about putting on clothes and pressing the shutter; from early scene layout, snowmaking, or post-processing, to posing guidance, every single step is highly demanding. Although we couldn't help bursting into laughter on set at one point due to the issues with the snowmaking machine, it instead became the most interesting interlude of this shoot. That's the story behind this set of my Kamisato Ayaka cosplay photoshoots.