[Xishi Cosplay] Honor of Kings Mermaid's Song: That Ray of Light at the End of the Vast Sea

When shooting this Mermaid's Song photoset, what I actually wanted to express was that line of copy in the post: "I wonder what kind of scenery lies at the end of the vast sea?" Choosing to shoot on the outdoor grass in late autumn and early winter was not only due to the character's own temperament, but also because I wanted that feeling where the sea meets the sky, the clouds and mist disperse, yet a touch of afterglow remains. The light in the afternoon changes very fast, so we arrived early at the location and picked a timber-structured corridor as a leaning point.

The overall attire is mainly ice blue, moon white, with a small amount of golden embellishments. To reflect the flowy feel of Mermaid's Song, the coat is selected from layered lightweight chiffon yarn, which naturally disperses when the wind blows, yielding excellent dynamic effects, though it easily catches grass seeds in the wild environment. The combination of the long leg warmers and sandals on the lower body adds a touch of traveler-like agility while preserving the character's fairy-like aura. The wig consists of long silver-white hair; to guarantee the fluffiness of the top of the head and the stability of the hair accessories, a massive amount of steel bobby pins and an extra layer of support mesh were used. The blue small fins and golden small fans on the headpiece were fastened securely, with no large-scale displacement occurring during outdoor running and sitting posture changes. The makeup underwent a subtractive approach, highlighting the translucent clarity of the base makeup, while the eyeshadow used a pale gold with micro-shimmer to echo the light reflection at sunset.

The difficulty of shooting this photoset lay in the light capture and the negative space of the frame. Most of the photos adopted a combination of side-backlight and a large aperture, utilizing the sun's golden rim light to outline the strands of the wig and the contours of the clothing. It's easy for the face to fall into shadow in a backlit environment, so the camera was positioned very close. Thanks to the camera's high latitude, the skin tone remained translucent after pulling back the shadow details. Since the character setting leans toward quietness and coldness, the movements were not made particularly large; most of the time was spent sitting quietly with hands folded over the knees, eyes slightly upturned, gazing into the distance. I hope to convey the character's sense of being in a foreign environment, full of curiosity and a touch of gentle anticipation for the distant scenery through such body language.

The grass was actually very damp on the day of the shoot, with some messy withered grass scattered around, and the background consisted of distant woods and yellowing reed marshes. Fortunately, after being backlit, all the clutter was unified into a golden hazy tone, conversely adding a warm sense of contrast. Outdoor shooting encounters many unknowns, like a sudden gust of wind messing up the hair, or hair accessories being struck by the reflector plate during low-angle shots, but these small interludes actually constitute a part of the entire outdoor memory. Towards the later stages of shooting, the sun completely sank below the horizon, the light changing from golden yellow to orange-red, and finally darkening completely—the whole process lasted about forty minutes. Therefore, every single finished photo is the result of racing against the daylight, and having such clear and atmospheric photos now is inseparable from the team partners' cooperation in on-site light control and candid capture.

For cosplay itself, I believe the most important point is to maintain respect for the work and character, while also putting in one's own understanding as an expresser. The image of Mermaid's Song endows the character with a gentle sense of destiny and detachment, and the large outdoor environment paired with the backlight precisely fits this highlight moment amidst the coldness. The moment I put on the wig and costume, I could actually capture some of the character's emotions in the air; there's no need to intentionally act, just let the atmosphere envelop yourself. In the photoshoot, the layering of light has a massive impact on shaping the character's atmosphere; when early preparation is done sufficiently, post-production adjustments become much easier.

When packing up the props, seeing the afterglow completely disappear and feeling the outdoor breeze on my face carrying a bit of chilliness, that sense of immersion gradually faded away. This kind of outdoor light that changes with the sky cannot be replicated by studio shoots, and the emotions captured every time the shutter is pressed are unique. This outdoor cosplay shoot journey was highly pleasant, everyone cooperated with tacit understanding amidst the rush, and the final finished photos also restored that tranquil silhouette residing in the vast sea from my mind.

Lastly, this styling has quite a few details, such as the straps of the sandals, the corners of the long boot covers, and the symmetry of the hair accessories, which were all areas of focus when producing the prints. I hope this photoset allows everyone to feel the fairy-like aura and gentleness of Mermaid's Song.