[Ereshkigal cosplay] Fate/Grand Order Autumn Break Seaside Sprint: The Dual Test of Sea Breeze and Cold Water

Returning home for autumn break, I went for a final summer sprint in Northeast China as full autumn set in. This time, I cosplayed Ereshkigal cosplay from Fate/Grand Order. When setting out, I was still holding onto wishful thinking that the autumn sun wouldn't be too cold. Arriving at the beach, the weather was indeed fine with the sun shining overhead and plenty of bright light by the shore—perfect for shooting this bright blue and white swimsuit. But after all, it was deep autumn in Northeast China; the sea breeze howled, making the perceived temperature several degrees lower than the forecast. To faithfully recreate the character's design, I dressed rather lightly, and as soon as the sea breeze blew, I felt instantly frozen to the bone.

Before the shoot, I spent nearly half an hour applying sunscreen heavily. Considering the strong UV reflection by the sea, sunscreen had to be reapplied frequently, and I even brought a spray bottle. Although the sun was blazing, the wind was biting. The most agonizing part wasn't the wind, but when the waves crashed in and the seawater splashed against my ankles—it was bone-chillingly cold. After every single shot, I had to hurriedly wrap myself in a coat, shivering, to recover some warmth.

For the outfit preparation for this shoot, I picked this one-piece blue and white swimsuit. The ruffled design paired with a ribbon bow at the neckline and red ties on the straw hat created strong visual impact, making the skin look very fair on the beach. However, because it was so cold, the skin could easily turn pale or purple, so during the shoot, I had to pay close attention to regulating my breathing, maintaining healthy blood circulation in my skin, and hiding any trace of shivering.

Since wearing shoes made stepping into the water inconvenient, I simply walked along the sand. The wind was intense, blowing the wig and straw hat ribbons around constantly; with every gust of wind, I swayed slightly, making it quite a challenge to keep the makeup intact. Throughout the shoot, I had to stay tense and centered, constantly adjusting my center of gravity and striking poses that flattered the frame—that's probably the struggle of shooting a swimsuit in cold weather.

I originally worried that the expressions in photos taken in such weather might look stiff or shivering, but thankfully the photographer positioned the reflector accurately and timed the candid shots well. To reduce the number of times entering the water, we made some compromises in composition and angles, utilizing coastal rocks and adding white cloud effects in post-processing to retouch awkward shadows. Looking at the finished photos now, although the process made me shiver uncontrollably, the final outcome showcases a radiant, sunlit texture. The blue hues of the sea and sky harmonize beautifully with the overall blue and white swimsuit, making this autumn photography sprint in the cold wind completely worthwhile.