[Arknights Cosplay] Ballet-Style Animal-Eared Girl, Dreamy Overlap of Tulle and Silver-Gray Hair Color

The theme of this photoshoot comes from the ballet setting illustrated by Teacher Xiaorizi, merging capable tactical elements with the softness of classical ballet, which indeed presented many interesting challenges for styling and shooting.

Starting with the costume, the upper body is a pure white open-back base shirt. The brownish-black straps on the shoulders were hand-sewn, and snap buttons were specially added for convenient wearing and removal. However, the biggest fear during shooting was the straps sliding off, so double-sided tape and the inner lining were used to secure it through multiple layers. The tulle dress on the lower body selected two different densities of mesh netting; after overlapping the base layer of lotus-root pink with the surface layer of white tulle, it projects a gradient luster under backlighting. Fine sequins were sewn onto the skirt hem, giving off a fine shimmer when moving. What leaves me most satisfied is the tail; this large black tail was built by first using wire and sponge to fix the skeletal frame, and then pasting faux fur layer by layer onto it. Weighing over two kilograms, to prevent the tail from dragging on the ground and getting dirty during shooting, I used invisible fishing line to bind it together with my waist, allowing it to curve naturally and maintain its fluffiness without looking cumbersome.

In terms of hair, the silver-gray wig underwent trimming, and the back of the head was braided into a three-strand braid then tied tightly with a red ribbon, which both recreates the setting and generates a dynamic visual extension when looking back during shooting. The animal ears are customized, and two layers of support pieces with different hardness were added inside the ear contours to guarantee that whether I lower or raise my head, the ears will not collapse. Furthermore, white fluff was pasted at the ear roots to make the edges more natural.

For shooting, we selected an indoor studio scene. The backdrop was decorated with a European-style soft-wrapped low couch and a massive amount of white tulle. This large area of light-colored scenery actually makes it very easy for the subject to get submerged, so for the lighting, I requested the photographer to use primary and secondary softboxes. The main light shined down from a 45-degree oblique angle above, precisely outlining the open-back shoulder blade lines, while the fill light shined from the side-rear to brighten the transparency of the tulle dress. During the shoot, I tried my best to maintain a sitting posture with the body slightly twisted while looking back into the lens; this stance is the easiest to express that sense of 'measured restraint' inherent to ballet, while simultaneously presenting the side profile of the animal ears and the curves of the tail completely.

For post-processing, I didn't perform too much reshaping, mainly unifying the color temperature of the environment and slightly darkening the white gauze curtains in the background to let the main subject pop out more. Additionally, I intentionally brightened the reflection inside the eyes to make the green iris look more通透, while the pinkish-red smudging around the eyes preserved the raw photo texture, merely reinforcing the anime style without looking dirty.

The entire shooting process lasted for three hours. The greatest difficulty was keeping the tulle dress from being pressed into creases; because of repeatedly switching sitting postures, I had to reorganize the layers of the skirt hem every time I stood up. However, the final photo results aligned beautifully with my expectations, capturing that lightweight yet powerful atmosphere. For this type of artistic Anime-style photography, I prefer using light and shadow to tell a story rather than simple posing. Hope these practical sharing bits can offer some reference to fellow fans preparing to attempt a similar style.