[Yoimiya Cosplay] Setting Off Fireworks in the Inazuma Night Sky Despite the Wind and Rain

Putting on the full outfit against the night sea breeze and running back and forth on the pitch-black stone embankment and beach, all just to capture the exact moment when that tiny bit of firelight falls on the clothes. This outdoor cosplay shooting process was truly beyond expectations. The weather forecast clearly said cloudy before the shoot, but not long after arriving at the site, it started to drizzle. To avoid that unexpected passing shower, we had to stubbornly push the shooting time, originally scheduled for dusk, into the dead of night, completely missing the most precious blue hour. The cool blue sky background from the original plan ended up turning entirely into a deep ink-black.

Because plans can't keep up with changes, the preparation of props also ran into trouble. We brought about five long firework props in total, but after lighting them, two completely misfired, just sitting there billowing white smoke without a single spark popping out. Another one fell into the water along with hot ash and was completely ruined. Fortunately, we had an ample supply of small, easy-to-control sparklers, and in the end, it was these little fireworks that carried the highlights of the frames.

Night lighting is the ultimate test of proficiency in all still photography, especially this combination of pure natural light and prop light sources. Most of the soft glow in the frame relied on the sparklers to illuminate the surrounding air bit by bit, with the assistance of a flash to restore the true colors of the costume. During the shoot, I was constantly adjusting the distance of the fireworks, terrified of burning the clothes—after all, the material and details of this outfit look exceptionally beautiful under the firelight, and I would be utterly heartbroken if a hole got burned into it.

By the second half of the shoot, I was actually quite exhausted. Not only did I have to pay attention to the naturalness of my movements, but I also had to constantly watch whether the drifting smoke would block the line of sight, while occasionally avoiding the gunpowder ash left on the ground. The group of photos where I was crouching on the stone embankment was actually just me sitting down casually because my legs went numb, but the snapshot turned out unexpectedly well.

When organizing the photos from this session, my heart was honestly filled with mixed emotions. The early preparation took a long time, and we encountered rain and prop loss on set, but under the faint firelight, seeing the blurry lights on the opposite shore in the background and the tiny glittering sparks made me feel that all the trouble and waiting were worth it. Although there are many imperfections, it is precisely because of these twists and turns that the final photos hold a deeper meaning.

From the coordination of the outfit, the detailed patterns, and even the red string binding on my legs, to the firework artisan image in the main storyline of Genshin Impact's Inazuma, I worked hard to restore the down-to-earth vitality and warmth inherent to this character. If I encounter this kind of night photography theme again in the future, I will definitely prepare rainproof tools and backup fireworks in advance, striving to leave even more beautiful moments of firelight next time.