These photos are from my first roleplay of Meltryllis six years ago. Looking back at them recently, there are many obvious areas for improvement, from composition and lighting to post-color grading. This regret had always lingered in my heart, so I decided to make it my remake project for this year.
To stay close to the character's setting, the costume used composite materials that offer both rigidity and texture. The leg armor guards were split into pieces according to the official design to ensure that the joints could move freely; otherwise, it would have been impossible to perform some large-scale movements. Regarding the weapon, this custom-sized longsword carried a solid weight in hand. To present a better metallic texture, the blade was sprayed with several layers of different gray grey paints, and the edges were meticulously polished. To make the poses look natural during the shoot, finding the center of gravity as a support point was quite a physical challenge.
Speaking of the split pieces of the leg armor just now, this division is actually also critical for the photographer to find angles. Once the pose is struck, the upper body must remain upright, while the legs need to present a sense of ready-to-go elongation, as a large part of the temperament presented in the frame comes from the flow of body lines.
The lighting design on the shoot site is key to deciding the temperament of the final prints. We set the main light source behind the character, utilizing that cross-shaped cyan-white LED light as backlighting. This allowed us to outline clear contours while also bringing out the translucent feel of the purple-blue wig. A softbox was used to apply subtle fill light on the character's face and the front of the armor, with the brightness controlled to a level where the facial features and armor reflections are just visible, avoiding complete pitch black and ensuring both a sense of mystery and clear details.
The most counter-intuitive thing in this shoot was actually the lighting. Although high-contrast backlighting is very eye-catching, we conducted multiple fill-light tests on-site to preserve the hair layers and the metallic reflections of the armor. The dark areas of the environment were crushed very dark, but the highlights, especially at the seams of the shoulder and leg armor, had to be lit up to convey the heavy texture through the frame.
Looking at the raw prints again, I felt what was lacking was that "dissolving" atmospheric feel. It is not just about making the eyes look cool, but more importantly, expressing that cold and resolute feeling through body language. For this remake, I specially adjusted my demeanor, abandoning the previous forced fierce expressions, and instead emptied my mind as much as possible to make my gaze look cold and determined.
Regarding this form of Meltryllis, its core sensation is ultimate coldness and freedom. Trying to fully replicate that coldness in reality actually requires a long period of mental adjustment. Before the shoot, I sat quietly for a long time, emptying all the cluttered thoughts in my head, before gradually finding that completely unbothered micro-expression.
During these six years, changes have occurred in aesthetics, makeup techniques, and our understanding of light and shadow. Compared to the past, when I might have valued overall gorgeousness more, now I care more about the emotional transmission of the frame and the rationality of details. I hope this reinterpretation can get closer to the character's unique charm than in the past. The final prints are still being polished diligently; these are just some stage-by-stage records and thoughts for this atmospheric cosplay project featuring cosplay photography.
The layout of the shoot also took some thought. Those white translucent films on the ground were not scattered randomly, but deliberately stacked to create a ruin-like texture resembling cracked ice or broken snow. This white, cluttered element formed a wonderful visual echo with the dazzling cyan cross behind, both adding layers to the frame and preventing it from stealing the visual center from the main character.
After wearing this armor and tall boots this time, the biggest realization was that movement was somewhat restricted. In particular, bending the knees and rotating the ankles required adapting to the curvature of the armor plates. When shooting some dynamic poses, I had to frequently adjust my body's support points. Fortunately, the early measurement data of the props and costume were highly accurate, and no gear cracked or fell off during the shoot, which guaranteed the smooth progress of this remake.
The biggest obstacle to the remake plan was actually the storage of props; after all, transporting such a long weapon and complex armor to the studio is a hassle in itself. Fortunately, we made meticulous plans in advance to ensure the smoothness of the on-site shoot. These are the untold hardships behind many people doing cosplay, but seeing the final visual makes it all feel worth it.
Regarding makeup, this time I also intentionally shaped it toward a "cold and aloof" direction. The base makeup was applied very cleanly, with almost no complex color stacking. The focus was placed on deepening the shadows of the eye contours, paired with light blue-gray colored contacts, giving the gaze a kind of penetrative power. Coordinated with the cool-toned lighting, the overall look presented an inorganic texture with no emotional fluctuations.