The blue contact lens tore during the makeup test, and I sincerely apologize for affecting everyone's visual experience! Preparing for the 2D Vision Project during this period, I scheduled shoots together for Wuthering Waves Qingxiao cosplay, Wuthering Waves Hiyuki cosplay, Robin cosplay, and Robin: Sunny Song. Think of this post as a milestone log chatting about specific conditions during these days of shooting, along with some practical preparatory work.
First is Qingxiao: the blue wig has a fantastic texture with subtle glitter shimmering along the strands; paired with water-ripple-like embroidery and dragon horns featuring a translucent gradient, the overall style leans ethereal and classic. Pulling this look off required deliberate attention to makeup: I intentionally blended polarized iridescent blue eyeshadow paired with a soft pink sweep of blush over a wide area. Blush placement was crucial, needing to be swept under the eyes and across the cheekbones to soften facial contours. The photo with blue hair is a selfie taken with my phone, testing an overhead high angle; holding the angle was tricky and made my arm ache, but the result turned out quite nice, capturing a direct gaze right into the lens.
The middle sets feature Robin in white hair with purple attire, and purple hair with wings. The white-haired, purple-clad design is rather distinct—off-shoulder paired with thigh straps and garters. To showcase leg lines and the cutout tailoring of the outfit, I spent quite some time calibrating angles while seated, settling on a pose only after testing several options. The purple-haired set is Robin's Sunny Song; the accessories with small wings and star halos easily snagged the hair, requiring utmost care when putting them on to avoid snapping hair fibers. Paired with a gradient wig blending light violet and blue, I deliberately added a subtle rainbow halo in post-processing to give the overall visual a softer, dreamier vibe. Switching between standing and seated leg poses multiple times was mainly to let the garment's straps, underarm tailoring, and sheer fabric reflect differing effects under studio lighting. The sheen reflected by that violet-and-blue fabric under natural light really put our lighting skills to the test.
Finally, the blonde and blue-haired shots. Blonde twin tails accented with small blue bows: to emphasize an airy, doll-like cuteness, I deliberately highlighted the blush and eye makeup, using large-diameter contact lenses to enhance the innocent look in the eyes. The mini acrylic standee I held was another carefully chosen prop, adding narrative flair to the image. As for the blue-haired shot holding what looks like a black dragon-pattern shell (actually a mouse prop), it carried an entirely different aura, aimed at capturing a nonchalant, effortless grip paired with an aloof expression.
Since this shoot took place mainly indoors under less-than-ideal lighting, the preparatory work was particularly tedious: ironing garments, grooming wig strands, securing accessories, and trying on contact lenses took up huge amounts of time. Especially with the sudden mishap of a torn contact lens, we had to switch to backup lenses on short notice; this disrupted our schedule and led to slight variations in lighting and vibe across the sets. Luckily, the diameter and color of the spares were close to the original design, or else we would have had to do special corrective retouching on the blue eye makeup. To maintain peak condition throughout the shoot, I continually touched up my makeup to prevent smudging around the eyes. At one point during fitting, my eyes felt notably dry and uncomfortable, forcing me to pause and rest—so please, always prioritize eye care with your contacts when cosplaying!
Although the shooting process had its bumps, seeing the character fidelity and costume craftsmanship in the final photos brought a deep sense of relief and satisfaction. Tackling different characters each time—whether the ethereal, celestial Wuthering Waves Qingxiao cosplay or Robin cosplay with her mystique and geometric design elements—offers a distinct creative experience through props, makeup, expressions, and fabric textures, which is the greatest joy of cosplay photography. That wraps up this sharing of recent shoots and the concrete preparations behind them!