[Xishi Cosplay] Honor of Kings Mermaid's Song, Detail Restoration and Record of Light and Shadow

Getting straight to the point, this Honor of Kings Xishi Mermaid's Song cosplay photoshoot took a lot of time during the preparation and shooting phases to perfect the details. Looking at the original artwork settings, the accessories for this skin are highly complex, especially the signature cyan-blue semi-transparent dragon horns and the shell-shaped hair accessories on both sides. To make them look textured in front of the lens, we made multiple attempts at material selection and fixing methods, aiming to ensure the translucency of the dragon horns while preventing them from slipping easily at various angles.

The overall color scheme of this costume is based on white, cyan, and gold. For the fabric selection, multiple layers of light tulle and crisp satin were layered together to showcase the flowing layers of the skirt hem. The wig was chosen as a silver-white long straight hair, sectioned and styled with custom curves to fit the character's head contour. The prop preparation on the day of the shoot was also quite a hassle, including that aqua-blue transparent bead, scrolls, and a calligraphy brush—all to restore the sense of storytelling within the scene, making the photos more than just a portrait display, but rather a daily snapshot of the dragon goddess.

Regarding the scene construction, we integrated traditional style wooden chairs, woven bamboo mats, and several oil-paper umbrellas in the studio, along with some cherry blossom branches as a foreground embellishment. The design of this photo set focuses heavily on the creation of atmosphere, such as holding a water orb while gazing into the distance in the second photo, and curling up on the wooden chair with eyes closed for a nap in the third. One captures an agile aura, while the other captures a tranquil moment, attempting to showcase the states of the same character under different emotions. During the shooting process, special attention was paid to adjusting angles because the three-dimensional look of the dragon horns relies heavily on the refraction of light.

In terms of lighting setup, the photographer adopted a scheme focused primarily on soft light, supplemented by a small amount of ambient light. When setting up the lights, harsh direct light was avoided to prevent the white clothing and wig from overexposing in the lens, while retaining the delicate texture of the skin. It's worth mentioning that the robes and light tulle easily fluttered during dynamic snapshots, and it took us several attempts to catch the gesture of the skirt hem spreading out naturally.

Additionally, the most unique aspect of this Mermaid's Song cosplay is her demeanor, which needs to be cool and aloof yet carry a hint of a young girl's cunning. Therefore, we didn't use too many broad, dramatic movements in the pose design, but instead opted for more lifelike storyboards like reading a book, resting the chin on a hand, lifting a water orb, and hugging the knees. This kind of layout makes the photos look more narrative rather than a single standalone poster look. Honestly, shooting this kind of traditional style cosplayer tests the coordination with lighting the most because the light-colored palette of the hair and clothing reflects light very easily. If the angle is even slightly off, the face and wig will look dead white, so the camera position and fill-light angles needed constant fine-tuning throughout. We fussed around the venue for most of the day before freezing these few sets of seemingly relaxed frames. This character blends elements of water and dragons, with many hidden shell texture details in the costume. Through these photos, I hope to create a resonance with people who have seen this skin.