I haven't needed to get any passport photos in some time, since the last time I ventured abroad was about ten years ago and it looks unlikely any time in the imminent future. But yesterday, I took Sam to a local photobooth to get some shots for a museum membership card.
You've probably come across this "annual membership" scheme at one of your local museums. The first time you go, you pay a whacking great amount of money to get in, but then they give you a pass to visit the museum again free for as many times as you want in the next year. The museum in question required one extra hurdle to be jumped though: on our second visit, we had to take back the form we'd filled out first time (back in October last year) along with a passport photo for each of us, to make the pass.
On the way to the museum then, we stopped in at a local supermarket where I knew they had a photo booth. I was prepared for the photos to cost me an arm and a leg, but as they didn't need to be passport quality, I figured we could probably get one usable photo each on the same roll of 4 with a little changeover in the middle. But that was not to be...
Remember the days when we'd pop into a photobooth with a friend or partner and shoot a strip of fun pictures like the one above, featuring John Lydon and his wife, Nora? They've taken those days from us, and we'll never get them back. Now, you only get one choice of photo (although they do give you 9 attempts to get it right) and that photo is then duplicated 4 times. Probably to stop people doing what I'd planned, and make you pay twice. (Incidentally, the price was £6 a roll, and though the machine did accept £10 notes... it did not give change.)
Typically, when we got to the museum and handed over the form with our photos, the lady looked at them and then handed them straight back.
"I thought you were going to make us a pass?"
"I could... but my Pritt Stick's rubbish. You can stick them on yourself if you want, for next time you come."
Credit where it's due: I found the images above on a website called Photobooths In Pop. The internet isn't all bad.
Ah those photobooth pics are great. There are some fascinating ones around the internet from previous decades, it's just brilliant to see the different styles but, more than that, that kind of freedom and silliness in people's expressions. There was always something that felt a bit naughty about going behind that curtain with your boyfriend/girlfriend or best mate/s to capture a moment with each other and only being visible to the outside world from the waist down...
ReplyDeleteI had to get a new pic for my driving licence a few months ago and the only option available was to get it done at the Post Office. Horrible experience! Had to go into the booth and have the whole process controlled and viewed by the clerk who could see me on his screen. Had to take my glasses off because he said the light reflected. I've been wearing them permanently for about 12 years now so it doesn't really look like me without them. You can't see yourself while it's being done either, so don't know whether to tilt your head a bit this way or that etc. - the clerk has to tell you! Then I was too embarrassed to sort out my (lockdown) hair (that had also been blown about in the wind and rain) in the booth with him watching so that felt a bit shit - I mean this pic is going to have to represent me for the next 10 years! And then when he asked if the (frankly awful) photo of me was ok I was also too embarrassed to say "no, could we just try it again?" - I wanted to get out of there asap and never have to look at the photo again. Certainly a lesson in not being vain!
I'm impressed with the way you have embraced this new series, C. It's like I've really touched a nerve!
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