[Gaming cosplay] Genshin Impact Full Liyue Group Photoshoot: On-Location Record at Zizhuyuan Park

The line-up for this Liyue group photoshoot included 18 characters, and the real-world scenery at Zizhuyuan Park matched Liyue Harbor's traditional oriental aesthetic perfectly. As the cosplayer for Gaming cosplay, participating in this group shoot was actually my first time walking through all of the character's movement logic in a real setting. Studio shoots at conventions feel completely different from being in a traditional garden location; river lanterns floating on the water, ancient architectural backdrops suspended in clouds, and the small lion dance head added later instantly pulled the entire immersive atmosphere together.

To balance the composition for 18 people in the Liyue group photoshoot, the shoot was divided into several scene transitions. The first scene featured stone bridges and floating structures, where soft mist lighting added an extra mystical sense of xianxia fantasy. The second was a night-time waterside pavilion—complex lighting made capturing shots difficult, but for our retoucher Conghua, it provided excellent material for color grading. The third scene centered around archways and red maple leaves, adopting an autumn wonderland style with massive cyan stone arches supplying structural balance to the frame. Finally, there were bridge-standing positions extending depth of field, enriched by lotus leaves in the adjacent pond and black-awning wooden boats.

For a big-family-style shoot like this, Outdoor photography tests mutual cooperation in positioning and eye contact rather than individual expressiveness alone. Every scene change required re-arranging positions—some crouched on rocks, others stood behind railings, all while making sure faces in the back weren't obstructed. Everyone in the group was incredibly patient, having invested heavily in wigs, makeup, and styling beforehand. Although Outdoor photography is often time-consuming and strenuous, the final result truly exceeded our expectations.

Let's talk about the main props for this shoot. The small lion dance head serves as the finishing touch in Gaming's design setting; during the actual shoot, we brought two—one for dynamic action poses and the other as a static tabletop prop. When posing with the lion head, body center of gravity needs prior adjustment; otherwise, poses can easily look uncoordinated. The stone platforms near the water were quite slippery, and performing leg-support poses along stone edges while wearing thick-soled shoes heavily tested core strength.

Besides group shots, I also took several behind-the-scenes close-ups with group members. For initial promo releases, the selfie photos offered plenty of highlights. I paired up for two-person shots with cosplayers playing Zhongli, Childe, Ningguang, Yelan, and several other characters. Under ample lighting, we captured natural interaction angles with a casual, everyday feel, serving as a great complement to standard convention photos.

The costumes, makeup, and props across all 18 team members were remarkably well-made, especially for several larger-proportioned characters that were trickier to style—when combined with their dedicated silhouette structures, standing together delivered powerful visual impact. This street-wandering style of shooting heavily tested photographers (Tugou Laomiao, Qifengle) in scene selection and real-time spatial arrangement. Producing a masterpiece group set relies on solid planning and post-production as a foundation, but mutual chemistry within the team is the true key.

Finally, a few minor shooting details. When utilizing grand scenic backdrops, poses must feature visual extension rather than simply standing flatly. Poses shifting weight to one leg may look simple, but they demand high fabric drape quality. Moving around on location in this outfit was far more physically demanding than practicing before a mirror. Moreover, with shifting weather conditions, holding props steadily while waiting for reflector adjustments required constant focus.

The entire Outdoor photography shoot lasted a full day, where each character's unique personality shone through differently in this setting. This on-location team bonding process is tougher than simple studio shoots, yet such an environment restores the geography of Liyue from Genshin Impact far better. I tried finding a resonance with the character within the frame; though movements were subtle, captured moments achieved satisfying harmony between costume, wig, and body language. Zizhuyuan Park proved to be a blessed location—truly a tailor-made Liyue. The post-production team controlled light, shadow, and color tones with great precision, bestowing a cohesive, high-quality visual feel upon the entire set.