So I was down at Melbourne Central yesterday and I needed to have some passport-sized photos taken. What they had there was this photobooth, very much like those Japanese-jeng ones except that it didn't really have those flowers or stars appear mysteriously around you when you take them pics. The thing was, not only did it look dodgy as nobody ever uses it (at least it feels like nobody ever uses it), they had poor instructions on how to use the bloody machine. And guess what. It costs me a lousy $7.00 for 4 of those photos! Talk about daylight robbery!
But nevermind. So there I was, armed with 4 $2 coins, ready seated in a dimly-lit booth on a chair that could barely hold me still. I read the instructions which told me to:
1) Choose a background.
2) Adjust seating to preferred height.
3) Insert coins.
4) Look straight into the screen and wait for four flashes.
5) Wait for 3 minutes before the photos are developed.
But:
1) There were no backgrounds to choose from. There wasn't a touchscreen for me to use with animated displays - only a black, dark screen in front of me. And on my back (giving it a handicap; maybe it's got cardboard borders I could use) was nothing but a white, dimly-lit screen.
2) There was no lever. I had to 'screw' the chair in and out. And maybe this was my fault, but I didn't notice a little silver plaque by the side of the screen which said 'Eye level'.
3) I inserted my four $2 coins. And as anyone could magically guess, that would equate to $8.00. A dollar on top of the actual cost of taking the photos. Unfortunately, the machine couldn't calculate that. So there I was, waiting for my dollar change to roll out of the lower coin slit and it just never seem to want to roll out!
Then suddenly...
*FLASH!
What the...
*FLASH!
Crap!!!
*FLASH!
*FLASH!
NOOO!!!! My $8.00!!
Talk about quick reflexes...
Comments (15)
hehe..
i love the 1st one the best!
Posted by esther | September 12, 2005 11:28 AM
Posted on September 12, 2005 11:28
LOL! damn cute.. ^_^ laughed my ass off the chair.. and tht's one difficult feat, k.
~cheers!
Posted by shobeedee | September 12, 2005 12:02 PM
Posted on September 12, 2005 12:02
Well done! I'd say the second one looks most like the classic "passport photo" - A dead stare into nothingness.
Three and four look more like, "i hope my blinding smile distracts you from my hybrid asymmetric hairdo"
one out of four aint all that bad...
:)
Posted by zakky | September 12, 2005 1:26 PM
Posted on September 12, 2005 13:26
WTF were you thinking, taking p'port photos with those kinda machines?
Big props for putting em up though, hilarious...
Posted by alex | September 12, 2005 7:03 PM
Posted on September 12, 2005 19:03
Haha. It's too funny. Laughed until bang my head on the wall. But at least you still look 'pretty' in the last one.
Posted by AikChung | September 12, 2005 11:08 PM
Posted on September 12, 2005 23:08
oi goondu! ahhahaha this post was hilarious! akakakakkaa... Was it the one in the lower ground floor, near STA travel and train station entrance?
Posted by vera | September 12, 2005 11:47 PM
Posted on September 12, 2005 23:47
vera: yea.. that DODGY red one. hehe.
zakky: u haf no idea how furious i was when i found out minutes later that p'port photos shouldn't haf me showing my teeth.
>:o
Posted by agung | September 13, 2005 12:15 AM
Posted on September 13, 2005 00:15
hahahhahaha.. you just made my day man.
Posted by soph | September 13, 2005 11:54 AM
Posted on September 13, 2005 11:54
too funny man!
dave dave... you're hillarious!
(but yeah, wth are u taking them in a booth??!)
Posted by Joy | September 13, 2005 3:33 PM
Posted on September 13, 2005 15:33
this is hilarious... but quite candid.
thats why, never take passport photos in a booth. go to a studio!!
Posted by me! | September 13, 2005 4:03 PM
Posted on September 13, 2005 16:03
it was a last minute thing. had no choice but to go to a booth. plus... this may sound stupid... but i don't know any studios around. havent noticed one at least...
Posted by agung | September 13, 2005 4:32 PM
Posted on September 13, 2005 16:32
GOSH i finally found it. i was trying various combinations of .org .net .org.au .WHATVER... and it was .us
heh.
nice photos by the way.
Posted by Ronny | September 14, 2005 12:46 AM
Posted on September 14, 2005 00:46
Hahaha hilarious.i like your hair. Looks like Mary in "there's something about mary" after she used "gel". Haha you used more? Jus kiddin'
Posted by Gary | September 15, 2005 2:51 PM
Posted on September 15, 2005 14:51
hands up for the second one! u'll definitely get through any customs easily with that one. and it doesn't show ur teeth! perfect!
Posted by sue-lee | September 15, 2005 4:44 PM
Posted on September 15, 2005 16:44
LOL! thumbs up!^^
Posted by vickievic | September 18, 2005 12:44 AM
Posted on September 18, 2005 00:44