[Astesia cosplay] The Stars of Arknights: Through This Bitter Journey to the Stars

This time, the photoshoot features Astesia from Arknights. This outfit is packed with so many details—from the star-shaped hair accessories to the multi-layered gradient tulle of the skirt, and that iconic golden staff, a lot of thought went into restoring every single component. The shoot took place in an indoor setting with stained glass windows. As the light filtered through the colored glass, it perfectly echoed Astesia's blue and white color scheme, pushing the atmospheric feel to the max.

Regarding props, besides the staff, I also prepared a microphone to try and capture her side as a 'singer.' After all, she has singing segments in her lore, and standing among the flowers with a microphone felt quite magical. The long white gloves and black strap decorations add layers to the overall look, while the ribbons and stardust patterns on the skirt hem add a touch of dreaminess.

During the shoot, the photographer kept adjusting the angles to highlight the metallic texture of the staff while avoiding overexposing the white dress. Ultimately, we chose several sets of sitting and standing poses—holding the staff horizontally, lifting it with one hand, and glancing back over the shoulder—trying our best to express the character's elegant and aloof temperament. The puffiness of the skirt was also a key focus; it was supported by multiple layers of tulle, creating a very natural fluttering movement when walking. The white stockings and shoes were also chosen from a clean white palette, accented with blue to keep the overall color tone highly unified.

No exaggerated color grading was done in post-processing; it mainly involved suppressing highlights and lifting shadows to make the skin texture more natural while preserving the vibrant colors of the stained glass. Cosplaying Astesia this time fulfilled a little wish of mine. I tried my best to capture her serene yet determined vibe in front of the lens, and I hope the resulting images allow everyone to feel the unique charm of this character.