I've always wanted some nice pictures taken (before I get much older
When I phoned for the appointment, I was very direct as far as who I was,
what I was, and what I wanted. The response was immediate and along the
lines of "That's no problem at all, what time would you like to come
in?" One of the members of RCGA had reported a similar response from
the Glamour Shots at the Oakbrook Mall in Omaha, so I would assume that most
if not all of the shops are T-friendly.
The shop in Omaha requests that you come in dressed in the mode (meaning
gender) you want to present to the camera. The lady on the phone in LV did
not put it that way, but asked me to come in with little or no makeup, and
wearing some kind of a two-piece outfit with a top that's easy to change.
I asked if a little Dermablend on the chin area would be ok. She said that
would be fine, and what they want is for their cosmetologist to have a
"blank canvas" to work on.
The entire session took over two hours, for me, that is, and it appeared that
others in the shop were within the same time frame.
That Glamour Shots claims copyright on all finished photos.
That you may not use the photos commercially without a copyright release.
That you may not have the finished photos duplicated elsewhere.
That you give Glamour Shots permission to use your photos for their
promotional purposes.
That although you are under no obligation to buy any of the finished
portraits, the $14.95 (at this shop) is nonrefundable.
Michael took his time with each shot. He would look through the viewfinder,
then the monitor, futz with the backdrops, change my position, etc. For the
one top I had picked out, he simply said "This is not gonna work, trust
me, lemme go find something that will."
For a couple of the shots, Michael wanted to try some unusual poses that
were a bit out of character, I thought, anyway. (I still do, but ... :)
The good news is that if you do not like any of the proofs, you are not under
any obligation to buy finished portraits, and owe only $14.95 (at this shop)
for the makeover.
The bad news is that the portraits ain't cheap. :)
They're cheaper in packages than individually, and quite a bit cheaper if
ordered at that time, as opposed to (re)ordered later. They do remind you
that Glamour Shots claims copyright on all of their photos (without an
optional release) and that it is a violation to take the photos elsewhere
to be duplicated.
When we were going over the proofs, I mentioned that I was going to
"publish" some of the shots on the Web. She was obviously not
familiar with this, and quickly reminded me that "publishing"
requires a copyright release. I then explained that this was not really
a commercial publication, and she agreed that I probably would not need
a release.
I chose a package that included one 8x10, 16 wallets, and a complete set
of color proofs. The bottom line (taking deep breath), including makeover,
tax, shipping, etc. was (taking another deep breath) slightly over $100.
... but I think it was well worth it. :)
I've showed the photos to quite a few others, and have received nothing
but good comments. :)
Wear a top that comes off easily without messing up your hair, like a shirt
that buttons in front. You might also want to wear a strapless bra, as I had
to slip the straps down over my arms for a couple of the shots.
Avoid using such terms as "publish" if you plan to use your photos
on such things as noncommercial web pages. Commercial use of the photos
requires a copyright release for extra $$$.
Set aside three hours or so for the total session. I figured it would take
1 to 1.5 hours, but it ended up taking over 2. Fortunately I didn't have
anything planned for the early evening that day.
Administrivia
The first 15 minutes or
so is taken up with filling out paperwork and looking over sample shots,
styles, attire, etc.
I was asked to sign a form that stated, among other things:Makeover
Next comes the makeover. This took
about 1/2 hour or so. As I said, they want you to come in as blank as possible,
so they can begin the makeover from scratch. Jason, the makeup artist, asked
me a few questions about what style I wanted to present, and how "
dramatic" I wanted to appear. I love what he did to my hair
and eyes. :)Outfits
You are then asked to select four changes of clothing (tops). They have just
about everything from dressy, to very dressy, to extremely glitzy. :) Some
are regular tops, others are in the form of "portrait drapes" that
they will wrap around you to give the appearance of an evening gown. As
you would expect, evening wear tends to predominate. I usually dress somewhere
between casual and very casual, but not this time !! :)Before The Camera
Next comes the actual photo shoot. I had to wait about 10-15 minutes for this,
since Michael, the photographer, was running a little behind. They apologized,
and I said that was ok, and that I would prefer that he takes his time with
everyone. You are seated on a stool in back of what appears to be a tilted
drafting desk, and in front of several moveable backdrops. They do 16 shots
for the standard session, four in each outfit. Michael asked me if he had
shot me before, and remarked that I looked very familiar. I said that I was
from out of town, and no, I had not been to their shop before, but I had been
in the mall several times. Their apparatus consists of a regular portrait
camera and a video camera mounted on the same tripod. Each shot is recorded
on the film and on video disk (geekbabes will know this type of a video
disk system as the Sony ProMavica) simultaneously, giving the ability to
show proofs to the subject immediately.Selection and the Sales Pitch
I was then brought out to a viewing station, where they popped in the disk
from the photo shoot, displayed the "video proofs" on a color
monitor, and ran off a quick hardcopy of the proofs.Some Suggestions
Although they will do walk-ins, they prefer appointments. You should probably
be as direct and as honest as possible when making the appointment. If you're
nervous or shy about appearing in public, you should request a time that's
not too busy, as the shop (at least the one in LV) is wide open except for
the studio rooms, and the rest of the shop is visible from the mall.
[home]
[whats new]
[bio]
[links]
[events]
[guestbook]
[photo album]
[images]
Send Me Mail