For this shoot, we chose Beijing's Qimi Huanjing Studio to capture this Arknights Wcos Night owl champion Spring Festival theme set. Equipment used was the Sony a7V paired with the 35GM lens, a focal length extremely practical for indoor medium and full-body shots. The 35mm lens accommodates carved rosewood furniture, lanterns, and plum blossoms; paired with appropriate perspective scaling, it highlights character presence while establishing the environment clearly. The costume itself is rich in detail: a modernized neo-Chinese qipao silhouette layered with a white plush shoulder wrap and a custom black-to-red gradient. In particular, the White tights cosplay aesthetic with white stockings and harness strap details required substantial fine-tuning during dressing to capture both combat readiness and a festive celebratory spirit from the original design.
When shooting this series, the focus was on the interplay between environment and light. The studio featured dark wooden cabinets, Taihu scholar stones, birdcages, and latticed folding screens—traditional elements creating a compelling contrast with W's sharp, capricious personality. Crimson couplets, plum blossoms, and lanterns enhanced the festive celebration. By adjusting two on-set lanterns as warm key lights, complemented by the cinematic texture rendered by the 35GM lens, the frame gained narrative depth. Regarding pose selection: with many props around, we needed to avoid edge clutter while showcasing the outfit—especially leg lines and stocking textures. Thus, I opted for a seated pose on an antique chair with crossed legs, body slightly angled, and calves extended outward. This angle beautifully accentuated the stocking weave and overall leg curves while keeping the composition stable and balanced. Photos 1 and 2 were slight variations of this leg extension; Photo 1 was ultimately chosen as the primary cover because the leg lines flowed more gracefully with a heightened sense of elongated elegance compared to Photo 2.
In pre-production framing and post-processing color grading, the main goal was balancing the contrast between red and black. Crimson calligraphy typography ("Happy New Year", etc.) added poster-like aesthetics, drawing visual focus directly onto the central subject. The depth-of-field control of the 35mm lens was excellent, softly blurring the background vases and rockeries to make the figure pop. Combining this semi-casual yet stylized Spring Festival photography exercise with the character's captivating personality created a distinct, charming visual effect. It was winter, and shooting behind closed studio doors afforded ample time to capture micro-expressions and intricate details. Although this was creative character photography, my gaze, posture, and expressions remained strictly faithful to the character's core demeanor.
During the Spring Festival cheer project, you may see many similar works; every single photo is the result of repeated deliberation on props and lighting by the photography and production team. As a cosplayer, the most enjoyable part of every photoshoot is spending time polishing these minute details. Dressed in full costume and seated on an antique chair, it felt as though I had stepped right into that fictional world. The authentic New Year festival ambiance came together thanks to meticulous set lighting and seamless teamwork, ensuring the final visual texture met our expectations. The entire shoot took several hours. Sharing these photos is primarily to document this Night owl champion Spring Festival special project. The collision of traditional Chinese red motifs and a distinct character demeanor reveals a unique, anime-inspired way to celebrate the holidays.