Crack goes the Wrist
5th August 2011
Due to David and my poor performance in Genoa, we weren’t scheduled for another gangway. Instead we were lumbered with setting up the studios. Camila was on the gangway today dressed up as a dolphin. Usually we use the Sailor for the Cannes gangway but there’s been a switch. We were below are image target and the dolphin is always popular on gangway. I’m not sure if the guys on gangway hit their target.
Originally a few of us were going to try and go out for a bit but because of the schedule and it being formal night we decided to catch up on our sleep and get ready (mentally) for a long evening shooting.
As much as I love gangway, doing both gangway and formal night is physically and mentally draining so it was a welcome break.
Originally a few of us were going to try and go out for a bit but because of the schedule and it being formal night we decided to catch up on our sleep and get ready (mentally) for a long evening shooting.
As much as I love gangway, doing both gangway and formal night is physically and mentally draining so it was a welcome break.
Within two hours, five of us had set up all the studios. The meeting was at 18.00 so we had a couple of hours to laze about. There was no point in going out in Cannes. If we didn’t have to tender to the port and back, we’d have gone out. Tendering takes times while you wait for the boat to fill with guests etc. It can easily take 20-30 minutes each way. We didn’t want to chance it.
Surprise, surprise! I was on Titanic again while the new hires were all on good back drops or centrums. Finally caught up on sleep, I was full on energy and smudging like mad. It wasn’t long until I didn’t need to smudge. There was a queue of about 50 people at my studio. For once it was proving to be more popular than LSP. That never happens! I was supposed to close my studio for Ressi but there were so many people waiting that I carried on shooting.
Ten minutes later Sanela, Camila and Leandro came up and were watching me pose the guests. Camila walked over to the guests at the front of the line, pulled my studio sign in front of them and said something. She pointed out the times on the sign boards and then told the guests the current time. I was trying to eavesdrop while concentrating on posing the couple in front of me and get through the queue as quickly as possible.
The couple Camila had spoken to came into the studio and asked if my studio was closed. Camila had told the guests my studio was closed! This had confused the guests a bit. It was contradictory, I’m shooting in my studio while someone is saying it’s closed. I was far from happy! How dare someone come into my (or anyone’s studio) and tell the guests in the queue, especially those at the front, that I’m closed and they can’t have their photo taken. If anything it’d be the person shooting in the studio to say that they are closed.
I told the guests I was obviously open as I was allowing people to come in to MY studio. I know what the schedule says and yes, I should’ve closed but if I got the image count up by keeping the studio open while I had a massive line, Jomar wouldn’t mind. We needed an image count and I was doing my part to get it up. You can't turn guests away if you're still shooting, it's a golden rule
Camila, Sanela and Leandro stood at my studio for another 10 minutes, they should have been shooting in Ressi. Getting annoyed, I quietly asked them “aren’t you supposed to be in Ressi?” They nodded and Camila told me to hurry up. My temper was running low. First trying to close my studio, second standing around watching instead of shooting Ressi and finally telling me to hurry up and talking to a senior member of the team the way she was, in front of guests. I wasn’t having any of it and Camila’s attitude is starting to grate on a few members of the team.
At times like this, I wish Stu was around, he’d sort it with a smile on his face. Trying to keep my temper, I told Camila and the other two they needed to go and shoot, I’d join them once I got through my queue. They watched me. “GO!” They finally walked off.
It wasn’t long until the queue had gone right down and I put the closing sign in front of my studio, finishing off the remaining couple of people in the line.
Looking to my right I saw Sanela fixing her hair in the mirror. What the bloody hell was she doing? She was supposed to be shooting Ressi. I might not have been in Ressi from the start but I was pulling my weight elsewhere and still working, not fixing my hair trying to skive Ressi.
Ten minutes later Sanela, Camila and Leandro came up and were watching me pose the guests. Camila walked over to the guests at the front of the line, pulled my studio sign in front of them and said something. She pointed out the times on the sign boards and then told the guests the current time. I was trying to eavesdrop while concentrating on posing the couple in front of me and get through the queue as quickly as possible.
The couple Camila had spoken to came into the studio and asked if my studio was closed. Camila had told the guests my studio was closed! This had confused the guests a bit. It was contradictory, I’m shooting in my studio while someone is saying it’s closed. I was far from happy! How dare someone come into my (or anyone’s studio) and tell the guests in the queue, especially those at the front, that I’m closed and they can’t have their photo taken. If anything it’d be the person shooting in the studio to say that they are closed.
I told the guests I was obviously open as I was allowing people to come in to MY studio. I know what the schedule says and yes, I should’ve closed but if I got the image count up by keeping the studio open while I had a massive line, Jomar wouldn’t mind. We needed an image count and I was doing my part to get it up. You can't turn guests away if you're still shooting, it's a golden rule
Camila, Sanela and Leandro stood at my studio for another 10 minutes, they should have been shooting in Ressi. Getting annoyed, I quietly asked them “aren’t you supposed to be in Ressi?” They nodded and Camila told me to hurry up. My temper was running low. First trying to close my studio, second standing around watching instead of shooting Ressi and finally telling me to hurry up and talking to a senior member of the team the way she was, in front of guests. I wasn’t having any of it and Camila’s attitude is starting to grate on a few members of the team.
At times like this, I wish Stu was around, he’d sort it with a smile on his face. Trying to keep my temper, I told Camila and the other two they needed to go and shoot, I’d join them once I got through my queue. They watched me. “GO!” They finally walked off.
It wasn’t long until the queue had gone right down and I put the closing sign in front of my studio, finishing off the remaining couple of people in the line.
Looking to my right I saw Sanela fixing her hair in the mirror. What the bloody hell was she doing? She was supposed to be shooting Ressi. I might not have been in Ressi from the start but I was pulling my weight elsewhere and still working, not fixing my hair trying to skive Ressi.
I joined the others in Ressi for 5 minutes and only shot 26 images. They’d done the lot! Running for a quick cigarette it was back into the studio for another session.
Straight away there were people standing in line for their photo to be taken. Once the session had finished (which was on time) I went into the office to download my images. Checking what the others had got from their studios, Titanic (my studio) was proving to be one of the most popular. Not only that, I was feeling on top form and taking a leaf out of Stu’s book. I’d been cracking jokes and laughing with the guests so their smiles were more natural and relaxed. This actually came across in the prints so fingers crossed they’d sell.
Straight away there were people standing in line for their photo to be taken. Once the session had finished (which was on time) I went into the office to download my images. Checking what the others had got from their studios, Titanic (my studio) was proving to be one of the most popular. Not only that, I was feeling on top form and taking a leaf out of Stu’s book. I’d been cracking jokes and laughing with the guests so their smiles were more natural and relaxed. This actually came across in the prints so fingers crossed they’d sell.
Towards the end of my second Ressi session I was holding my camera up high, in my right hand. We do this to avoid hitting guests who are sitting down eating. As I was moving along the table motioning for a couple to move in for a photo, a waiter pushed past me. I almost fell forward while the weight of my camera went in the opposite direction. My wrist had been cramping for a couple of days from the amount of images we’d been shooting and I think it’d simply had enough. There was a loud crack from my wrist. A sharp throbbing pain started pounding in my wrist. Even one of the guests heard it. I didn’t stop, I was nearly done. Biting my tongue I shot the remaining three tables without saying much.
Setting up my studio again the pain was getting worse. I quickly took my test shots and the pain was enough to make your eyes well up. Looking at my wrist, my hand had swollen up like a balloon! Just what we didn't need!
Quickly putting the CLOSED sign in front of my studio, I went into the gallery and spoke to Paco. Straight away he said I’d sprained my wrist and needed to go to the medical. He spoke to Jomar who had a look and said the exact same thing.
Paco went to get a pink medical slip while I ran to soap up my hand and get my ring off. It took about five minutes to get the ring off! Talk about sausage fingers!
The medical was closed so I rang the nurse on duty. Jomar had to come down and fill out some paper work. He was far from happy but what could I do? The nurse pointed out it was the second accident in two weeks in our department and both had occurred in the dining room. First Zoran, now me. Jomar pointed out something I’d never thought he’d admit. The dining room was too crowded with guests, photographers, waiters and assistant waiters plus the lighting is dim which doesn’t help.
Getting an x-ray, my wrist wasn’t broken or fractured. Wrapping my wrist up in a bandage, the nurse gave me an injection for the pain. For a small prick in the arm there was so much blood and the pain of the injection rivalled that from my sprained wrist! Am I turning into a wimp or what?!
Setting up my studio again the pain was getting worse. I quickly took my test shots and the pain was enough to make your eyes well up. Looking at my wrist, my hand had swollen up like a balloon! Just what we didn't need!
Quickly putting the CLOSED sign in front of my studio, I went into the gallery and spoke to Paco. Straight away he said I’d sprained my wrist and needed to go to the medical. He spoke to Jomar who had a look and said the exact same thing.
Paco went to get a pink medical slip while I ran to soap up my hand and get my ring off. It took about five minutes to get the ring off! Talk about sausage fingers!
The medical was closed so I rang the nurse on duty. Jomar had to come down and fill out some paper work. He was far from happy but what could I do? The nurse pointed out it was the second accident in two weeks in our department and both had occurred in the dining room. First Zoran, now me. Jomar pointed out something I’d never thought he’d admit. The dining room was too crowded with guests, photographers, waiters and assistant waiters plus the lighting is dim which doesn’t help.
Getting an x-ray, my wrist wasn’t broken or fractured. Wrapping my wrist up in a bandage, the nurse gave me an injection for the pain. For a small prick in the arm there was so much blood and the pain of the injection rivalled that from my sprained wrist! Am I turning into a wimp or what?!
Talking to the doctor he asked me the question you always get asked and dread at the same time. "Can you work?" He looked at me with a half smile on his face waiting for me to say what he’d predicted. “Yes, I can still work”. His face suddenly changed and he looked confused. He’d expected me to say no. Asking me as if I was as thick as two short planks, how I’d be able to take photos with one hand. I pointed out that although I am a photographer, there are other jobs within our department which don’t consist of holding a camera. I could work on gangway in costume, selling in the gallery, shooting on tripod. Luckily, he marked me off as “fit for duty”.
Getting the schedule for the morning, I was working gangway in my favourite costume: Lady Corsica/Crete Girl. Later on I’d be in the gallery for the evening.
Speaking to Jomar he sadly told the nurse he was now down another photographer (we still didn’t have a full team). I said I hadn’t been signed off duty and I’d still be able to work, just not take photos. In a way, I thought he’d be glad I’d still be able to work in some way, rather than placing my work duties on the rest of the team. It didn’t work. Saying goodnight, he told me to go to my cabin and rest.
Hernan was a star and bought me some pizza down – I was starving!!
Speaking to Jomar he sadly told the nurse he was now down another photographer (we still didn’t have a full team). I said I hadn’t been signed off duty and I’d still be able to work, just not take photos. In a way, I thought he’d be glad I’d still be able to work in some way, rather than placing my work duties on the rest of the team. It didn’t work. Saying goodnight, he told me to go to my cabin and rest.
Hernan was a star and bought me some pizza down – I was starving!!
Tomorrow was another day and I was looking forward to hitting the gangway in Corsica in my favourite outfit. Even with my hand and wrist bandaged up I was going to kick arse and get the image count up and surpass out 600 image target.
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