For this Herta cosplay photoshoot, the focus was placed on capturing the character's inherent mystery and elegance. Since I usually handle photography and post-processing myself, I picked a spot by the window to create a striking Backlit portrait effect. The window light caught the edges of my shoulders and hair just right, giving the entire silhouette a natural luminous glow, and I deliberately kept some lens flare in post-processing to enhance the dreamy atmosphere.
In terms of makeup and styling, Herta's oversized purple hat and long silver hair were the top priorities. The white geometric patterns on the hat feature a distinct texture, so I specifically adjusted the angle to highlight the details. The hair was spliced from multiple wigs to increase volume and length, ensuring a graceful drape even while lying on my side. The black top paired with a lace collar and neckpiece required some effort to put on, but created a very dignified visual presence for this Anime girl look.
The shoot was quite challenging because backlighting easily makes the face overly dark or the clothing look harsh. To counter this, I added soft fill light to the face and used a white pillow to bounce light, achieving this softer overall tone. In post-processing, I mainly refined the saturation and tonal contrast of the Purple styling to make the figure stand out with greater dimension.
The character of Herta naturally conveys intellect and aloofness, so expressions couldn't be overly sweet—maintaining a cool, composed, and effortless poise was essential. We shot from many angles, and I chose this one as the cover because the composition felt well-balanced and the eye contact was just right. In complex indoor lighting, patiently adjusting camera placement and lighting angles often yields unexpected results. The entire process was very fulfilling, and I'm excited to share these finished photos with everyone.