[Yun Jin cosplay & Tingyun cosplay] When Genshin Impact characters step into reality, I'm willing to indulge in this dream

This shoot took nearly two weeks of preparation from casting to final photos. The hardest part of the costume was the golden bell and the translucent gauze streamers; to make them drape naturally yet billow during movements, several layers of fine steel wire were used for shaping. The makeup for the animal ears and facial markings was also adjusted repeatedly—green contact lenses paired with red claw marks, achieving that vivid gaze only through back-and-forth communication with the photographer.

The venue chosen was a traditional Japanese-style washitsu room. The paper lantern light leaned warm, striking the red maple branches; paired with low-angle side backlighting, it highlighted the red dip-dyed ends of the hair and the gold trims of the outfit perfectly. That red-and-yellow plush prop was actually custom-made to add interactive feel; holding it in hand or letting it lay on the floor during the shoot added a playfulness to the overall image.

In terms of pose design, besides conventional seated and half-kneeling poses, I tried a twisting pose standing on one leg. Because the skirt is short, this extended the leg lines while giving the translucent phantom special effects behind me a greater sense of flow. The fish-shaped light shadows and ribbon effects added in post-processing actually referenced those ethereal, misty visual elements from the game, but I didn't want them to steal the spotlight, so the opacity was kept low to retain the original portrait texture.

The shooting day was actually quite exhausting—high indoor temperatures, a thick wig, plus repeating large movements caused quite a bit of sweat. But seeing that playfully mysterious aura in the final photos made all the effort feel completely worth it. Prop placement, light color temperature, and even floor reflections—every detail served the goal of "characters stepping out of the screen." Many asked why natural light wasn't used; actually, this dark-tone lighting highlights three-dimensional features better, with shadows covering unwanted clutter so focus stays on the face and posture.

Speaking of the costume's craftsmanship, the armguards were made with EVA plus spray paint, weathered along the edges for realism; inside the large neck bell, a small piece of sponge was stuffed to soften any jarring clanging sound. The most time-consuming part was braiding those red cord bracelets with varying textures without letting them unravel. The overall color palette focused on dark green, vibrant red, and gold—signature colors from original character designs. I added a bit of personal touch based on accuracy, such as dyeing the inner hair layer red for richer depth under backlighting.

My favorite shot during the shoot was the final one-leg balance capture. It was hard to find balance, but with the photographer's continuous encouragement, I tried to counter-stretch between my arms and the other foot while keeping a cool, "seeing through everything" calm in my eyes. This balanced yet tension-filled state took many snaps to yield just one perfect shot.

Actually, cosplay to me is more than just wearing a costume; it feels like a brief character experience. When you put on the wig, paint the facial markings, and stand in a carefully prepared set, you unconsciously adjust your expressions and demeanor. Fusing the styles of Yun Jin cosplay and Tingyun cosplay into one shoot was quite interesting—blending Yun Jin's operatic elegance with Tingyun's fox-like agility. I hope this work lets everyone feel that the beauty from games can truly linger in reality for a moment.