The white cyclorama studio shooting schedule on September 22 was packed to the brim, and this time I cosplayed Xiao Qiao's Manga Sorceress skin from Honor of Kings. This outfit was remarkably eye-catching in the original concept art, and receiving the physical costume certainly did not disappoint.
First, regarding hair and makeup: to match the sorceress premise, I put on a light blue wig with pink-purple gradient tips. In terms of makeup, I intentionally deepened the dimensions of the blush and eyeshadow, while selecting bright blue colored contacts to make my gaze appear clearer and more luminous on camera. The witch hat was the soul of the entire look; the wide brim was patterned with stars and nebulae, exhibiting a delicate glittery sheen under the studio lighting. However, the wide brim easily blocked my line of sight, so when shooting with the hat on, I often had to prop up the brim with my hand or turn slightly sideways with my chin up to ensure facial contours caught ample light and the catchlights in my eyes could be preserved. Once the hat was removed, the airy lightness of the styling immediately emerged, so I tried playful poses like resting my chin in both hands or mimicking cat ears.
The costume details are extremely intricate. The top features a halter-neck cut with geometric color-blocking of deep purple and pure white across the chest, accented at the waist by a heart-shaped bright blue gem and lustrous rainbow ribbons. The detachable puff sleeves are made of fluffy white fabric cinched at the cuffs with black straps to form irregular jagged edges, which, paired with dark wrist guards, exude a unique blend of magical girl and witch aesthetics.
Photographer Longxiang Nightfall was exceptionally professional with the lighting setup in the white studio. The pure white backdrop and soft, high-key lighting maximized the costume's colors and the subject's textures. The beauty of a white cyclorama studio is the absence of distracting background elements, centering the entire visual focus squarely on the costume and expressions. However, posing continuously on the floor under intense studio lights was quite exhausting physically. The voluminous skirt required constant arrangement to ensure the folds draped naturally and with visual dynamism.
This shoot also deepened my understanding of the character. Although she appears petite and adorable in the game, her sorceress identity endows her with an undercurrent of mystery and confidence. Thus, during the shoot, I wasn't merely displaying an outfit, but using body language and expressions to balance that interplay of playfulness and mystery. Every shutter click was an attempt to materialize this 2D character into reality.
The white studio shoot wrapped up smoothly; the moment I took off the costume, despite physical exhaustion, looking at the playback on the camera made every bit of detail polishing feel worthwhile. Looking forward to the final results!