[Sun Shangxiang cosplay] Honor of Kings: Elegance and Sharpness Under the Night Sky

When shooting this green cheongsam look of Sun Shangxiang (Sun Shangxiang cosplay) from Honor of Kings, the primary focus was chromatic harmony across costumes, makeup, and props. The outfit is made of satin fabric with strong reflectivity, so we used a large softbox on set to soften highlights and prevent localized overexposure. The black twin-tail wig is quite long; maintaining it required patiently sectioning and combing each strand to ensure smoothness down to the ends. The green ribbon bows on the head were secured at precise angles to ensure consistent shaping from both frontal and profile views. For footwear, I chose black patent leather ultra-high platform heels, which, paired with Black stockings, effectively elongated leg proportions.

For makeup, I selected high-saturation blue colored contacts, adjusting eyeshadow and eyebrows to match character traits alongside cool-toned eyeliner. Fitting before the shoot took considerable time, mainly spent sectioning the wig and adjusting the bow placements repeatedly. The folding fan features a bamboo leaf motif hand-painted with acrylic pigment, preventing flaws even in tight close-up shots. The green beaded bracelet was originally too large, so I disassembled and re-strung it to fit my wrist snugly.

The shooting location that evening was an outdoor stone staircase under dim lighting. We primarily relied on a single strobe equipped with a softbox, with an assistant handling a reflector for fill light. The flash was angled at roughly 45 degrees, primarily to accentuate the sheer texture of the Black stockings and sculpt facial dimension. Because facial shadows were heavy, an extra reflector was placed at the lower right. During the shoot, we also encountered issues with prop instability and the fan sticking, so two fans were kept ready for quick swapping.

To find flattering angles, I moved up and down the steps several times. For seated poses, bending one leg while extending the other utilized lens perspective to create a long-leg visual effect. To avoid looking stiff, hand placement coordinated with the folding fan: resting closed on the knee, half-open beside the cheek, or fully unfurled with arms outstretched. Highlights were centered on the face to ensure ample catchlights in the eyes, giving a vibrant, energized presence.

Regarding makeup, to ensure natural skin texture under night flashes, I deliberately opted for a matte foundation with a generous layer of loose powder to prevent oily glare. Eye makeup focused on elongating the outer corners, using waterproof and sweatproof mascara to ensure smudge-free longevity throughout the shoot. The shoot was physically demanding; balancing in high heels on uneven stone steps made controlling center of gravity tricky while maintaining strict expression control, leaving me quite tired after a full night.

In post-processing, priority was given to refining skin texture while preserving the distinctive sheen of the Black stockings. The jacquard patterns on the cheongsam were lifted separately using curve adjustments to preserve fabric depth. The overall color palette leaned cool to better match the nocturnal atmosphere. Ultimately, this outfit tests subtle nuances: cuff slit width, neckline cutout dimensions, and pendant positioning—details that define character fidelity.

I strongly recommend bringing a wireless flash trigger when shooting Night view cosplay. Without adequate highlights, skin tones appear muddy and Black stockings turn into a flat, uniform black, losing their luster. Through these lighting adjustments, we struck a great balance between authentic stocking sheen and delicate skin texture in this Cosplay photography project. These are my modest takeaways from portraying Sun Shangxiang; relying on meticulous adjustments rather than flashy tricks, I hope this proves helpful to fellow cosplayers tackling this character.