[Dusk cosplay] Arknights Jasper Inkstone Train Carriage and Field Location Shooting Record

Got up at 5:00 AM to start fussing over makeup and hair. To catch the train ride when there were the fewest people to shoot inside, Xiaoshanyao (@Shanyao) and I really went all out. This time I'm cosplaying Dusk's Jasper Inkstone from Arknights. This outfit looks ethereal, but actually putting it on is extremely cumbersome. I studied the original artwork for a long time to figure out how to tie the red ropes at the waist and neckline. Combined with the outer light gauze, it is flowy when walking, but extremely prone to catching on tree branches or getting blown onto my face by the wind. The pair of blue-green dragon horn props on my head have a gradient finish on the surface. To secure them, I used several hairpins, causing my scalp to ache sharply. Great care was also taken to style the cyan gradient on the wig; to maintain this fluffy yet smooth texture, I brought a large bottle of styling spray, but fortunately, the wig's texture fits the original design very well.

The weather that day was overcast. Although the lighting was soft, shooting outdoors in lush green rice paddies tends to make the subject look somewhat flat. I communicated with the photographer to use a large aperture as much as possible to blur the background and focus the visual center on me. For the train interior section, we specifically found a window seat where natural light streamed in through the train window, and the side-backlighting made the gloss on the clothes even stronger. To enrich the frame, I brought a matching small plush doll to hold in front of me, along with a small flower basket, and the small standee by the window was also brought by myself. During the shooting process, there were actually quite a few passersby watching, which was somewhat embarrassing, but for the sake of good photos, I just had to pretend to be calm.

When going to the rice paddy location, because it was real mud, high heels couldn't stand steadily at all, and I was almost moving around the paddy on my tiptoes. To candidly capture that outstretched hand gesture, we shot it over and over again. The hem of the long dress and the gauze sleeves got quite a bit of grass clippings and mud splatters. Jasper Inkstone this skin's color scheme is mainly white, blue-green, and a hint of red, with very high color contrast in the image. Therefore, I specifically emphasized the translucent feel of the eye makeup, matched with red contact lenses, and restrained my gaze as much as possible without excessive emotional fluctuations to fit Dusk's inherent detached and cool vibe. There were also many mosquitoes and insects in the fields; although long sleeves and long skirts protected against mosquitoes, the stuffiness was intense, and I was sweating all over after finishing the outdoor shoot.

Although the entire shooting process was tiring, seeing the light, shadow, and clothing texture in the final photos made me realize that all the preparations hadn't been in vain. Xiaoshanyao gave a lot of suggestions on composition and angles, especially in the fields, utilizing the distant green mountains and nearby green waves to draw out the character's dynamic lines very well. This attempt at Jasper Inkstone is also a new understanding of the character's temperament, and I hope the final presented effect allows everyone to feel the unique ethereal charm of this outfit.