[Exusiai the New Covenant cosplay] Convention photos of Arknights' red-haired tactical girl

Putting on this gear for Exusiai the New Covenant, the first thing I felt was the solid weight of the leather jacket and the tight pressure of the corset. To stay close to the tactical techwear visual style of the original Arknights artwork, this tactical style outfit was custom-tailored with a structured silhouette, especially around the waist, abdomen, and collar, instantly creating a sense of being in character upon putting it on. The white stockings cosplay elements on my legs along with black tactical straps serve as the soul of the entire look, visually elongating my proportions while bringing out a sharp, battle-ready vibe. The red short wig was trimmed with a touch of intentional messiness, paired with red eyeshadow makeup, striving to preserve Exusiai's original lively and playful charm beneath her cool battle-girl facade.

This shoot took place at the Naihuangbao anime convention. As on-site convention photos, the biggest difference compared to studio shoots lies in the unpredictability of lighting and background, but precisely because of this, every snapshot is filled with delight. The original photographer who joined me was fantastic at capturing motion, so we didn't deliberately chase stiff, posed positions. For instance, the shot where I lifted one leg with arms outstretched was actually caught mid-air right at the split second of balancing. The red ribbons behind me and the hem of the black jacket flew in the air due to kinetic inertia, lending a wonderful sense of flow to the 2D composition. Those long red fabric straps dangling from the back and complex accessories easily tangled while walking, but once in motion, they turned into superb elements for enhancing visual tension.

The crowd inside the venue was larger than expected, but for convention photos, I was happy to use the surrounding bustle as a background, giving the images an authentic, lively convention atmosphere. Throughout the shoot, I tried my best to embody the characteristics of Exusiai the New Covenant, including a confident smile with tactical poise and light, crisp body movements. Since the lower half actually includes rich black strap and tactical shorts details, I paid special attention to the extension of leg lines when adjusting poses to make the overall silhouette appear cleaner. Walking around the convention all day in this gear, despite the constriction of the rubberized layers and leather material, every time fellow fans recognized the character and greeted me enthusiastically, that validation provided the most direct motivation.

This work didn't undergo overly dramatic post-processing, aiming instead to realistically convey the character's texture under light. The white inner shirt and black jacket created a sharp contrast that could easily blur together in dim lighting; thankfully, the overhead venue lighting helped tremendously, allowing the black cross print and 3D tailoring on the clothing to render clearly. Rather than a simple anime character recreation, I hoped to express Exusiai the New Covenant's aesthetic—blending street style with sci-fi military gear—through real-world physical materials. Although the handheld prop wasn't fully shown in camera, the shoulder positioning and half-finger gloves on my palms still effectively conveyed the character's unique aura. Looking back at these convention photos, even the slightly cluttered ground and background were digested well by the classic red-black-white color palette and dynamic poses. As a dedicated photography session, thanks to the photographer's patient guidance, I truly appreciated how fun the process of turning a static illustration into a dynamic, breathing, living persona can be.