[Yuzuha cosplay] Zenless Zone Zero, Red and Black Color Scheme Studio Shoot Record

This is the third time this year I've put on this outfit and stepped into the studio, and the biggest point of anticipation was actually the large mechanical-looking red-and-black umbrella standing beside me. When portraying this character before, I always thought about traveling light and ended up treating this core weapon as mere decoration, but this time I finally hauled it out of the prop box, and it felt like the character's soul was instantly established. To maintain the atmospheric vibe of the photos, I specially chose an all-white background studio this time. A white background is a double-edged sword; it is very clean, but it also tests the distribution of clothing colors. Fortunately, the black, pink, and red color scheme of this outfit is clear enough, and paired with the gray-and-white striped over-the-knee socks on my legs and the heavy black heeled motorcycle boots, it actually maxed out the color contrast against the pure white background.

During the shoot, the impact of this hexagonal umbrella on composition was much greater than I expected, especially during the crouching pose (which is also my favorite photo). The expanded area of this umbrella acted as a natural visual baffle, and combined with the character's slightly playful yet battle-ready setting, the vibe was right on point. For the standing pose, I tried resting the umbrella on my shoulder, highlighting the long braided pigtails behind me and the loose pink cardigan, which elongated my overall proportions. There are actually quite a few details on this outfit, such as the red star on the sailor collar, the jagged stitching on the edges of the pockets, and the black leg garter strap on the thigh. Taken individually, they are all clever touches, but combined together, they are very recognizable.

In this year's shooting plan, this counts as the second time doing Yuzuha in this studio, but with the addition of the umbrella this time, the limitations on poses were greater than pure posing due to the large prop, yet it truly tested movement direction. During the breaks between shoots, I also wondered if I hadn't brought this umbrella, would I have had to desperately squeeze out hand gestures to fill the emptiness of the frame? The results proved that large props are indeed necessary. Even though this umbrella bumped around while moving locations in the studio and even had its tassels tangling me up for ages, the final shots showed that heavier props can better support the character's original sense of weight.

However, walking around everywhere carrying this umbrella, during the breaks when the photographer asked me to change poses, I thought to myself that perhaps Raccoon's suggestions really did include clever ideas for dealing with such large physical props. Poses like lifting one leg and pressing the umbrella body against the shoulder can showcase a nimble side without making the umbrella look exceptionally heavy. There is also the profile shot of looking back while carrying the umbrella, which can simultaneously take care of the display area for the ponytail, back, and umbrella surface—considered a relatively smart shooting approach.

Speaking of which, this is already my third shooting attempt regarding this character Yuzuha this year. The first two times mostly focused on half-body or light setups, and I always felt it lacked a bit of that trait combining the grotesque and mechanical aesthetic. This time, fully combining the red braided hair, the red-and-black large umbrella, and this pair of striking and specially textured zebra-striped over-the-knee socks can be considered putting a period to this year's work for myself. These long boots are really comfortable to wear; the wedge heel design doesn't make my feet too tired after standing in the studio for a long time, making them truly friendly gear for producing photos from a practical standpoint.

The final effect of the shots turned out pretty interesting. Although the full-studio white background sometimes gives people a floating sensation, fortunately, this type of ACG-setting attire naturally carries a sharp feeling that breaks the dimensional wall. Looking back now, the texture of a three-dimensional cosplay often hides precisely in these specific props and styling details—this is probably the unique sense of ritual that studio shoots bring to me.