[The Shorekeeper cosplay] Beneath the Night Sky of Wuthering Waves

There are quite a few details to pay attention to when shooting The Shorekeeper. Choosing an outdoor night location this time made lighting the biggest challenge. The ambient lighting at night was quite messy, with only a warm light strip under the steps on-site. So after discussing with photographer Xiacao, the key light utilized a powerful flash combined with cool-toned gels to simulate moonlight, enhancing the character's signature cool-toned aesthetic. As for the costume, the blue-and-white layers are very rich—especially the deep blue starry veil. The sheer fabric required repeated angle adjustments against the pitch-black background to capture the reflective star patterns, and during shooting, I had to take constant care to keep the veil free of dust. The top features a waist-baring design with semi-sheer fabric and star patterns on the chest paired with a silver necklace; adjusting my posture to avoid blocking the star motif took quite some time.

The wig was ice blue with dark blue highlighted tips. Wigs of this color reflect light easily and can look unnatural if the lighting is too harsh. To present a smooth and airy texture, we tested various metering methods and backlighting setups. The silver ornaments wrapped around my arms were tricky to wear; the metal rings secured around the arms tended to slip when raising my hands, so many poses were captured only after repeatedly adjusting their placement. To convey the serene stillness of a guardian, I deliberately restrained my facial expressions—not smiling excessively and keeping a slightly distant, vacant gaze.

During the shoot, photographer Shuliang also helped capture some behind-the-scenes close-ups. The frontal sitting shot in photo 5 is my personal favorite because it showcases the entire silhouette along with the clear-heeled high heels. Paired with the skirt hem and leg lines, it also tested the stability of my sitting posture on the steps. Shooting the whole set took about two to three hours. Repeatedly sitting down and standing up on the steps in high-heeled boots took considerable physical effort, but luckily we all stayed in the zone.

I previously followed many post-processing tutorials on character styling, and collaborating with the photographers on-set taught me a lot. As you can see, the shadows in the night portrait are almost crushed to pure black, which accentuates the subject's cool porcelain skin tone. For props, the blue butterfly was the perfect finishing touch; keeping it perched on my finger required steady hand control without trembling.

Overall, I'm very satisfied with the results of this shoot, which captured the character's unique demeanor while preserving an authentic night portrait texture. This photoshoot was a valuable experience for me—not only deepening my understanding of the character, but also serving as great practice in night photography techniques.