QE2's Photography Department

[Adam Hodson]

Thanks for writing this up! It was very informative and a fantastic insight of the Ship Photographer's job and time aboard the QE2.

[rgreen]

Hi Alan, just wondering if you knew my father & Uncle?. They may have left just before you started, not sure exactly what year they left but I know he was on there from 1969 until the  late 70s.

 My father also went back in mid 80s after I was born. He was Chief photographer, Philip Green and my uncle Andy Green was part of the photography team as-well. 

[Alan Snelson]

Hi Richard and welcome to the forum.

I certainly know the name Philip Green. I think he left in 1978 just before my first trip, in fact I think I came on as his replacement. My sister Christine would have worked with him and I am sure I remember her speaking of him.

I have a vague recollection of your dad being on board as a relief one time when I was aboard but it was only for one or two transatlantics possibly around 80 or 81.  If your uncle Andy joined in 83 I would have left QE2 by then as I finished in about May 82.

It would be good to hear more from you and maybe see some of the old photos.

[rgreen]

yes I think it could have been 78 when he left. I know he also went back on  a few times i think in the 80s so you may well have seen him.

I am still in contact with another one of the camera crew, my fathers best friend Tim Thorn who was on through 1970/80s, some people on here may remember him.

I will collect some of my fathers photos from my mothers house later this week and upload them to the galleries. Think there are quite a few of the Photography crew.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Robert Knowles, another ex-QE2 photographer, has written to us as follows :

Alan. Great article. Wonderful foto of me next to your sister . We were shooting first frame to identify rolls of film. Went on to the Cunard Countess and then moved to the US in 1980. Been here since . Now I'm still in film/ video, still filming events, social and corporate . Great memories on a great ship .

Thank you, Robert!

[Tony]

Just revisited this post.
When you talk of pay Alan, you fail to mention the last night "sale"

As my predecessor told me-"sell them off the board"

[Tony]

Does anyone remember a Steiners beautician named Lorraine Harris?

Err, maybe..

[Alan Snelson]

Just revisited this post.
When you talk of pay Alan, you fail to mention the last night "sale"

As my predecessor told me-"sell them off the board"

When I was there it was before the days of on board accounts. We dealt exclusively in cash or credit card and so we "sold off the board" all trip. There were ample opportunities for creative accounting, but in my experience they were rarely taken advantage of as conditions for concessionaires were still very favourable at that stage. There were a couple of people I knew who followed on from me that might well have let their greed get the better of them, but Stuart had been in the game long enough to know when any significant 'off the books' activity was going on. Stuart was on quite good terms with some of the Customs & Excise officers and I know of a couple of occasions when 'rummage crews' were pointed in a certain direction if he felt that he was being taken advantage of.

[Tony]

we used to bag and weigh all the waste paper at the end of every trip. Great way to spend a day in New York.

Actually, cash was a pain to handle as it took so long to do. Every day adding all the receipts, counting the money etc.
In those days I was not used to a husband using his wifes credit card so upset a few people.

[Alan Snelson]

We never had to bag the waste. All left overs went 'Deep Six' in mid Atlantic.

Dealing with cash was a lot of work. We used to hand write receipts for all sales, we had one of those little devices which held a triplicate fan-fold block of receipts so you would write one out then poke your pen in a hole and the one you had just written would pop forward so you could pull it forward to engage the next receipt, then we would tear off the top copy to give to the customer.

At the end of the day we would go through the receipts and total up the sales, separate out orders for additional copies and then match up the cash to go with the receipts, then package it all up ready to hand over to George in the Bureau. George was a real stickler for detail and order and woe betide anyone who used a receipt block out of sequence.

We had to use a hand powered adding machine/calculator, so you would punch in the value and pull a lever at the side and it would print that value on to a till roll, at the end you could hit the total button, pull the lever again and it would print the total amount. That print out would also go to George. It was surprising how quickly one picked up the skill of using that machine so although it sounds long winded it really wasn't too time consuming.

[cunardqueen]

I remember on my very early trips in 86 and 87/88 as a passenger l had occasion to write to Ocean Pictures in Southampton to order some extra photos and a video l think and l mentioned l would be sailing again the following year. Back came the photos and the video and lovely leter from Stuart Hunter-Cox with an attached compliments slip to hand over on my next crossing. l duely kept the letter and slip all is said was "Please make sure Mr Devin is "looked after ""
I had no idea at the time what that could mean, l was a teenager, so on my next trip l was buying some photos and handed over the slip to the kiosk, and the photos were durely placed in the folders and handed over to me, and the words "No charge for these son" l thanked the guy very much and just assumed it was a one off, the next photo session bought some more and some ship views, and the same thing happened again ! l sailed over to New York and home again and never once paid for any photos .

 Then again over the years, l bought every single photo that was taken along with a great many albums, key rings, photo frames. It was l found always amazing just how many folks had forked out money for a QE2 cruise and skimped on buying a proper professional portrait photo.
It was always funny standing getting a photo taken, they would tell you how to stand, quick photo flash, and then the phrase Oh and one more with a different pose...
I remember that little grey devices that you signed, then they would pop the pen in the hole and out came the receipt.
Its ironic in that for all the photos l have over the years, l missed the embarkation photos for the final westbound crossing and the Eastbound from New York.   

Anyone remember the time they took a video at the Captains meet n greet and inserted that into a promotional vhs tape. I dont think that lasted very long? or the other times when you could get your photo mounted onto a plate ?
 
Then there was the time my shipboard account was wiped clean, it was only after mentioning this to a friend in the know several months afterwards that l mentioned my credit card hadnt been charged and his reply was "No and it wont be"

[Glenn Copus]

Hi Alan, I worked with your sister Christine during my time. From the pics you can see it was very hard work 

[Rob Lightbody]

Hi Alan, I worked with your sister Christine during my time. From the pics you can see it was very hard work 

That looks exhausting work! 

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

I always appreciated the photographers on board. They had excellent equipment and were pleasant characters who knew how to make us feel relaxed.

We went to the trouble of dressing up, we queued to shake hands with the Captain, and we tasted the drinks at the receptions. It was a real prize to have our photographs taken, pictures that showed us in our finery, and also demonstrated that we were enjoying ourselves. A real bonus!

Cunardqueen, I entirely agree with you that all these pictures were well worth paying for, and that they are treasures and reminders to keep.

[Tony]

The Darkroom, at least one side of it.

[cunardqueen]

  The Darkroom, at least one side of it. 

As the night progressed, how did things develop 

[Tony]

As the night progressed, how did things develop 

My brain had even more trouble processing thoughts

[Vincent Scriven]

Are there any Pics on the website link from the Last 1986/7 World Cruise or Voyage? that would be nice to see more so if there are any off the Merchant Navy Crew before the Crew Change in Germany? 1986
Thank you

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Are there any Pics on the website link from the Last 1986/7 World Cruise or Voyage? that would be nice to see more so if there are any off the Merchant Navy Crew before the Crew Change in Germany? 1986
Thank you

Have a look here, Vincent.

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=6

More here :

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=38

I hope you will find some pictures that bring back memories, hopefully happy!