With the attendance system linked, I'm taking off!

Looking at the photos in the camera, Song Ke'er felt like crying.

"What should I do? It looks awful! I followed the settings on TikTok exactly, but why does it look the same as usual?"

Zhang Xingchen held his forehead with one hand and leaned on the railing with the other, feeling that his outfit today was a complete waste.

In order to take good photos in Bailixia, the two specially changed into ancient-style cosplay outfits. As we all know, ancient-style clothing is quite complicated, and even though Bailixia is mild in winter and cool in summer, it still takes a lot of clothes to fit together in the middle of summer.

If they had actually produced a good film, that would have been fine, but the result was a huge blow to them.

"If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have hired a photographer."

Song Ke'er lowered her hands, looking dejected.

"Hmph, it's all that TikTok video creator's fault. I'm going to give him a piece of my mind when I get back. He even said that anyone can shoot a blockbuster if they adjust the parameters according to his method."

Zhang Xingchen took the camera from Song Ke'er and looked at the photos one by one. They were either backlit or mediocre, and none of them turned out as he had imagined.

"We can't blame him; we just oversimplified things. If you could take good photos just by adjusting some parameters, then the profession of photographer would be worthless." Although Song Ke'er was upset, she didn't blame anyone else.

Looking at the beautiful scenery around her, her mood gradually improved.

Just then, she suddenly saw a handsome... older brother walking towards her from a distance, holding a camera and taking pictures of the distance. Judging from his pose and the smile on his face when he looked back at the photos, he was clearly very satisfied.

Song Ke'er nudged Zhang Xingchen's arm, signaling her to look to the side.

Zhang Xingchen turned around, paused for a moment, then realized what was going on. She leaned close to Song Ke'er and whispered, "Are you asking them to take pictures for us?"

Song Ke'er immediately nodded: "Based on my years of experience, coupled with this person's posing and handsome appearance, I can be fairly certain that this person must know photography."

Zhang Xingchen pouted: "If I didn't know you were a sucker for good looks, I would have believed you."

"So, do you want to give it a try?" Song Ke'er didn't care at all about being called a "face-value fanatic."

"Go ask."

Although Zhang Xingchen is very easygoing when she's with Song Ke'er, she still doesn't have the courage to ask a strange man to take her picture.

"Hmph, coward!"

Song Ke'er tossed her head and walked towards the other person.

Qin Yun was looking at the system panel. At this moment, the first task requirement had been completed. The system had also marked the three photos. Qin Yun compared them back and forth and found that among the photos of the same type, these three were indeed the best.

Just then, a voice suddenly came from the side.

"Handsome, can I see the photos you took?"

He turned his head and saw a petite girl dressed in traditional Chinese clothing. He didn't know who she was cosplaying as, but her makeup was exquisite. Just looking at her like that, she looked very beautiful. As for what she would look like after removing her makeup, he had no idea.

Not far from the girl was another girl cosplaying, but she was probably cosplaying a man. Both of them were probably quite young.

"What did you say?" Qin Yun asked.

Song Ke'er pointed to the camera in his hand and repeated, "Handsome, can I see the photos you took?"

Qin Yun heard him clearly this time, and he handed her the camera: "Hmm, not bad, who are you cosplaying as?"

"Can't you tell?" Song Ke'er asked curiously. "I'm Zhao Ling'er, and she's Li Xiaoyao."

"Uh..." Qin Yun said against his will, "Now that you mention it, it does seem quite similar."

"Hehe, it looks like it, doesn't it? I think so too."

Song Ke'er smiled smugly, then looked down at the camera's viewfinder. But the moment the first photo popped up, her mouth opened slightly, revealing a surprised expression, and then an exclamation of admiration couldn't help but escape her lips.

"It looks so good."

"Hehe, thank you for the compliment." Qin Yun smiled. With his current photography skills, if he were to prepare properly and concentrate on shooting, the results would be even better than they are now.

Zhang Xingchen, who was not far away, also heard Song Ke'er's voice. In the end, he couldn't help but move over step by step, squeezed a smile at Qin Yun, and then approached the camera.

Then...

"It feels so good."

"This photo is so beautiful! The timing of this snapshot was perfect."

"It's more than enough to be used as a promotional photo for Bailixia."

Their eyes lit up when they saw the photo Qin Yun had initially snapped of Xia Qingqing. Although they weren't good at taking pictures, they had basic aesthetic sense, and the feeling of the light shining down from the sliver of sky, blending the person and the scenery into one, was simply amazing.

The two looked at each other almost simultaneously and then nodded vigorously.

"Handsome, could you take a picture for us? We'll pay you, okay?"

Qin Yun paused for a moment, took the camera back from Song Ke'er, and then pointed to the DSLR in Zhang Xingchen's hand: "Didn't you bring a camera?"

Without saying a word, Zhang Xingchen opened the photos he had taken and showed them to Qin Yun one by one.

After seeing their photos, Qin Yun immediately understood why. The photos were even worse than tourist photos, a real waste of the two dressed like that.

"No problem, as for the money, forget about it."

Qin Yun readily agreed.

……

Many people think that photography is simply pressing a shutter button, which is both true and false.

However, the timing of pressing the shutter is very important. Putting aside professional photography equipment, the skills that a photographer should possess are hard for ordinary people to imagine.

First of all, operating the equipment is absolutely necessary. Nine out of ten ordinary people don't even know how to operate a camera, let alone anything else.

Secondly, there's the use of light and mastery of composition. Light is the most important element in photography. How to master and arrange natural light, how to set up artificial light, how to use light to create layers in the image, and how to use various rule-breaking composition methods, etc.

Another key skill is mastering shooting techniques for various scenarios. For example, when shooting portraits, it's about capturing their posture and expressions; when shooting landscapes, it's about finding the best natural light...

Only by understanding and mastering all these aspects can one truly become a qualified photographer.

Qin Yun, on the other hand, goes even further, so simply taking photos of two little girls in cosplay is far too easy for him.

Under his direction, the two worked together seamlessly without hesitation, and he followed his inspiration to capture those fleeting moments.

They changed the background five times, used up one battery, and took more than 150 photos. Seeing that the two of them looked tired, Qin Yun then asked them to stop taking pictures.

Otherwise, given his current urge to take photos, it wouldn't have ended so quickly.

The three of them found a spot and gathered around to admire the original photos in the camera. Although these photos hadn't undergone post-processing, each one, under Qin Yun's control, already possessed a remarkable quality.

However, he had also seen cosplay photos online, and the post-production editing was so heavy that the facial details of the characters were almost completely lost. But that's normal; nobody wants to see themselves with large pores in a photo.

"Wow...that's amazing...aww...Coco, you're so beautiful."

Song Ke'er looked at herself in the photo. Her ancient costume skirt fluttered in the wind, and the background was a narrow cliff. The light and shadow fell on her face, and even the shadow of her eyelashes was clearly visible.

"This photo is so cool, how come I look so good?"

"I never realized I was so pretty. Wow, the boys in my class are so lucky every day."

"It's so flavorful, I don't even want to do any post-production. This original feel is so addictive."

Listening to the two little ones' unrestrained self-praise, Qin Yun was speechless. Are all kids these days like this?

"Brother Qin, you're amazing! We've taken so many photos, but yours are the best." Song Ke'er looked up at Qin Yun with eyes full of admiration.

Zhang Xingchen even clutched his chest, looking heartbroken: "After having Brother Qin, how can I possibly accept those vulgar people in the future? Sigh..."

"Hey, you two, that's enough." Qin Yun couldn't take it anymore. "You're being way too familiar."

Over the course of an hour and a half, the two naturally exchanged names and basic information. Both were students at a middle school in Baoding, still in their second year of high school, and were simply taking advantage of the last few days of their summer vacation to visit the scenic area for some photos.

I'm not a professional cosplayer, just an enthusiast, but I occasionally take on some event commissions online.

Thinking back to when I was in high school, and comparing myself to today's young people, I can see that today's young people are much more precocious.

"Find the camera's Wi-Fi and I'll send you the photos."

Modern cameras have the function of directly transferring photos to mobile phones, which is very convenient.

Without saying a word, the two immediately connected the camera and began transmitting data.

"Brother Qin, are you here for tourism?" Song Ke'er asked, resting her chin on her hand, looking obedient.

Qin Yun shook his head: "No, I'm here on a trip."

"Isn't this the same?" Zhang Xingchen looked up and asked in confusion.

"Of course it's different." Qin Yun smiled. "Tourism is about having a clear list of goals, and the process is more about whether you achieve your preconceived notions. Like this Bailixia Gorge, if it were tourism, you would be eager to walk through the entire scenic area and take photos, but travel is not like that."

"Travel isn't about missions; it's about the authentic experience of the moment. If I were traveling with a mission in mind, do you think I would have spent so much time taking photos for you?"

Upon hearing this, the two widened their eyes and showed expressions of admiration. If it were an ordinary person being looked at like that by two beautiful girls, they would have already become quite smug.

However, Qin Yun was no ordinary person; he was always in Class 5 throughout high school.

"Brother Qin, where are you from? Will we never see you again? I really hope you're from Baoding too, so we can keep looking for you when we take photos."

Song Ke'er was incredibly impressed with Qin Yun's photography skills, but she felt a little disappointed when she thought that Qin Yun was just a tourist visiting Hebei.

"I'm from Zhejiang. You can visit Zhoushan when you travel to Zhejiang in the future."

Before parting, the two added Qin Yun on WeChat, regardless of whether they would keep in touch in the future.

After saying goodbye to them, Qin Yun continued walking into the scenic area. He had only covered one-fifth of the vast Bailixia Scenic Area so far.

……

The next day, Qin Yun stood in front of the Fish Valley Cave Spring, watching the clear spring water flow endlessly, with many fish surging out of the spring, which was quite a sight.

However, he heard from a tour guide that what they were seeing now was nothing compared to the real spectacle, which only lasted for about ten days during the Grain Rain season each year. If they missed it, they would have to wait until the following year.

Even so, Qin Yun found it incredibly amazing.

There was also the cave scenery inside Yugu Cave, with stalactite formations such as stone flowers, cloud basins, goose tubes, and stalagmites, which he had never seen before and lingered there, reluctant to leave.

He didn't forget the system's check-in task. Standing in front of the Fish Valley Cave Spring, he took out his phone and took a selfie. The moment the selfie was finished, the last requirement on the system panel was successfully activated, and the long-awaited system notification came through.

[Congratulations, host, for successfully checking in! You have received a random reward: Rock Climbing Skill +1]

[Rock Climbing Skill LV1: Walking with perfect precision, turning stones into paths, traversing countless cliffs and valleys]

In an instant, the textures and stress patterns of various rock face types, as well as the climbing methods and how to exert force, all flashed through his mind. In just one minute, he had a complete grasp of rock climbing. For him now, no matter what kind of rock face route he was, he could climb it with ease and make even the most challenging routes feel like flat ground.

But the most important thing is the change in the body. When I received the skill three times before, although there were changes in my body, they were very subtle. But this time it was different.

His limbs, abdomen, and back began to heat up, and his muscles were trembling rapidly. A magical force was transforming his body, allowing him to not only reach a certain level in theory but also in practice.

The skill was received in my mind in just one minute, but the changes in my body took about fifteen minutes to complete.

The changes that had been completed left Qin Yun speechless once again.

With his fingers spread, the resilience of his knuckles far surpassed what he used to have; he felt as if this hand could even break his old bones. Raising his right arm, he could clearly feel the lines of his biceps and triceps tightening, not the blocky look of a gym workout, but a streamlined, taut shape. Every inch of his muscle seemed precisely coordinated, allowing for effortless control and exertion.

Besides that, the biggest change was in his waist and abdomen. He straightened his back and instantly felt a powerful core tension. The excess fat in his waist and abdomen from sitting for long periods of time had been replaced by well-developed muscles. Not the kind of angular abdominal muscles, but deep core muscles that could stabilize the body's center of gravity.

Another thing is his incredible sense of balance. He feels that even if he stands on a protruding rock, he can automatically adjust his center of gravity and remain as stable as Mount Tai.

Feeling the changes in his body, Qin Yun was astonished by the system's incredible abilities.

"Wow... I'm this awesome!"