Shooting the black and white dual personae of Seele Vollerei from Honkai Impact 3rd was a truly challenging yet immensely fulfilling experience, from the initial preparation to the actual click of the shutter. Choosing this set of photos to share is my way of talking about the subtle details and thoughts behind this cosplay, as well as my feelings during the shoot.
Let's start with the costumes. The textures of Black Seele and White Seele's outfits are completely different, which is where I put the most effort during preparation. Black Seele's armor, primarily black and dark red, features extensive metallic decorations and hollowed-out details, especially those aggressive silver patterns and claw designs. Putting it on instantly shifts your aura to match the character. To accurately reproduce the texture of those silver edges, we experimented multiple times with material selection and painting, as it needed to reflect a cold, harsh, and dangerous gleam under the lights. The close-up of the hands in Figure 3 should showcase this material contrast quite well. On the other hand, White Seele's dress leans toward being lightweight and intricate, with ruffles, an off-the-shoulder design, and long white gloves adorned with four-pointed star patterns. It needed to maintain a pure white and soft texture under intense lighting without losing any details. Notably, the chain around White Seele's neck and the metallic "keyhole" buckle at her waist, while aesthetically pleasing, definitely added a sense of weight when moving around. Fortunately, the final sizes we adjusted were just right and not too tight.
Next is the interaction in front of the lens. In Figures 1 and 2, we deliberately adjusted our standing positions and angles. This kind of high-and-low or leaning-against-each-other posture is intended to reflect the bond and conflict between the two personae. Black Seele and White Seele are inherently two sides of the same coin. Therefore, in Figure 1, having White Seele sit while Black Seele leans in slightly allows the intimacy of their body language to flow naturally. Figure 2 uses a slightly low-angle perspective, with light and shadow casting over their faces and the red roses, creating a calmer, more intense eye contact. The photographer's composition helped immensely, using background elements like dark reflective mirrors with carved frames and cool-toned stage lights to instantly elevate the overall atmosphere to a Gothic fantasy tone. Although the close-up in Figure 3 crops out most of the bodies, it highlights the overlapping hand gestures instead. White Seele's hand, wearing a red-and-white glove, rests on Black Seele's outfit, which not only displays the black butterfly elements and metallic textures on the costume but also implies their inseparable connection.
Some amusing situations occurred during the shoot as well. Black Seele's boots were incredibly heavy; they made the leg lines look very long and slender, but walking up and down steps to change poses was absolute torture. White Seele's outfit featured white tights, which reflected noticeably well under the cold light, offering a wonderful texture and making the character's silhouette appear softer. The joy of cosplay lies exactly in this: when you put on the outfit, don the wig, apply the specific makeup, and step into the environment and lighting created by the photographer, you cease to be yourself and can briefly experience the extreme love and hate of the character. Capturing the nuances of the setting and prop details directly determines whether a photo is just a hollow pose or a moment that breathes life into the character.
In post-processing, we deliberately preserved this cool and elegant color tone, creating a sharp contrast among black, white, and red. The shadows are not completely crushed, and the highlights are not blown out, allowing the armor's texture to look dimensional. I am deeply grateful to my cosplay partner; the synergy in a duo role is crucial, representing not just tacit understanding but a shared resonance in interpreting the characters. This might be my personal persistence with this hobby—it's not simply about taking photos, but about using images to preserve the intrinsic aura of the characters themselves.