[Space Ereshkigal cosplay] Fate/Grand Order: 1st Ascension Space Ereshkigal Photoshoot Record

For this 1st Ascension Space Ereshkigal photoshoot, I did extensive prep work from makeup to wardrobe. The wig is purple-blue; to facilitate styling twin-tails, I spent considerable time adjusting root volume. For makeup, I emphasized elongated eyeliner paired with blue contacts to make the eyes appear larger and brighter. I chose a pure red lipstick with minimal orange tones to create contrast against the black-and-gold attire. The costume features intricate details—especially the golden geometric adornment on the chest, diamond patterns, and metallic studs—which made it somewhat heavy, so smoothing the garments took even longer than makeup to prevent deformation. I did a makeup test at home beforehand, felt the liner wing needed adjustment, and redid it; to match the blue-purple gaze, I used cool-toned dusty-pink eyeshadow to keep the eye look clean.

The shoot took place in an indoor studio set, primarily backed by blue-lit stained glass, crystal chandeliers, and birdcages, aligning perfectly with the character's cool-toned mood. Because the environment was dim, the photographer used ample fill lighting while crushing surrounding shadows, spotlighting facial features and metallic reflections on the costume. This lighting method flattered side profiles and silhouettes, delivering crisp contours. Paired with the black feather collar, the entire look felt richly dimensional. We repositioned the lights midway through because frontal illumination caused harsh glare on the chest feathers, detracting from the visual focus.

The shooting process was physically demanding: wearing high heels, holding props across various poses, and bearing the heavy headpiece placed real strain on neck strength. To keep the eyes focused for numerous close-up portraits, I had to fixate on specific light sources or the lens, which made my eyes slightly strained over time as I continuously adjusted expressions to the rhythm of high-speed shutter clicks. The photographer guided many posture tweaks—such as dropping the shoulders or tilting the chin up slightly—to flatter frontal angles. During wardrobe adjustments, I noticed the waist zipper was quite tight; having to bend over for props required keeping my core in check. Since smoothing the dress took time and the studio lights were warm, I touched up makeup twice, mainly reapplying concealer around the nose and chin to keep the frame pristine.

In post-processing, fabric textures were preserved without excessive skin smoothing, subtly deepening facial contour shadows to enhance dimensional bone structure. The overall color grading shifted toward cool purple tones, seamlessly tying together the blue hair and black dress. For this 1st Ascension set, I feel we successfully captured both the tactile quality of the outfit and the character's essence.

Because the skirt has great volume, seated or crouching angles proved much more flattering than standing poses, so we shot plenty of seated frames to spread the folds cleanly without looking bulky. The railings and birdcages were also utilized to introduce varying depths of field. After wrapping up, I still had good energy and felt ready for more. The Final Ascension look is already in preparation—while the 1st Ascension is already gorgeous, Final Ascension will entail an even heavier workload. I hope to complete it within a month and share another experience breakdown then.