[Xiao cosplay] Primordial Jade Winged-Spear in Hand, the Conqueror of Demons Descends

This Xiao cosplay costume took nearly two months from custom ordering to finally wearing it. The wig's layers were manually pinched section by section, and the messy bangs and highlights on both sides had to be repeatedly adjusted in angle to restore that messy yet sharp look. The green tattoo on the arm was drawn with a water-based body paint pen; it took a full forty minutes to keep the edges clear. Fortunately, the weather was cool and shaded that day, so I didn't sweat, otherwise it would have smudged before we even started shooting.

The most headache-inducing part for me was that long-handled weapon and the waist accessories. The green shaft of the spear is a PVC inner liner with spray paint on the outside, weighing nearly three pounds. Holding it up to pose placed high demands on shoulder and arm strength, especially those single-handed spear-holding or side-profile horizontal grip poses in the pictures. If you lose focus for even a second, the center of gravity shifts. During the shoot, the photographer kept shouting, "Hold it steady, just two more seconds!" The mask was made separately. Originally I wanted to wear it the whole time, but I found it blocked most of my vision, so upon weighing the options, I held it in hand as an interactive prop, which instead added a layer of mystery.

The location for this shoot was selected in a local traditional-style garden. The vermilion pillars paired with teal tiles formed a very comfortable warm-and-cold contrast with the character's own color scheme. I intentionally chose different angles to showcase the layers of the costume—the subtle patterns printed on the white sleeveless top, the leather texture of the purple belt, and the reflective effect of the golden lines on the pant legs under the light. These details were showcased quite well under natural light.

Regarding the action design, I didn't completely copy the official splash art but incorporated some personal understanding of the character's temperament. For example, in the shot where I lean against the red pillar with my arms crossed, I intentionally tightened my jawline and looked straight ahead, wishing to convey a state of remaining detached even in a noisy scene. In the squatting pose, the center of gravity is lowered, the spearhead points diagonally toward the ground, and the body is slightly tilted, making the entire triangular composition more stable. The one walking down the stairs was actually shot many times because I had to simultaneously control my pace rhythm and the balance of the prop. The final selected frame just happens to be the spear naturally draping by my side, which looks more dynamic than a deliberately staged pose.

For the makeup, I discarded overly heavy shading, focusing instead on the eyeliner and the red dot on the forehead. The eye makeup used earth tones as a base, paired with a long, upward-winged black eyeliner to make the gaze look a bit sharper while preserving the skin's native texture. The lip color chose a light bean-paste shade, making the overall makeup look clean, sharp, and non-greasy.

In fact, shooting characters with long-handled weapons tests the coordination between props and limbs the most. The spear is close to 1.8 meters long; when a person stands, the tail of the spear almost touches the ground, making it very easy to hit the nearby stone railings or tree branches when turning angles. To avoid making the frame look cramped, the photographer alternated between 50mm and 85mm lenses—half-body close-ups emphasized the face, shoulders, and neck, while full-body views brought in a large area of the architectural background.

This outfit is also quite time-consuming to tidy up, especially the fabric sash around the waist, which easily wrinkles. During shooting breaks, I had to smooth it out by hand. The boots reach just below the knees, so when squatting down, I needed to pull the pant legs up a bit for the bootlegs to crease naturally; these were all minor details repeatedly adjusted on-site. However, seeing the various angles in the final photos turn out highly satisfactory, I feel all the prior homework was completely worth it.

Finally, I highly favor these few selected shots. They possess both enough facial expressions and full-body tension, and the scene aligns well with the character's temperament. It was a very immersive experience for this instance of Cosplay photography.