That's One Sassy Septembly Lit Pic!
And now for the tale of our final adventure! Our photo op was at 5:15. Panels were basically over, so there was nothing more to do. We waited around for two full hours before I finally asked someone when our photo would be ready. She was super nice and apologetic. She said she thought "probably by nine, but definitely by eleven," when she said the con was sure to go 'til. We went home, figuring on coming back sometime between 9:30 and 10:30 (just to be sure it would be ready when we came back).
I posted my post and we went, arriving a little after 10:00. s_c went in and returned, saying our photo STILL wasn't on the table! I almost took her home to return alone closer to 11:00 (she has to get up early tomorrow), but fortunately she talked me into going back in and just waiting until it was ready. I say fortunately because we went back to the tables where all the unclaimed photos were ... and they were gone, in the five minutes between when she looked at them before and when we returned there.
Pretty freaked out, we managed to find someone who worked for the con, who said the hotel was kicking them out early and to head down the hall to the photo op room and see if there was someone there and if they might have the photos. (Apparently you can claim them later online, but still, our luck being what it had been so far, I was pretty nervous about attempting that, and I didn't want to have to shell out still more to have it shipped and possibly damaged in transit.)
There were several people in the photo op room, it turned out: a few people who work for Creation, plus people we later decided must have been volunteers (who apparently work incredibly long hours, but they seemed cheerful), and one other gal who was also trying to get her photo. They said we could wait there with her for the photographer to return in hopes he might have the remaining photos with him.
It was pretty awkward sitting there, tempting to just leave, but whenever I'm landed in some weird situation through a series of unlikely circumstances, I've learned to ride it out; it always seems to be rewarding in some unexpected way. Finally, the photographer returned--saying the hotel was just about to throw away all the photos when the con-photography people rescued them! (Everyone who worked for Creation seemed pretty mad about that--we heard more about how the hotel was kicking them out early.)
Then they set about looking through dozens of unclaimed pictures for our intractable photo. In the meantime, I struck up a conversation with one of the guys who works for Creation. He was super nice (they all were), and seemed uncommonly happy with his job. He said the Supernatural cons are Creation's biggest, and always a great time. I wasn't sure what to think of Creation (sometimes the cost, and how they've found a way to monetize absolutely everything, seems extreme), and I felt way better about them after talking to those people; they were all extremely nice and helpful.
I felt even better about them and the amount they charge after I saw the photo (nearly at the very bottom of the last stack). Granted, s_c and I prepared a lot for how we would do our part to try to get a good photo, and Jared and Misha are freakin' pros and facilitate the creation of a good picture immensely, but I tell ya, that photographer is like magic; I can't believe he got EXACTLY what we were hoping for on the first shot, like, instantly. Part of Dick and Rob's psychedelic "rules and regulations" song explained why, exactly, you shouldn't take photos in the photo op room. Dick: "He's a really good photographer ... and you aren't!" Rob, echoing, with sound effects and psychedelic movements: "Your pictures suck!" NOW I KNOW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.
You know how nervous I was about the photo, but s_c and I ended up really happy with it! :-D (I'm so so so so relieved!) s_c told them we wanted it to be like we were a couple of wild animals they had finally managed to corral--check it out!
Sorry for the horrible quality of the scan--my scanner sucks, obviously.
I could drool forever about Misha hugging me so tight--and Jared managed to grab me, too! But man, s_c and I were so overwhelmed, we didn't have any idea what actually transpired while we were in their grip until we looked at the photo after: "I didn't know he had his hand on my head!" "I didn't know Jared had hold of me, too!" "I didn't know Jared had his hand on my hand!" So we now have a memento of those moments when we left our bodies and had no idea what was happening. I can't remember the last time I saw a photo of myself I felt I could actually be proud of. And Jared! And Misha! Wild animals, oh my!