Cruising The Seven Seas: So Called Photographers

So Called Photographers

28^th August 2011

Days seem to merge while working on ships. Ever since I got here, I’ve had no idea as to which day it is. If my watch didn’t include the date I’d be well and truly lost in time. So while I remember (how bad does that sound?) happy birthday to my brother. I tried calling but with no luck and by the time I’d finished work there was no point in trying again as it was 01.45 (00:45 in the UK).

According to our schedules we were supposed to be in Cannes. Last night the Captain announced that we would be in Corsica. Jomar had got the schedule wrong and had to do another at the last minute once he’d got confirmation as to which would be our next port of call.

Running down to Laundry half asleep, I picked up my Lady Corsica costume and slowly got ready. We were supposed to be out on gangway at seven but I was dragging myself out of bed at that time. There’s no point going on the gangway that early as no one leaves the ship until eight.

Going into Fabio’s cabin and he was pissed as usual and asking to borrow everyone’s quantum flash. I told him mine was useless but he didn’t care. He ended up finding out for himself.

Ritesh, the lab manager, has always blamed me for the quantum saying it’s fine and it’s my shooting. Fabio and David both used it and said how bad it was. It’d fire on its own and not always when the shutter release control is pressed. At least there are three people saying there’s something wrong with the flash gun. It must be a loose connection.

Tonight was formal night so after gangway we popped out for a bit to use the internet. Afterwards nearly all of us went for a snooze before getting ready for formal night. I must have slept an addition 4 hours… but it was well needed. I’m really starting to feel drained now.

Once again, I’m shooting ship which was supposed to be on deck 5 but whoever was on set up put my studio on the walkway of deck 3. We didn’t find out until Sanela rolled the backdrop down thinking it was her beach studio. Ritesh was far from pleased. I asked him if he could help me latching the camera onto the tripod while I was getting the radio slaves and lights ready. Zoran’s studio set up was completely messed up too. Getting annoyed Ritesh sneered at us commenting “you call yourselves photographers yet you don’t know anything, man”. Taking a few test shots of the studio and the backdrop he’d rolled down for me was too high and not only that, but completely wonky. We are photographers that know nothing while he knows it all, yet he couldn’t set up the backdrop properly… interesting.

During break down, I got told by Paco to give Ritesh a call. I’d taken a D&P order the previous evening and forgotten to put the print size. We’d been busy that night so I rushed through it and made a mistake. Because of that Ritesh yelled at me that after work tomorrow I was to go down to the lab and clean it. I wasn’t to leave until it was spotless. Sorry, but I point blank refused. The phone went down as soon as he told me “Hey, fuck you man. You’re cleaning the lab tomorrow”. I think not!

Speaking to Jomar he told me that there was no way I was going to clean the lab. Although I made a mistake, he said it was a silly one but not something I should be punished for. If Ritesh makes me clean the lab Jomar’s going to be slapping a warning on him. Ouch!

At the end of the night I was shattered. Formal night had gone slowly. Very slowly indeed. Things hadn’t gone to plan and I was sick to death of a lot of things. Things are happening in the team that shouldn’t and once again it’s all simmering away. It’s just a matter of time until it reaches boiling point again. Not something any of us are looking forward to.

Photos from tonight's formal night: