Oversubscribed Photo Sessions?

[abstractharmony]

Now don't get me wrong, considering the amount of people that were moved through the various sessions throughout the day, I thought that Malcolm and team did their usual bang up job and I am, as usual, delighted with the photo session experience.

 

However...

 

There were many, many people (myself included) still waiting for the James Marsters photos some 4 hours after the session took place.

 

With a train to catch I had to leave without three of my four photos (Marsters, Carpenter and Routh) but I'm not too fussed because I'm well aware that mine will arrive in the next week or so.

 

There were many, many other people who are not members of this forum who were making some less than complimentary comments.

 

As a videographer I understand the difficulties with getting the product (in this case, the photos) turned round as quickly as showmasters normally do and this leads to my title.

 

Did, on this occasion, Showmasters issue too many tickets? Did they overbalance the money making with the product delivery?

 

I think the main problem is that SM rely on a third party 'Snappy snaps' or whoever to print the photos off for them. Could this be time for SM to invest in their own set of high end photo printers now that the photo sessions have proved popular over the last 12 months?

 

Did every get their photos? Or was it just me having to leave at 5.15pm?

 

What's everyone else's thoughts?

[Charisma]

I think there was too many photos, i qed for 2 hours with my nephew for brandon and had to come home without my photos as they wernt back, so noe going to have to go back tomorrow!

[Picklesthedog]

I've been to events where photos have been developed by the pro photographer and delivered back to the attendees in 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

 

From what I've read of the above, there's no excuse for not having the prints back in time.

 

As these photo sessions now look like they're a main source of revenue, you can bet far too many tickets were issued in relation to the photo developing resource which was available.

 

As Abdsract said with all the people bitching, it's another PR stinker over something which other events have never had a problem with.

[fray101]

Way too many tickets - no question, especially with hugely popular guests like Charisma, James & Brandon.

 

The best of luck to whoever at Showmasters ends up trying to tie up people's description of themselves with the photographs!

[gem-sanders]

well I thought it was very well organised seem as though this was my first ever expierence with having a photo session but I'm sure i read somewhere that they could be posted out and i was told that buy the CM Crew.

I did get my Charisma Carpenter one got to go and get get my Brandon Routh tomorrow but dosen't matter seem as I am going up anyway.

The Crew Members did a fantastic job i thought very helpful well done and thankyou.

Thankyou showmaster for a fantastic expierience and i would definately do more.

Edited May 5, 2007 by gem-sanders

[emmangel]

I agree. I waited for FIVE hours for my Charisma photo, and eventually had to leave without it.

 

As others have said, I've no idea why it took so long, other events manage. They seemed to take an age to take the photos too, no idea why the queue was moving as slow as it was.

 

Way to many tickets sold.

Edited May 5, 2007 by emmangel

[pegasusmarsters]

Way too many tickets - no question, especially with hugely popular guests like Charisma, James & Brandon.

 

The best of luck to whoever at Showmasters ends up trying to tie up people's description of themselves with the photographs!

 

I agree. I was lucky enough to get my James Marsters and Tony Head pictures easily enough but had to leave without my Charisma one and was rather disappointed. There were definately too many pictures. It would be better to sell less, give people more time with the stars, and then have less photos to turn around.

 

I was thinking that as soon as a a photo card was filled a runner should take it to wherever the printing shop was, whilst the new card was put into the camera to continue.

 

Another thing alot of people complained about were over-exposure on the photos... but that's a matter for another thread.

[KURGAN]

i was one of the first in the charisma que to get my pic taken which was about 1.45pm and i ended up getting the pic at 6.40pm, now thats a long time to wait it is true and since i live in mk not a problem for me but there is the posibility it was not down to over subscribed tickets .

 

while some people are not happy with haveing to wait a bit longer than they want or could afford they at least got or will recieve in the post the pics , there are others who didnot even get the chance of a photo with james this shows that they did cap the photo numbers.

 

now its possible they raised there limit from the last time and said to what ever developer thay use could you handle that much extra ?

what do you think thay would say , no sorry and lose the biusness , i don't think so.

 

there is always the possibility of the machine breaking down.

 

i feel sure SM will look into this and get it sorted

[A007]

I think there maybe too many tickets sold, I hope the people today fair better than we did.

[Kookie22]

The route of the problem was Snappy Snaps saying they could turn around that many photos in that space of time. and they didnt.

 

I used to be a manager of a photoshop, and obv they jumped at the chance of this huge order, but they obv were the problem and let everyone down.

 

I could sympathise with the whole situation with SM, but it was clear others did not. I dont think it's fair to blame them entirely because if the company says they can do it, why would you think they wouldnt otherwise?

 

I believe other shops are helping out with the other shoots so hopefully it wont be that bad.

 

I think some people were getting angry when it does absolutetly no good whatsoever and you jsut get more annoyed. I heard peoples saying stuff about trades descriptions, fraud etc, but am i right in thinking it does not def say you will get your photo the same day.

 

yes there were errors in many areas, but i felt people were being a bit out of line.

 

<edit> i too waited 5 hours for my photo and was 2hrs late for where i was meant to be yesterday evening.

Edited May 6, 2007 by Kookie22

[A007]

I don't think all of us are "angry" about the situation, just very frustrated. Take me, I had to leave last night at 6 with no photos. Thats not a problem though because I can write my deatails on the clip-board before I leave, but I can't do that because there's a queue for that and my bus leaves any minute. I'm sure I'm not the only one in this situation.

 

I hope SM can post them on here when the dust settles over C11 so we might stand a chance of getting them. That said what about people who don't post on here? How do they get theirs?

[gracelenney]

anyone got any ideas as to when the photo's will be sent out?

xx

[Kookie22]

I don't think all of us are "angry" about the situation, just very frustrated. Take me, I had to leave last night at 6 with no photos. Thats not a problem though because I can write my deatails on the clip-board before I leave, but I can't do that because there's a queue for that and my bus leaves any minute. I'm sure I'm not the only one in this situation.

 

I hope SM can post them on here when the dust settles over C11 so we might stand a chance of getting them. That said what about people who don't post on here? How do they get theirs?

 

 

I was more referring to the people who were making a big noise at the time, the kind of people who thinkshouting loud about the situation will actually change it, speed up time or something.

 

and i see where you're coming from, i drove i was on my own timetable, if a little rushed, hungry and late to get home.

[blue-jackal]

My friend queued for over an hour for a photo shoot and didn't get his pictures.

 

Perhaps a limit needs to be imposed?

 

I did get an Anthony Head pic myself but I don't think I'll be doing it again because the queueing seems such a waste of time at such a great event which has so much to see.

 

Just my opinion though...

[SerbianJanet]

The best of luck to whoever at Showmasters ends up trying to tie up people's description of themselves with the photographs!

 

Especially considering you can't see what people are wearing in pretty much all of the photos.

[Agent Bristow]

I only had tickets for one photoshoot which was James Marsters. I did think the que was too long, I queued for about an hour. I think it would've been better to have numbered tickets like the VT's so no-one had to que for too long.

 

I got my photo back at about six o'clock, four and a half hours later. I am the manager of a photo shop and I wish my store was in MK as I think we could've done them a lot quicker.

 

I am happy with my photo, it has come out well although I do think it would've looked a little better if it wasn't so close up. But that's just me being picky.

[Kookie22]

I only had tickets for one photoshoot which was James Marsters. I did think the que was too long, I queued for about an hour. I think it would've been better to have numbered tickets like the VT's so no-one had to que for too long.

 

I got my photo back at about six o'clock, four and a half hours later. I am the manager of a photo shop and I wish my store was in MK as I think we could've done them a lot quicker.

 

I am happy with my photo, it has come out well although I do think it would've looked a little better if it wasn't so close up. But that's just me being picky.

 

the chain of photo stores i worked for used to have a shop in MK - but not anymore!

 

snappy snaps branches are all franchised, so the manager should know what they are doing!!

 

How would VT tickets help though, hmm i see, maybe have it in waves - announcments for "james photo batch2" or something, altho then you'd just get people hanging around anyway, which could cause more crowds. it's a tough cookie.

 

I prefer a portrait shot i think

[emmangel]

Oh lord know! Portrait shots are awful for those of us who aren't as 'slender' as some. Trust me!

[A007]

I only had tickets for one photoshoot which was James Marsters. I did think the que was too long, I queued for about an hour. I think it would've been better to have numbered tickets like the VT's so no-one had to que for too long.

 

I got my photo back at about six o'clock, four and a half hours later. I am the manager of a photo shop and I wish my store was in MK as I think we could've done them a lot quicker.

 

I am happy with my photo, it has come out well although I do think it would've looked a little better if it wasn't so close up. But that's just me being picky.

 

I thought the same thing. You have VQ tickets so you do not have to queue hours to meet a single guest, you come back when its your turn. It gives you time to go elsewhere and do other stuff. Surely VQ tickets can be implemented at photo shoots somehow, although clearly on a much smaller scale.

Edited May 6, 2007 by A007

[SerbianJanet]

I like portrait shots, but even with landscape ones it would be nice if the photographer wasn't quite so close in on the faces! I'm quite short and the guests didn't really bend down for me (though I know they did for some people) but that's usually the case with anybody I meet and the pictures seemed unusually close up - you can't even see the top of my shoulders or any hint of what I'm wearing in my Charisma one!

[pegasusmarsters]

I like portrait shots, but even with landscape ones it would be nice if the photographer wasn't quite so close in on the faces! I'm quite short and the guests didn't really bend down for me (though I know they did for some people) but that's usually the case with anybody I meet and the pictures seemed unusually close up - you can't even see the top of my shoulders or any hint of what I'm wearing in my Charisma one!

 

I have to agree. I was lucky and got a portrait one with James, if I hadn't I'd have been rather upset. But with Antony I got a landscape one and it kinda made me feel like my costume work was a bit of a waste of time if it wasn't seen on the picture

 

I'm hoping that the blue I had on my face will help them find my photo among the charisma ones.

[jenniea]

Thought the waiting times for getting the photos back was shocking! Got my picture taken at 10 to 2 and got it back at 6.25 which made travelling home more awkward as I was late. Heard the developers have been getting a lot of blame for not having the photos ready in time but at the end of the day I bought my ticket from Showmasters and it was their responsibility to ge them back in time. £20 is a lot to pay and then having to wait 4hrs for it is terrible.

 

Also to have to wait 2-3 weeks to get your photo posted to you is a discrage. When a rival signing event had problems the photo was sent within a week and recorded delivery.

 

Will never be getting a photo again at Showmasters. Collectormania's etc are things that can technically be done in a day unlike a weekend proper convention so really they should tell you that they cant get photos out in time.

 

Spolied the day for me!

[zoe_lou]

:| 2 - 3 weeks is that how long you have to wait!

 

I might die, I neeeed my picture with James from yesterday.

 

And then theres the fear they might send someone else's who happened to have a similar description to me

[Kookie22]

Thought the waiting times for getting the photos back was shocking! Got my picture taken at 10 to 2 and got it back at 6.25 which made travelling home more awkward as I was late. Heard the developers have been getting a lot of blame for not having the photos ready in time but at the end of the day I bought my ticket from Showmasters and it was their responsibility to ge them back in time. £20 is a lot to pay and then having to wait 4hrs for it is terrible.

 

Also to have to wait 2-3 weeks to get your photo posted to you is a discrage. When a rival signing event had problems the photo was sent within a week and recorded delivery.

 

Will never be getting a photo again at Showmasters. Collectormania's etc are things that can technically be done in a day unlike a weekend proper convention so really they should tell you that they cant get photos out in time.

 

Spolied the day for me!

 

 

it is the developers mostly to blame. if the manager of the shop said they can do it, like i said before, why would you think otherwise? they let down on their side of the deal. Showmasters will get most of the wrap, but seeing as the sessions have gone ok at other events, it would suggest the variable in snappy snaps on this occasion.

 

ill be intersted to see how things have gone today with jessops and possibly another helping.

[pegasusmarsters]

Of course something else... it's stated on the website that people would get thier photos back ontime to get them signed later in the day. The charisma photo's weren't even developped by the time she and James vanished.