TZP: Link and Malon observe Death Mountain

From where they stood on the edge of the Lon Lon Plateau, they could see the vast rolling hills of Hyrule field, and the distant Kakariko mountain range. Malon gasped when she saw where he was pointing. She couldn't imagine even scaling a mountain that tall, let alone a volcano that had been precariously active for years. When her father returned from Kakariko, he had mentioned that the locals were convinced it would erupt any day now. Yet Link intended to climb to its summit, and descend inside of it!

The concept of Link pointing out where he would go next to Malon... the summit of Death Mountain... was something I was so excited to do. It was a heavy task for Mickael to undertake, but when he was finished the result was breathtaking. It's very hard to depict the ring of cloud that circulates around the top of Death Mountain, but I think he achieved the realism quite well. We spent weeks looking at clouds and examples of how they could appear in strange shapes in reality before we settled upon this. I hope you guys love it!

NOTE: There are two easter eggs in this pic. Can you find Zora's falls and Kakariko village?!

The Zelda Project is a Los Angeles, CA based group of friends who seek to bring to life the characters, settings, and overall feel of Ocarina of Time through photography and film. Our ultimate goal is to create the characters as they would appear in reality to the best of our abilities, placing them in beautiful sceneries true to their Hyrulean counterparts, and creating elaborate photosets, as well as a film short (coming soon! Stay tuned for our Kickstarter project!).

Link Model: Anthony (retired from the project)
Malon Model: Sarah Quillian Adella
Epona Model: Big John
Costume: Made by Sarah Quillian Adella
Photography: IndigoVerse Indigo76
Matte Painting: Mickael Forrett
Leatherworking: Ben Wallace, Me
Sword/Shield/Sheath: Aaron Granofsky
Navi Effects: Julia Starr night-fate
Horse Trainer: Dawn Stafford (Stafford Ranch & Stables)
Horse Owner: Jerry Rudolph
Horse Wrangler: John Sedano
Chicken Wrangler: John Sedano, Dawn Stafford
On-Site Vet Tech: Marcus Eddings
Horse Make-up: Marcus Eddings
Assistant Camera: Julia Starr
Bowser Pin: Donated by AnimeGeer
Storyboarding: Sofia Alexander Elenath

The Zelda Project Official Website: www.thezeldaproject.net
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The Malon costume is a classic remake of my original Malon costume. The skirt, blouse, and scarf are all 100% linen of varying weaves and thicknesses. The costume has been distressed to show wear and tear, assuming that Malon would get dirty if she was working on the ranch all day! The background is a beautiful digital matte painting by Mickael Forrett. Also, to answer the popular question about horse makeup: We painted Big John's legs and tail and ears to have black on them because his coloration wasn't like that. We used horse show touch-up which many people use in horse shows to hide things like scars and imperfections on their horses. Think of it kinda like spray in hair color for humans, but it's made for horses.

This cosplay photo was a huge combined group effort that was a labor of love by friends and fans of the Legend of Zelda series. Combining all aspects of art from photography to matte painting, we wanted to bring the Legend of Zelda to life as best we could in a final presentation. So far this has been incredibly rewarding, and we hope that those of you who view our work are brought a little bit more into the world of Hyrule through our art.

A special thanks to everyone who has helped us get this far! Without all of your support and kindness we wouldn't have been able to make this happen. We only hope that with what we produce, a smile is put on your face!

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