Seirai Island is a vibe. If you’ve spent any time in Genshin Impact, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s that jagged, floating mess of rock and purple lightning sitting in the corner of Inazuma. Most players rush through it. They want the Electroculi, they want the Primogems from the "Seirai Stormchasers" quest, and then they leave. Honestly? They’re missing out on the best photography spot in the game. You really need to go to Seirai Island and take pictures while the atmosphere is still peak chaos.
The lighting here is weird. I mean that in the best way possible. Because of the Balethunder and the permanent storm around Amakumo Peak, the color palette is this haunting mix of deep indigo, neon violet, and bruised gold. It doesn’t look like anywhere else in Teyvat. Liyue is pretty, sure. Fontaine is elegant. But Seirai is raw. It’s a literal disaster zone frozen in time, and for virtual photographers, that’s a gold mine.
Getting the Shot Before the Quest Ruins It
Here is the thing about Seirai. Most people tell you to finish the world quests immediately. "Clear the storm," they say. "It makes exploring easier." They aren't wrong, but they are killing the mood. Once you finish "Seirai Stormchasers," the sky changes. The heavy, oppressive purple clouds thin out. The lightning stops striking the ground every five seconds. It becomes... well, it becomes normal.
If you want the truly dramatic shots, you have to go to Seirai Island and take pictures before you fix the sealing stones. The swirling vortex of Electro energy at the center of the island creates a natural frame for your characters. It’s chaotic. It’s dangerous. You’ll probably take some damage from the environment while trying to line up the perfect angle. That’s part of the fun.
The contrast between a bright character like Yoimiya or Klee against that dark, moody sky is incredible. It pops. If you wait until the storm is gone, you lose that high-contrast edge. The light becomes flat.
Best Locations for Your Kamera
Don't just stand on the beach. Everyone does that. You need to get creative with the verticality of this place.
Koseki Village is usually the first stop. It’s eerie. You’ve got these broken houses and the Asase Shrine nearby where Neko the cat hangs out. The abandoned buildings provide great foreground elements. Try positioning your character inside one of the ruined doorways looking out toward the floating rocks. It gives a sense of scale and loneliness that really captures the "ghost island" feel.
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Then there’s the Asase Shrine itself. It’s the only place on the island that feels somewhat peaceful. The contrast of the orange torii gates against the purple grass is a classic color theory win. If you time it right with the in-game clock, the sunset light hits the shrine in a way that makes the wood look like it’s glowing. It’s the best spot for "softer" photos if you’re tired of the doom and gloom.
Amakumo Peak is the big one. This is the heart of the storm. If you haven't cleared the quest, the center is a massive crater filled with water and lightning. The floating stone platforms are your best friend here. Use a character with a high-mobility skill—Kazuha, Wanderer, or even just Venti—to get to the higher ledges. Looking down into the center of the island from the top of a floating rock is arguably the most "epic" shot you can get in the entire Inazuma region.
Dealing With the Balethunder
Let’s be real: taking photos while your health bar is ticking down is a pain. Balethunder is the mechanic that drains your HP when you’re in high-Electro areas. To go to Seirai Island and take pictures effectively, you need a healer or a lot of Electrograna.
I usually bring Baizhu or Sangonomiya Kokomi. You want a healer who can provide consistent, off-field healing so you don't have to keep switching characters and ruining your pose. If you’re trying to use the Kamera gadget, you can’t be in the middle of an elemental burst animation, so passive healing is key.
Alternatively, grab an Electrogranum from a nearby branch. It protects you from the environment for a short time. This gives you about 15 to 20 seconds of "safe" time to frame your shot, adjust the depth of field, and click the shutter. It’s a race against time, which actually makes the process feel more like actual wildlife photography. You’re waiting for that brief window where the lightning flashes and your character isn't dying.
Why Seirai Beats Tsurumi Island
A lot of people compare Seirai to Tsurumi Island because they both have "gimmicks." Tsurumi has the fog. Seirai has the storm. But the fog on Tsurumi is frustrating for photos because it just desaturates everything. It makes the world look gray and washed out.
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Seirai is the opposite. It’s hyper-saturated. The purples are too purple. The blues are electric. When you go to Seirai Island and take pictures, you aren't fighting the color; you’re leaning into it. It’s the difference between a noir film and a cyberpunk aesthetic. Seirai is definitely the cyberpunk choice.
Technical Tips for Better In-Game Photography
The built-in photo mode in Genshin Impact is surprisingly decent, but you have to know how to manipulate it.
First, turn off the "Background Blur" or at least dial it back. Because the background of Seirai is so detailed—with the floating rocks and the swirling clouds—you don't want to blur it into oblivion. You want people to see the wreckage of the island.
Second, play with the "Time of Day" slider. Even though the storm is always there, the underlying light cycle still exists. At "night," the Electro glows become much more prominent. The cracks in the ground and the veins in the rocks will literally light up your character's model from below. It creates this "under-lighting" effect that you usually only see in horror movies or high-fashion shoots.
Third, look for the "cat" spots. Since Seirai is essentially the island of cats (thanks to Neko), you can find clusters of them near the shrine. Use the "Omni-Ubiquity Net" if you want to place your own animals, but the natural spawns are great for adding life to a shot. A lone character sitting among five or six cats while a massive purple storm rages in the background? That’s a top-tier "About Me" profile picture.
Don't Forget the Slimes and Specters
It sounds weird, but enemies can be great props. The Specters on Seirai are annoying to fight, but they’re colorful. If you have a shielder like Zhongli or Layla, you can just stand there, let the enemies surround you, and take a "battle" photo without actually taking damage. The elemental particles flying around from their attacks add a lot of "action" to a still image.
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Just make sure you have the "Hide Character" option off. Or, if you’re going for a landscape-only shot, hide the character and focus on the way the Specters float over the water. They look like little lanterns.
The Cultural Context of Seirai
For the lore nerds, taking pictures on Seirai is like documenting a tragedy. This wasn't always a wasteland. It was the home of the Hibiki family and the site of a massive rebellion. When you see the broken ships—the Seiraimaru—stuck in the cliffs, you’re looking at the remnants of a fleet that was destroyed by the manifestation of the Thunder Manifestation.
The Seiraimaru is probably the most underrated photo spot. It’s a massive, broken wooden ship stuck inside a cave system. The lighting inside is dim, with shafts of purple light poking through the cracks in the ceiling. It’s moody. It’s claustrophobic. It tells a story. If you want your photos to have "soul," this is where you go.
Actionable Next Steps for Aspiring Seirai Photographers
If you’re ready to head out, don't just wing it. Follow these steps to maximize your session:
- Check your quest log: If you haven't started "Seirai Stormchasers," keep it that way for a bit. Explore the island in its "peak storm" state first.
- Set your party: Bring a shielder (Zhongli/Kirara) and a passive healer (Kokomi/Kuki Shinobu). This lets you stand in the Balethunder without panicking.
- Wait for the flash: The lightning strikes on Seirai follow a semi-predictable pattern. If you want that "white-out" lightning strike in the background, hold your shutter button and wait for the ground to glow red—that means a strike is coming.
- Explore the "Seiraimaru" interior: There are puzzles inside that open up new rooms with unique lighting. Solve them to get deeper into the ship for those "sunken treasure" vibes.
- Visit Neko at Asase Shrine: Complete her daily commissions. Eventually, the shrine gets cleaned up a bit, which gives you more "pretty" photo options while keeping the dramatic sky.
Taking photos in a game shouldn't feel like a chore. It’s about capturing a specific mood that the developers worked hard to create. Seirai Island is one of the most visually distinct places in any open-world game, and it deserves more than a quick flyover for materials. Grab your Kamera, find a precarious cliffside, and wait for the lightning to hit. It's worth the effort.
Practical Tip: Use the "Special Analysis Kamera" if you have it from the past events; it adds a subtle film-grain effect that looks incredible with Seirai’s purple color palette. If not, the standard Kamera works just fine, but try zooming in all the way and then backing your character up—it creates a "compression" effect that makes the distant storm clouds look much larger and more threatening than they actually are.