[Xishi cosplay] Honor of Kings Mermaid's Song, Deep-Sea Dream of the White Dragon Girl

Shooting this official Xishi cosplay photoset in her Mermaid's Song skin was quite an experience, and the breakdown of details is well worth documenting.

The visual core of this styling lies in the white hair and teal-blue horn ornaments. Styling the wig took considerable time, as the looped buns on both sides and the ice-crystal horns on top needed to be securely anchored to maintain an airy, structural shape without sagging. For makeup, I paired it with purple contact lenses, focusing eye makeup on deepening contours while maintaining a luminous translucency in the pupils, giving the character a lively, ethereal presence throughout the frame.

Fabric selection for the outfit was very deliberate, utilizing generous amounts of chiffon and semi-transparent light gauze. Layering white and teal-blue fabrics can easily look bulky if not meticulously styled, requiring plenty of time before the shoot to smooth out the drape and direction of every single gauze layer. The golden lotus-shaped metallic waist ornament on the chest carries substantial weight, yet serves as the crucial visual anchor for the entire ensemble.

Set decoration for this session was thoughtfully curated, using traditional Japanese tatami mats and lattice doors/windows as the base, complemented by warm paper lanterns and scattered pink cherry blossoms in the background. As for lighting in Cosplay photography, the photographer didn't rely solely on ambient light, but introduced teal-blue cool and warm key lights to fill the scene, perfectly capturing the character's signature "deep-sea" and "cool, aloof" atmosphere. The teal-blue orb held in my hand served as the crowning detail of the frame, refracting delicate speckles of light at specific angles to add a touch of mystery to static shots.

Regarding poses, I intentionally experimented with semi-reclining and side-lying postures. While looking relaxed on the surface, these poses actually test muscle control immensely. For instance, in the second photo's pose, one must extend the leg lines naturally while ensuring the skirt hem and sheer sleeves spread out in aesthetically pleasing layers without creating harsh fabric creases. Body weight must be evenly distributed to keep the silhouette stretched and graceful. For this angle, the photographer used a Sony A7M5 paired with a 50mm F1.4 GM lens; the soft bokeh produced by the wide aperture isolated the subject beautifully from the busy background, highlighting smooth skin textures and fine garment weaves. Another set of shots was taken with a 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens, providing a broader focal length that established spatial relationships across the set, seamlessly integrating the paper umbrella and cherry blossoms into the composition.

Honestly, I hesitated many times before shooting this set—white and blue color schemes are prone to color shifts under indoor studio lighting, making the balance between warm and cool tones particularly critical. Thankfully, by continuously adjusting light positions on set, we preserved that crisp, translucent texture of the costume. Although the entire shoot took a long time, seeing the results in-camera made all the preparation completely worthwhile, fully conveying the distinct ethereal fluidity and mysterious aura of this Girl in traditional style styling.