Lara Croft holds a special place for the General of GeneralNinjaCosplay as Lara was their first cosplay and, subsequently, their first introduction into the cosplay world. 

We decided to shoot the session at spot called Hole in the Rock at Papago Park in Tempe, Arizona. It was perfect since it had a variety of rock features in a single area. We new we wanted a good variety of shots so we spent a few days beforehand researching the types of poses and angles we would want to shoot. Once we got to the spot, we were able to come up with even more ideas as we could get a good idea of what we could do with the rocks.

Tip of the Day

We learned a great tip as we were shooting this session. In order to get a realistic climbing shot, the cosplayer needs to actually attempt to pull themselves up. If the cosplayer just holds onto the rock without holding their weight, people will automatically think they are standing on the ground and simply grabbing the rock. The moment they start to pull themselves up, even if it’s just slightly, the dynamic changes. Now no one knows if the cosplayer is 5ft or 50ft off the ground. The more the cosplayer attempts to lift themselves, the more realistic the shot becomes. Just don’t let them hurt themselves with the effort!

My favorite shot – the one with Lara Croft actually climbing the rock and looking over her shoulder – the cosplayer is only about 5ft off the ground. The magic was created as the cosplay photographer (which was yours truly of course) laid on the ground. At this angle, all land behind the cosplayer disappeared, leaving only sky. Thus the magical effect of Lara Croft dangling hundreds of feet off the ground was created by simply changing the angle of the camera.