Honor of Kings Yao's Wish of Time skin finally got the chance to be properly presented in front of the lens. I made quite a few preparations in advance—for the mint green wig with pink gradient ends, I specifically sectioned, trimmed, and styled it beforehand to achieve a natural curve. The pair of white translucent ears on top of the head paired with pink little bows and a matching choker elevated the character's recognizability. The costume details took a lot of time, especially the pink layered bows and colorful gemstone decorations on the skirt, which needed to stay naturally fixed without flipping or folding in various sitting poses.
For this shoot, we selected a pure white indoor studio, with the scene set up by photographer Chizuru. White Roman columns and layered white floral bouquets intertwined with green leaves, while the ground was covered with semi-translucent tulle and a large-area mirror surface material. This kind of high-key scene requires careful exposure control because white clothing and environments easily bleed together; soft lighting is needed to retain clothing textures and subject contours. During the shoot, I mostly adopted sitting or reclining poses so that the cyan-green tulle under the skirt, the white short sleeves with ruffled edges, and the white over-the-knee thigh-high stockings on my feet could display a natural layered effect. Particularly, the pair of white stockings with ruffled trim paired with white shoes made the leg lines appear very soft in the frame.
The ground's mirror reflection increased the sense of spatial depth in the frame, but it also added compositional difficulty because the lens needed to shoot from a high angle downward to simultaneously capture my facial expressions, the layered spread of the skirt, and the extended position of my feet. The photographer patiently adjusted angles throughout the process, while I cooperated by posing with my chin resting on my hand, pointing up with a single finger, or clasping both hands into fists. Because the white environment is very bright and airy, my overall state needed to stay relaxed and playful to match the character's lightweight temperament. During the shoot, I also needed to constantly tidy up the skirt to prevent the tulle from bunching up or creasing. To complement this ethereal feeling, the makeup featured a delicate color palette paired with pink contact lenses, making my gaze look focused yet soft.
I'm quite satisfied with the final photos—the mint green, pinkish-white, and cyan colors look very clean in the pure white environment without distracting colors, making the character stand out clearly. The costume detail adjustments made beforehand were mostly realized in the final photos. Although it was my first time shooting a high-key style with a vast white background, working with Chizuru was very seamless. There were a few small hiccups during the shoot, such as the skirt hem sticking to the mirror surface or petals clinging to the tulle, but thankfully everything was adjusted promptly. The main difficulty of this shoot lay in maintaining postures; since high-angle overhead shots can enlarge the head and shorten the legs, I needed to tuck my chin slightly while extending my legs toward the camera after setting the pose to keep proportions balanced. The choice of material for the white thigh-high socks was also quite deliberate—a slightly breathable, thin style that wouldn't over-reflect under strong light while preserving the skin texture of the legs. The floral arrangements on set didn't just serve as foreground elements; they balanced the monotony of the white background, using pale yellow and cream bouquets to enrich the warm-and-cool tonal layers of the scene.
The Wish of Time skin design inherently incorporates many spring-like and ethereal elements, so when portraying it, I tried to avoid overly rigid movements, opting instead for soft bends or gentle stretches. After shooting for nearly four hours, although physically drained, seeing the reflections and the light and shadow along the edges of the skirt displayed on the monitor gave me a genuine sense of accomplishment. Among the photos shared this time, I selected several compositions I'm particularly happy with—especially the single-hand raised guiding gesture, as well as the chin-resting pose and the standing pose with clasped fists. The overall atmosphere was well-controlled, and none of the small costume accessories were missed, making it a thoroughly dedicated completion of this photoshoot.