[Thorns the Lodestar and Elysium Cosplay] High-Energy Outdoor Photoshoot in the Heavy Wind of Xiamen Beach

We anticipated that the wind at Xiamen beach wouldn't be small before the shoot, but it wasn't until we actually got onto the reef rocks that we realized it was even fiercer than imagined. This time, we chose two sets of gear. This Elysium cosplay outfit with a white trench coat paired with a red scarf was exceptionally eye-catching against the backdrop of the gray-blue sea and sky. Meanwhile, for this Thorns the Lodestar cosplay look, the outfit featured form-fitting white trousers paired with silver armor elements, and the black inner top added layers to the overall styling. The entire costume set was actually quite thin for the heavy sea breeze, but Gu Xun said that since we were here, we must bring our state to the absolute max.

During the night shoot, the light from the lantern was the only primary light source on site. Because the wind was too strong, the hand holding the lantern had to remain steady; otherwise, the light would shake violently. Yantuan Tu was guiding us on adjusting our positions, and even took off their down jacket to block the wind behind the lamp—thank you so much. For those close-ups with the lantern, the eye contact between the two of us didn't need to be forced at all, because we instinctively wanted to huddle closer to keep warm due to the cold, which instead captured a highly natural sense of interaction.

The daytime outdoor shoot was a completely different experience. The wind blew the blue ribbons almost parallel to the sea surface, and seagulls circled in the blue sky, giving the frame a high degree of tension through this dynamism. Although our fingers were freezing and a bit stiff, everyone got a little excited when we saw the preview images in the camera.

In this shoot, the interaction setting between Thorns and Elysium inherently carries a great sense of storytelling. Coupled with the grand scenery where the sea meets the sky, a nice composition could be achieved just by slightly adjusting the positions. There was even a low-angle photo where the blue ribbons and white trench coat stood against the backlit blue sky, which had a very strong visual impact, and I personally love that atmosphere.

The most interesting part of the shoot was actually snapping the seagulls. It was completely random; the two of us stood or sat on the reef on the beach, and as long as a seagull flew over, the shutter was pressed. Yantuan Tu photographed very quickly, and the output efficiency was extremely high. Although there were many other tourists at the venue that day, we tried our best to avoid the crowds and found a relatively independent reef area, where we indeed waited for a beautiful sunset glow. Although we didn't catch the complete sunset in the end, the warm-and-cold contrast formed by the cold-toned blue sea, warm lanterns, and red scarf fits perfectly with the realistic yet clean art style of Arknights. Looking back now, whether in terms of costume texture, prop accuracy, or shooting atmosphere, I am highly satisfied with these few pictures under this sea breeze photography session.