For this convention, I cosplayed Jeanne d'Arc from Fate/Grand Order, choosing this deep purple battle robe paired with silver heavy armor. The metallic pieces of the armor were solid, hefty components that felt substantial to wear—especially the breastplate and faulds, which strapped on so tightly that my ribs ached after walking around all day. Still, for authentic on-site visual impact, the physical toll was completely worth it. The deep purple cape was the visual centerpiece; made of thick, heavy fabric, capturing that wind-whipped dynamic movement meant shaking the cape repeatedly alongside the photographer, snapping dozens of takes before getting a satisfying frame. While the cruciform longsword in my right hand was merely a prop, its balance was crafted nicely, though hoisting it one-handed for poses seriously tested my arm strength. The pole banner in my left hand was even heavier, reinforced internally with metal supports that made my wrist ache when held for long periods. For the lower half, I paired it with black stockings, where the high-slit skirt design revealed leg lines, adding a subtle touch of allure to the heavy armored girl silhouette.
Inside the hall, the dark background and overhead row lights provided fantastic lighting conditions. To project the character's stern resolve, I had to tightly control my facial expressions, holding focus despite the surrounding noise. I spent over an hour prepping the wig beforehand with generous amounts of hairspray, though gusts blowing through the venue required touch-ups on the fly. I deepened the eye contours and used a sweat-resistant foundation, as moving around in this full gear was essentially a workout. In discussions with the photographer, we agreed on utilizing perspective to amplify visual tension, extending the sword and banner outward as far as possible. The first close-up froze the moment of gripping the sword with the cape billowing, accentuating the metallic texture of the cross hilt and gauntlets; the second fully unleashed the aura, with dark backgrounds and top lighting maximizing the cool-toned ambiance, making the purple cape and black stockings pop vividly.
Shooting convention photos is a combined workout of body and mind—if the lighting angle misses, you retake; if the skirt or cape doesn't drape right, you retake. Sometimes holding a pose meant freezing rigidly for dozens of seconds while supporting heavy weapons. Fortunately, the final shots preserved authentic textures without over-the-top post-production VFX, capturing that grounded sense of combat and strength I was aiming for. Wearing this gear was exhausting, but seeing the gleam of the silver armor and the dynamic sweep of the cape made all the day's hustle worthwhile.