[Exusiai the New Covenant cosplay] Equipment Details and Studio Shoot Routine in Arknights

This shoot featured Exusiai the New Covenant from Arknights, which is the brand-new armored version of Exusiai. When I first received the full set of gear a few days ago, I was genuinely thrilled, especially seeing the white-and-red outfit and the long firearm. But only after getting my hands on everything did I realize how challenging the photoshoot would actually be.

First, about the costume: the black leather jacket is made of very stiff material, prone to creasing with even slight movements, so I had to constantly smooth it out by hand during the shoot. Moreover, this leather texture easily produces glare under indoor lighting. The photographer specifically adjusted the lighting angles to give the leather a crisp, sleek sheen without overexposing and washing out the garment's original texture. The White stockings and leg garters are truly the soul of this look; wearing them elongated the leg lines gorgeously. In the pose from the first photo sitting on the white cube, the light hit my legs just right, bringing out the full texture of the stockings. To hold this pose while looking natural, my legs were actually completely tensed; they were terribly sore afterward, but the resulting photos were well worth it.

The hairstyle is a short Red hair wig. Initially, I worried the bangs might interfere with the halo's placement and fiddled with it for a long time; eventually, I positioned the halo close to the top of my head, ensuring it didn't block my line of sight while preserving the special visual effect. The halo prop is designed to float, so moving too vigorously during the shoot would cause it to fall, requiring constant repositioning.

The most agonizing part was that massive heavy firearm. Holding it in hand, it was far heavier than imagined; relying on just one arm couldn't support it for long, and my shoulders and wrists trembled whenever I raised the gun. The pose in the third photo shouldering the big gun came after shooting for over twenty minutes when I was utterly exhausted and casually struck a stance—unexpectedly, it felt even more powerful and dynamic, with the skirt hem and the streamers on the back fluttering nicely. The smaller secondary gun was much lighter, offering great tactile texture in hand.

This set of photos was shot across two different scenes. The first scene was set against a clean, pink-gradient background with ample lighting, emphasizing a crisp, sharp vibe that captured the bright, vibrant side of the equipment. The second scene featured dark-toned neon lighting, which I personally love: the blue tabletop backdrop paired with multicolored lights made the white mechanical wings behind stand out with greater depth. In the seated shot aiming the gun directly at the camera, the muzzle was actually extremely close to the lens with the focus creating dynamic depth-of-field blur; I had to lock my gaze firmly onto the lens to convey that menacing, bullet-ready intensity.

To me, cosplaying a character is not just about recreating their appearance, but also understanding their temperament. Exusiai the New Covenant gives off the aura of a capable, confident warrior with a distinct sense of humor, so I strived to keep my expressions and movements crisp and decisive. This photoshoot required quite a bit of preparation beforehand—from trimming the wig and reinforcing the halo and wings to adjusting the clasp positions of the leg garters, everything had to be tuned individually. Yet the moment I saw the final photos, all the hard work felt completely worthwhile. The photographer constantly encouraged me to find my groove during the shoot, and eventually, I felt almost completely at one with the gear. All in all, it was a thoroughly thrilling photoshoot experience that gave me an even deeper appreciation for character costume design in Arknights.