Photo Ops

One of the great features of any convention is getting to take a photo with your favorite celebrity, actor, or artist. However, the task of getting a photo can be daunting. So let me explain what a photo op is, how they work, and the pros and cons.

What is a photo op?
A photo op is an opportunity to take a photo with your favorite celebrity. These are done by a professional company, with professional lighting, camera, and backdrop. After the photo is taken, it is printed within a minute or two and given to you to keep.

How they work?
Photo ops are usually available for purchase prior to the beginning of the convention and at the convention. The schedule for the photo ops is posted up to a week in advance of the convention. Once the schedule is established you will know when the photo op is expected to take place.

So for this example, let’s say you have a 1 pm photo with the main headliner of the show. You are generally asked to get to the photo op line 15 minutes in advance. For this example, let’s say you have a general admission ticket. You will arrive at 12:45 to the celebrity photo op area. Usually in some corner of the convention. There are tv screens showing all of the celebrities in attendance with their photo op times. If the photo op is about to take place, they will have line numbers next to their names. So at 12:45 they will begin calling for that celebrity based on ticket status. VIP levels, then general admission. You will enter that line and wait for the celebrity to begin their photo ops.

If the celebrity is the main headliner, you can expect several hundred people, just like you, had the desire to get that photo taken. So you will be in line with several hundred people. They will begin taking the photos, again based on ticket status, in the order of the lines. You will feel like you are at a theme park waiting for that popular coaster.

So now that you have waited patiently, or impatiently for what seemed like forever, you get up to the photo tent. They will instruct you to put your bags on an outside table. Now you are at the front, and your nerves begin taking over. You see the celebrity. They tell you to stand on the x. You walk up, nerves keeping you from talking, they say ready? You smile, lights, and now you are being ushered away. You are in and out in a matter of seconds. You exit, walk around the maze following arrows or stripes on the ground, and your picture is usually waiting for you at the end of the line.

Pros and Cons
Pros: As I mentioned before, the best part about the photo op is that it is taken with professional equipment and lighting. You are guaranteed a photo with that celebrity, and you get it in a matter of seconds. Digital copies are usually available for purchase so you can share on social media. Retake on photos is unlikely, but available. What I mean is that the photographer looks at the photo prior to you walking away, if they see something is off, they will instruct you to pose for another photo. However, sometimes, closed eyes, or something else slips through the cracks. Once you retrieve your photo, if there was a problem, they will usually allow you a retake. However, this is not for a “I don’t like the way I smiled”, or “I didn’t look good in this one”. For that, you are out of luck.

Another pro, is only a possibility. Depending on the celebrity, and their comfort level, you may get some great poses. I have had hugs, pretend fights, chokings, middle fingers, kisses and so much more in my photos. Others are just standard standing straight poses. The celebrities are all different, and what they will, or won’t do is completely up to them. You may have a great idea in mind, and they may not do it. Sometimes you will see others ahead of you doing something that will give you an indication as to how far the celebrity will go. I heard a story of a certain The Walking Dead actor refusing a woman’s very sexual suggestion. That same celebrity is usually up for anything, so I can only imagine how inappropriate the request was.

Another pro is group photos. If there are multiple members of a show or movie are in attendance, they will often do group or cast photos. These are only done as professional photo ops. I have done photo ops with 2 or as many as 10 actors from one show.

Cons: There several things for the cons section. You will have to determine if the pros outweigh the cons. The 1st is cost. Professional photo ops can be expensive. Depending on the celebrity, they range from $60 up to $300 or more. The 2nd issue is time. The amount of time that you spend in line waiting for the photo op can be very, very long. Imagine several hundred people waiting in line, and while the photo op only lasts a few seconds, the wait can be up to an hour or more. Having this much time in line, is time you are not enjoying all that the convention has to offer. 3rd issue is scheduling. Scheduling can be difficult as the photo op may conflict with a panel you were interested in, or some other activity. Also, there are times when the photo ops conflict with another photo op. While everything is done to ensure you do not miss it, the added stress if palpable, and you may end up missing one of them. 4th is the interaction. There really is no interaction, and what there is only lasts a few seconds. It is usually a hello, a handshake or hug depending on the celebrity, smile, and then walk away.

Only you can make the determination if a photo op is right for you. There are pros and cons. You may be wondering, is there anything else? Is there any other way to get a photo with my favorite celebrity? Answer….maybe…I will have more about that soon.