Woke up at 5 AM to start preparing the makeup and styling for this Arknights Shu Spring Feast outfit, rushing to Gucun Park at exactly 7 AM to meet up with photographer Luoluo. This is probably the most hardcore morning shoot I've done this year, but after seeing the light, shadow, and finished photos under the cherry blossom trees, waking up early feels totally worth it.
The costume for this shoot mainly features a purple coat paired with a yellow inner top, and the overall color scheme is very refreshing and durable. The most troublesome part for me was that long and thick plush tail; with its white main body and a yellow-to-blue gradient tip, it was truly a scene-stealer on site. To avoid getting the tail dirty by dragging it on the ground during the shoot, I had to constantly pay attention to its placement, and many standing and squatting poses required extra center-of-gravity adjustments to balance its weight. The braiding details of the wig are also very rich, with blue boldly highlighted within the white-and-yellow base, a thick side braid tied up, and embellished with small floral hair accessories. For the headpieces, there are also that pair of blue-and-gold small horns and elf ears—these handmade accessories look incredibly textured under the morning natural light.
Gucun Park's cherry blossoms are currently in full bloom, with sunlight piercing through the flower branches, creating a very natural soft-focus effect under the trees. To display the colors and layers of this costume during the shoot, we tried various angles and poses. For instance, at the beginning, I tried opening my hands facing the camera to capture the flowing feel of the white plush ruffles on the coat and the curves of the crop top; later, we adjusted the angle to take several sets of side profile half-body close-ups, highlighting the details of the elf ears, horns, and braids. Then, coordinating with that long tail, we designed a low-angle pose reaching out to touch the cherry blossom branches overhead, allowing the body lines and costume structure to extend naturally. Finally, we shot a set of full-body standing compositions, utilizing the large aperture blur of the cherry blossom background to contrast the vivid colors of the figure.
This kind of convention-style outdoor shoot relies heavily on the scheduling of the on-site environment and light control. Luoluo was also very patient when guiding my poses; sometimes, to wait for a gust of wind to blow down the cherry blossoms, we would stand under the tree for several minutes. The eye makeup specifically used orange-red and brown colors to echo the warm tones of the costume and the early spring atmosphere. Although we woke up very early, shooting this entire set of photos—regardless of the light and shadow atmosphere or the presentation of the costume and props—reached a highly ideal texture. This Cherry blossom photography session turned out to be a very fulfilling outdoor shooting experience without any regrets.