[Astra Yao cosplay] Center Stage of Zenless Zone Zero: A Dynamic Interpretation of Red and White

The lighting at the venue of the Hangzhou China International Cartoon and Animation Festival that day was truly creative. In coordination with the lens capture of photographer @食盐shiro (who attended all days of BW), this set of flat graphic works for Zenless Zone Zero Astra Yao cosplay was completed.

Doing outdoor shoots or participating in a Chinese Anime Independent Tour actually heavily tests on-site coordination. Especially with this kind of relatively gorgeous outfit, you must always pay attention to the smoothness of the clothes and the placement of accessories when moving around. In fact, before heading to the Hangzhou China International Cartoon and Animation Festival, the photographer and I communicated quite a bit regarding the presentation of this costume. The red and white jacket combined with that heavy circular metal ornament keeps the visual center highly focused. Although the pearl necklace around the neck caused reflections during the shoot, adjusting the light source angle actually enhanced the texture of the overall frame.

The white headband on my head was secured quite firmly, showing no looseness even when running or making large movements. This time I chose a blue-black gradient wig with a cool tone, which, paired with red colored contact lenses and the detailed makeup under the eyes, creates a nice sense of contrast in front of the lens. For the first photo during the shoot, I opted for a more restrained standing posture with both hands folded over my chest and my eyes looking straight into the camera, mainly wanting to fully showcase the tailoring and decorative details of this costume.

The cutout design on the jacket cuffs, along with the golden metal fasteners, is actually very exquisite. As for the second image, post-processing special effects and overlapping typography were added, making it look a bit like a magazine collaboration promotional page. The glowing prop held in my hand also provided a clearer warm-and-cool light contrast to the frame. This shift in tone from the front to the back highly tests the photographer's sense of rhythm in controlling the scene. Speaking of the Chinese Anime Independent Tour, many fellow enthusiasts are quite concerned about how to shoot high-quality content at convention sites. I think it mostly comes down to whether you can find a suitable space and angle in a noisy environment. The background for this shoot was relatively clean, so focusing entirely on the character was a very wise choice.

Photographer @食盐shiro is incredibly skilled at capturing dynamic hair strands. That moment of fluttering hair wasn't awkwardly photoshopped in post-production, but rather the sense of air flowing captured at the exact split second the shutter snapped, which amazed me when I reviewed the raw images later. Although this cosplay outfit looks quite thick, special treatments were made to the material for breathability and ease of movement, leaving plenty of slack around the shoulder and arm joints so there's no need to worry about constraints when lifting them. That metal badge looks quite heavy, but it actually used lightweight materials, so wearing it for a long time didn't put a noticeable burden on my neck.

For cosplayers who have frequented various big conventions and anime expos for a long time, the comfort of the gear often determines how many high-quality photos can be taken that day. Looking back at this final product, the setting of Astra Yao from Zenless Zone Zero is inherently highly recognizable. Through restoring the costume textures and making detailed adjustments to the makeup, we did our best to align with the character's temperament in the original work. Of course, cosplay itself is not just an imitation of outward appearance, but also a tentative empathy with the character's posture and mental state. Every time I see the raw photos after a shoot, I always feel that although the process was tough, the results make all the prior preparation entirely worthwhile.

Finally, a huge thank you to the friends who assisted both on-site and behind the scenes. It was everyone's cooperation that allowed this trip to the Hangzhou China International Cartoon and Animation Festival to result in a relatively complete presentation of works. Next, I will also wear this gear to visit more venues related to Chinese anime and comic festivals.