Get The Picture, Please.

Get The Picture, Please.

 13^th February 2012

Today and yesterday, both sea days, have left the entire team utterly shattered. We’ve been working non-stop and around the clock. The sea has been extremely rough. We were even hit by two freak waves yesterday morning. I was actually sleeping at the time of the first wave which not only woke me up but sent me crashing into the wall. The second impact nearly knocked me out of my bed, the top bunk! There isn’t a railing or ladders on the bunk beds so if we do get hit by a freak wave or the ship lists, you will be taking a flying a lesson!

This morning was the first day of my lab training. Carolee taught me how to set up the printers and print the test strips. I’m in the lab again tomorrow, with Bjanca, while the rest of the team have a meeting about how we can improve and exceed our customer service expectations.

Straight after lab setup, I was setting up the studio lights for this week’s Princess Gathering. Last week I was shooting Aurora. Today I have a 250 image target. Shooting Tiana (the girl who kissed a frog) I surpassed the target and shot 290. The atmosphere this cruise has changed.

The guests are completely different. Bjanca complained after Princess Gathering how rude a large portion of the guests were and she was right! When I tried to hand a lady’s Sea Pass Card (or as Disney call it: Key to the World Card) she ordered me to wait as she was taking a photo. Another guy, snatched his card back as I handed it back to him. Even Tiana looked like she was finding it difficult to contain her temper and she’s used to acting! What chance did the rest of us have?

Unfortunately my breaks between shifts weren’t long enough to enable me to hit the gym. I’ll have to make a point of going tomorrow. Then again, we’re in St. Maarten tomorrow and everyone is desperate to get their feet on solid ground after two rocky sea days. On top of that, it’s pirate night which is like a formal!

Once again I was back setting up more studios for another night of shooting. After shooting Princess Gathering I didn’t expect to be shooting in the night, instead working in the gallery and earning some commission. Wrong. I was on LSP all night but luckily, with breaks in between each session.

After my first session, I dropped my memory card off to the lab. Dave the BM asked me to turn around so he could see my “Did You… Get The Picture!” t-shirt Reuben had made for us on Mariner of the Seas. He asked me where I’d got it from. Dave thought they were a great idea, especially when I commented on how people were asking me about “Get the Picture”. The only hiccup was that the Hotel Director had rang Dave to complain about my shirt. Dave pointed out that it was Image Photo Services uniform but the Hotel Director’s reply was that my shirt hadn’t been approved by Disney Cruise Line. The best bit came when Dave said “The Hotel Director complained “it just says Get The Picture. There’s not even a ‘Please’, it’s like a demand. Get The Picture, Please or Please Get The Picture””. Then he burst out laughing, Bjanca was in stitches, I was gobsmacked, so stunned! Are we so desperate now that we need to almost have begging advertisements on our shirts, or do we have to be as politically correct as Britain’s Labour Party?

During my last session I had a family come into my studio. The lady asked if her son could play with a few of his cars while I took some candid style shots. Not a problem. Well, until she emptied a tote bag full of toy cars onto my studio backdrop, that is. There had to have been 30-40 toy cars! Before he’d even glance my way, the boy who was about eight, had to line all his cars up. That was even before he played with them, too!

Once they were out the studio a lady came in for her photo. I took a couple of Tinkerbell photos and off she went. A couple of minutes later her friend came in. Apparently the previous guest had such a great time in my studio, she’d told her friend it was a must! Afterwards another friend followed and finally a fourth. I couldn’t believe my luck. They were game for a laugh and didn’t mind doing any of the poses I suggested. The Tinkerbell “surprise” faces were excellent! I can’t wait to see the results, in print, tomorrow.

In the lab, before we headed into the Crew Mess for pizza, the AMP, Diva, called me to say I’d done a great job on LSP. I’d missed my target by hundreds but against the characters, backdrops have no chance. Diva said the poses were excellent. Pa-Pow! As David would say!