Down Time… Finally!
30th May 2011
These past couple of days have merged into one. Since embarkation, eight days ago, we have been on the go, working pretty much nonstop. Getting down time is hard at the moment, again, not just for me, but for everyone. Tempers have been flaring at little but it’s to be expected. As this is the first proper chance to sit down and type, I’m just going to type a review of the past few days, rather than a new entry for every single day. I can’t even remember what I did on certain days – it’s crazy!
Naples was obviously great, as usual. I went out with Luci for something to eat – pizza, pasta and cheese of course! Every time we are heading to Naples we fast, practically starving ourselves. When we arrive, we binge on pizza, pasta and cheese. What else would you do in Naples? Luci showed me another place that she goes to and I have to admit, the food was better than the regular place we go to.
Beforehand I had gangway. Reuben is letting me dress up in the costumes more and more – I love it! The shooter and I always get great counts which is a bonus. This time, I was a sailor.
Rolling out of bed at 6 was hard, I was shattered and hadn’t been sleeping well. Things have been getting to me and everything is mounting up and getting on top of me. I need to do something about it, relax a little. Easier said than done.
Anyway, the outfit was pretty ridiculous. It was way too bit for me and Hernan’s hat was slipping off my head. Taking the hat off, Stu later came over and told me what I looked like – an idiot. Thanks!
During my 15 minute break I tied my hair up and put my sunglasses on before heading out for my last stint. Stu’s outfit was by far the best – Italian pizza chef. He even had a silver platter with a photograph of a pizza selotaped to his hand. He certainly looked the part which was more than what could be said for me! Anyway, Fabio and Stu were teamed up and David was shooting me. Altogether we got a good image count.
After lunch with Luci we did a bit of shopping and had a mooch around the shops. I needed to get a pair of sandals/flip flops for Athens gangway in case I'm the Greek Goddess again. I managed to find a lovely Greek style pair of sandals for 15 euros. I could wear them with anything – result. Luci also found a large, golden wrist clamp bracelet for 6 euros. Well, that's the Greek Goddess props sorted.
Rolling out of bed at 6 was hard, I was shattered and hadn’t been sleeping well. Things have been getting to me and everything is mounting up and getting on top of me. I need to do something about it, relax a little. Easier said than done.
Anyway, the outfit was pretty ridiculous. It was way too bit for me and Hernan’s hat was slipping off my head. Taking the hat off, Stu later came over and told me what I looked like – an idiot. Thanks!
During my 15 minute break I tied my hair up and put my sunglasses on before heading out for my last stint. Stu’s outfit was by far the best – Italian pizza chef. He even had a silver platter with a photograph of a pizza selotaped to his hand. He certainly looked the part which was more than what could be said for me! Anyway, Fabio and Stu were teamed up and David was shooting me. Altogether we got a good image count.
 |
| Pizza Chef - Naples, Italy |
 |
| Cousin IT Sailor - Naples, Italy |
 |
| Naples Sailor with my favourite Canadian guest, Daniel |
Just before heading off to use the internet I saw Fabio and David. Luci went off to use the internet near the port while I stayed with the lads for a beer. All in all, it was a great day – it’s days like this, that I love my job!
On the third day of the cruise we had our first formal night which went pretty smoothly. My manager gave me two different studios to shoot in, the first two sessions were on a backdrop. The final stint was up on one of the centrums on Deck 5. I love the promenade centrum. The photos look absolutely fantastic – I wish I could post some on here for everyone to see. Shooting Ressi didn’t go as bad as usual, I got a much higher count than normal so it’s a sign I’m improving.
 |
| Fabio, Naples (Italy) |
 |
| The Dave |
 |
| Beeeeeeeeer! |
Here come the Greeks! Athens gangway was a royal laugh!! Stu was the Greek God and teamed up again with Fabio. I was the Greek Goddess and teamed up with Luci. Luci had to keep popping off for training so Paco, the AMS, would stand in for her.
We were just cracking jokes and having a laugh the entire time on gangway. I was first on gangway and getting most of the shots. Stu then changed with me so he was first but it didn’t have the same effect. Stu put me first in line saying “it’s the tits – people are stopping to have their photo taken because you’re a girl”. Basically as I was a girl, the guys were coming over for their photo and the girlfriends and wives were sometimes reluctantly joining them. After they’d stopped to have their photo with me, it was easy to smudge them onto Stu and Fabio. In all fairness, although we didn’t hit the almost impossible target, we got approximately 900 shots. We nailed it!!
We were just cracking jokes and having a laugh the entire time on gangway. I was first on gangway and getting most of the shots. Stu then changed with me so he was first but it didn’t have the same effect. Stu put me first in line saying “it’s the tits – people are stopping to have their photo taken because you’re a girl”. Basically as I was a girl, the guys were coming over for their photo and the girlfriends and wives were sometimes reluctantly joining them. After they’d stopped to have their photo with me, it was easy to smudge them onto Stu and Fabio. In all fairness, although we didn’t hit the almost impossible target, we got approximately 900 shots. We nailed it!!
Everything in general was improving and I was feeling better about myself. Everyone on the team noticed there was a chance and that I was generally happier.
My BM certainly noticed the change as he pulled me into the office later on that night. As I was in a better “state of mind” he felt he could talk to me and ask what was up. To be fair, he didn’t get much of a reply. I didn’t want to talk about any of it.
Anyway, I’d had two bad comments – not one, but two! One came from the Naples gangway where I was dressed up as a Sailor. Apparently, the lady who complained (an American) didn’t want her photo taken with me as I looked too tired, shattered. She also said my outfit was way too big and swamped me leaving her confused as to what I was supposed to be dressed up as. Someone dressed in white, standing next to a ship, saluting – what could I have been dressed up as?
The second bad comment said “Louise the English photographer was very rude and unhelpful”. Who the guest was, or the occasion, no one knows. I was left, not only baffled but almost let down. I hadn’t been rude to anyone. The main problem I have is that most Americans do not (strangely enough) understand my accent or my sense of humour. Although I try not to be sarcastic like I am to the English, I do try to have a joke with them when they are in the studio. It stops the guests from being ridged and feeling uncomfortable. So that could have been the case.
Another could have been, sometimes people try and walk through my studio when I’m taking portraits. It’s incredibly annoying but I do ask people to walk around the studio, some people do not like this at all.
The last thing I can think of which is when I’m in the gallery. Guests cut the line and pretty much tell me to serve them while I’m serving someone else (and there’s an obvious queue behind them). I point out the queue and say “I’ll be with you in a few minutes but there is a queue and I’m currently helping this guest”. To me, it’s not rude but the manager said that certain people would see it as rude because I’m not putting them first. What am I supposed to do?
Anyway, Reuben told me to buck my ideas up and that I’m doing a good job. All I needed to do was carry on working hard, improving and “not fuck up”. That was the advice I was given. Reuben said he didn’t want to say anything during the last cruise as I’d been down in case it affected me or my work in any way.
My BM certainly noticed the change as he pulled me into the office later on that night. As I was in a better “state of mind” he felt he could talk to me and ask what was up. To be fair, he didn’t get much of a reply. I didn’t want to talk about any of it.
Anyway, I’d had two bad comments – not one, but two! One came from the Naples gangway where I was dressed up as a Sailor. Apparently, the lady who complained (an American) didn’t want her photo taken with me as I looked too tired, shattered. She also said my outfit was way too big and swamped me leaving her confused as to what I was supposed to be dressed up as. Someone dressed in white, standing next to a ship, saluting – what could I have been dressed up as?
The second bad comment said “Louise the English photographer was very rude and unhelpful”. Who the guest was, or the occasion, no one knows. I was left, not only baffled but almost let down. I hadn’t been rude to anyone. The main problem I have is that most Americans do not (strangely enough) understand my accent or my sense of humour. Although I try not to be sarcastic like I am to the English, I do try to have a joke with them when they are in the studio. It stops the guests from being ridged and feeling uncomfortable. So that could have been the case.
Another could have been, sometimes people try and walk through my studio when I’m taking portraits. It’s incredibly annoying but I do ask people to walk around the studio, some people do not like this at all.
The last thing I can think of which is when I’m in the gallery. Guests cut the line and pretty much tell me to serve them while I’m serving someone else (and there’s an obvious queue behind them). I point out the queue and say “I’ll be with you in a few minutes but there is a queue and I’m currently helping this guest”. To me, it’s not rude but the manager said that certain people would see it as rude because I’m not putting them first. What am I supposed to do?
Anyway, Reuben told me to buck my ideas up and that I’m doing a good job. All I needed to do was carry on working hard, improving and “not fuck up”. That was the advice I was given. Reuben said he didn’t want to say anything during the last cruise as I’d been down in case it affected me or my work in any way.
Kusadasi was the next stop. During the morning I was on tour at Ephesus. It was a lot shorter than the previous but I was still dreading it. Having said that, although there were problems, it went much better than expected.
The tour guide told me to stay at the back of the group and keep everyone together. I explained that I’d do my best to keep everyone together but my main job was to take photographs of the guests as I’m the ship’s photographer. His reply: “just stay at the back”.
A little while later one of the Ephesus “photographers” came over. I say “photographers” because they are simply given a camera, not knowing how to use it and take over exposed or ever completely burnt photos which they try to flog at the end of the tour – somehow they managed to sell a few.
The tour guide introduced him to the goup. “This is our photographer so if you guys want a photo, this is who you come to”. I wasn’t best pleased. I got a couple to stand together for a photo and the bugger stood beside me and took the picture. The couple then walked off. I’d missed my shot – I was shocked he did it but then why should have I expected anything else? They were like pappazzi! He did it again, but this time he got in the way of my shot, partially blocking me. That was it! I was pissed!
Leaving my group and went and stood by the library. There were three groups coming from our ship so I stood and waited. When they arrived I started smudging quietly and getting the shots. The “photographer” didn’t look too impressed. Good!
Later on he was taking a photo of someone, I don’t even think they were from our ship but I walked straight in front of him, and pressed the shutter release button. Whether the photo came out with the correct exposure, I didn’t know or care. He looked at me with a face of thunder – now he knew how it felt and how annoying it was. I did my “cute smile” as Luci calls it: a little closed smile where I tilt my head to the side slightly, before walking off. Needless to say I didn’t have any further problems there.
I carried on walking to the areas which caused the most interested and simply waited to pounce. A lot of people said no, but I did get lot of good shots.
The tour guide told me to stay at the back of the group and keep everyone together. I explained that I’d do my best to keep everyone together but my main job was to take photographs of the guests as I’m the ship’s photographer. His reply: “just stay at the back”.
A little while later one of the Ephesus “photographers” came over. I say “photographers” because they are simply given a camera, not knowing how to use it and take over exposed or ever completely burnt photos which they try to flog at the end of the tour – somehow they managed to sell a few.
The tour guide introduced him to the goup. “This is our photographer so if you guys want a photo, this is who you come to”. I wasn’t best pleased. I got a couple to stand together for a photo and the bugger stood beside me and took the picture. The couple then walked off. I’d missed my shot – I was shocked he did it but then why should have I expected anything else? They were like pappazzi! He did it again, but this time he got in the way of my shot, partially blocking me. That was it! I was pissed!
Leaving my group and went and stood by the library. There were three groups coming from our ship so I stood and waited. When they arrived I started smudging quietly and getting the shots. The “photographer” didn’t look too impressed. Good!
 |
| Ephesus Library |
I carried on walking to the areas which caused the most interested and simply waited to pounce. A lot of people said no, but I did get lot of good shots.
Once back at the ship I explained what happened. Ritesh also went on the same tour and only came back with 6 shots. I came back with 45 – although it’s not great, we normally have a tough time on tours, especially Ephesus who have their own photographers. It was great poking fun at the AMP for getting less shots than a P1. His excuses were so lame, you couldn't help but see the funny side – including the AMP.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario