This outdoor shoot for Jsspsi from Arknights: Endfield was set along the water and in the woods—an environment that truly harmonized with the character's serene, cool, and somewhat mysterious ambiance.
Preparing for this shoot required substantial dedication to props, hair, and makeup beforehand. The black horn-shaped headpieces were crafted by combining lightweight EVA foam with resin, their edges carefully sanded to maintain a sharp, defined silhouette without overburdening my head throughout a full day of shooting. The most challenging element was the long tail prop: to ensure it draped naturally over the waterside stone platform without being blown askew by the wind, shapeable aluminum wire was threaded through its core, requiring me to readjust its center of gravity and curvature before every single pose.
As for the wig, cutting and styling it into natural layers took the better part of a day. The fit of the elf ears was tested repeatedly, with skin wax smoothing the edges to prevent awkward seams in close-up frames. Makeup-wise, to ensure my face popped against the lush green forest backdrop, the base was kept clean and luminous, with deepened eye contours paired with light-colored contacts to evoke an aura of intense focus.
The shooting process demanded far more physical stamina than anticipated. The expansive pose on the waterside platform in the second photo—balancing right on the edge in platform boots and knee-high White stockings—was an intense test of core balance; we had several retakes just to hold equilibrium and keep the body lines looking clean and poised. In the third photo, sitting on the ledge reading the scroll actually involved reading the wind direction, timing the flutter of the pages to catch the frontal light just right. Leaning against the stone railing in the first photo utilized side-lighting intentionally to sculpt sharper facial dimensions while naturally accentuating the costume's tailoring and leg curves.
The greatest challenges of on-location shooting were shifting natural light and persistent gusts of wind. This outfit features numerous streamers and detached sleeves that easily tangled in even slight breezes, requiring several minutes to smooth out the fabric before rolling each take. Thankfully, the water's surface acted as a natural bounce reflector, giving the finished shots wonderful clarity and translucence. While the fabric looks featherlight, sitting beside the water for hours grew quite chilly. Nonetheless, being able to bring this character's aura to life made all the pre-shoot preparations and hard work on set completely worthwhile.