Skylite Studios – It Ain’t No Scam
A week or so after entering a competition, I got a phone call from a woman saying I’d won a makeover and photo shoot at Skylite Studios. I promptly booked a time and handed over my credit card details to pay a deposit for me and a friend. Then I looked the studio up on the internet and found a lot of people saying this was a scam.
I was – I will admit – dismayed. I had just handed my credit card number over to this company. If travelling abroad has taught me one thing, it’s that I’m an extremely gullible person. I’ll fall for any scam going. Perhaps I just have the sort of face that says: ‘Swindle me! Please!’ There was this one particularly memorable occasion in Beijing airport where- Oh well, never mind, that’s another blog post altogether. The point is that giving my credit card to some sort of con artist sounded like exactly the sort of thing I’d do. I had visions of turning up to the studio address in London only to find a ramshackle, rundown shack – possibly with a note reading “Gotcha!” taped to the door.
But after doing a bit of research, it seemed that the people calling it a scam were mostly complaining because they were expecting too much. The refreshments served at the studio, for example, consist mostly of drinks. There is no caviar. People also seemed upset about the fact that they had to pay for photos at the end. And, yes, this is true. If you want photos at the end of the shoot, you do have to pay for them. I suppose you could therefore say that “winning” the photo shoot is not so much a prize as a clever marketing ploy. But calling it a “scam” is extremely unfair. You are never told that you get the photos for free, so it’s unreasonable to expect that you will. It’s the makeover and photo shoot that you don’t pay for. Some of the reviews I read of Skylite Studios were very negative. That, taken together with all the scam hysteria, almost made me not go at all. But I’m very glad now that I did go because I had a really fun day, and so did my friend. We both came away the very epitome of a satisfied customer. So if anyone’s reading this because they’ve Googled Skylite Studios in a blind panic like I did, feel free to email me if you have a particular question about the day or the studio. I’ll be more than happy to give a glowing report of my experience. And I’m not even earning commission or anything.
All the staff there were extremely friendly, and the studio itself was – for want of a better word – swish. We were given a form to fill out, basically saying what sort of photos we were after. One of the options was “tasteful nude”. I resisted the temptation to inquire whether there was a “seedy nude” option.
After getting our hair and makeup done, we got about an hour with the photographer. The only quibble I have with the day is that we were told we could bring 3-6 outfit changes, but we only had time for three. We still got plenty of great photos though, despite any giggling that may have occurred. I fear our shoot may have been a bit like pulling teeth for the hapless photographer who tried in vain to get us to pose like models – sexy pouts and sulky eyes and all that jazz.
‘Look, I’m the quiet, bookish type,’ I announced (like George Peppard in Breakfast at Tiffany’s). ‘I ain’t a hand-through-the-hair, stick-out-ya-hip kinda gal.’
To which he replied that I was, only in the disguise of a writer. Although generally uncomfortable with having a camera stuck in my face, I relaxed more when the photographer started to mock me in this way. I guess I’m just perverse like that. When I first said I was a writer, he even suggested this might be a euphemism for sitting at home all day unemployed. This made me laugh because whenever I tell people what I do for a living, I can tell that’s what they’re all thinking even if they don’t usually say it. Not to my face, at least. I had a copy of Jasmyn with me that day though (I’d brought it for my friend – it’s not my custom to carry my own books around everywhere with me). So, afterwards, when we were sat waiting to see our pictures, and the photographer walked through the waiting area, I leapt to my feet and thrust Jasmyn upon him, all the while quivering with righteous indignation and wounded pride and all that.
‘This is my book, sir! I demand that you rescind all that unemployed layabout stuff! That’s three months of tireless, dedicated work that is!’ etc etc.
Anyway – my friend and I both came away with a nice little selection of photos each. The day was a huge laugh, we had loads of fun, and I would recommend Skylite Studios to anyone.
I came home and duly replaced my author photo on this site. The old one was taken by my Mum two years ago (before I sorted out my hair) whilst I sat on a bench at the bottom of the garden. That set up, I feel, just doesn’t convey the glamour somehow. Plus I had, only the day before, returned from a week of illness in Egypt, so my heart just wasn’t in the whole posing for photos thing at the time. Now, though, I have a brand-spanking-new author photo. Hey, if the moody author look is good enough for Joe Abercrombie, then by heck, it’s good enough for me.
But the “tasteful nude” photos, I regret to say, aren’t here. That would be entirely inappropriate. They’re on Facebook.
Tags: Vanity
June 11th, 2009 at 9:21 am
I had a fantastic time Alex! Such a laugh. Great blog
June 11th, 2009 at 11:37 am
But the “tasteful nude” photos, I regret to say, aren’t here. That would be entirely inappropriate. They’re on Facebook.
You lie Miss Bell
But I do have to say, you both look absolutely stunning. The difference a good photographer and lighting can make is amazing.
And you should have asked about seedy nudes, if only to see their reactions!
- Neil.
June 11th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Neil – yes, I’m a dreadful fibber. Goes with the job.
June 11th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Surely the job requires one to be a very good fibber?
June 12th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I like to think so.
June 14th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
I’m really looking forward to Jasmyn, I love the cover and I love fairytales so I have very high hopes for it (:
Oh, and it’s great you had such a good time, but I think I liked the previous author-photo more. But that’s just me, you look great in the new one too.
July 6th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Thank you for publishing this. I went to Skylite studio’s on saturday and I had an amazing day! People do expect too much these days! At first i thought oh my god the pictures are expensive but some people will only be able to have the chance to have a day like that once and may as well have fun. When i got home i showed my family the pictures and they all loved them. They did an amazing job and i would recomend everyone going there. Plus my boyfriend came with me and he isn’t vain or doesn’t style his hair at all and he loved the whole day. I am deffinatly going back to them if i ever need professional photo’s done or just to have a fun day with mates.
November 9th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
I had a fantastic day when i went with 3 of my friends, we had a good laugh while having the photos done and since then i won another makeover and photoshoot with a different company that were no where near as good as skylite!
November 26th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
I have just won a makeover day at skylite and I panicked at first too! I can kinda see why they want you to pay a deposit because if you don’t turn up it’s just wasting their time really…
Any idea how much those photos were to buy? I want to take my friend for her birthday and I’d like to buy her at least one photo she likes.
Thanks!
November 29th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Kaz, this is really bad but I have completely forgotten how much the photos were! They quote you a really high price at first – you have to barter a bit to get them down on it. And the more photos you have the cheaper they are per photo. I think it worked out at £30.00 each but I’m really not completely sure. Hope you have a great time!
December 20th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Hi, me and my husband we was together in skylite studios on friday 18 th december 2009 and we are so so happy!!!! we had a very nice time a lot of fun, true photos are expensive but they’re great professional so i think everybody will be happy!!
December 20th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
oh and photos cost us 60 £ each but on cd so you can do a lot copy and print it wherever you want…
December 20th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
£60 per photo? Yikes, sounds like it’s gone up a bit since I went. But then we did haggle pretty hard with the guy. And I think it works out cheaper per photo the more photos you buy. Glad to hear you had a good time.
December 30th, 2009 at 12:39 am
I am very glad that I went along because my photos were fantastic and I enjoyed being prodded and poked through my photoshoot even though I usually run screaming from hairdressers. It was very comfortable, I stole a bowl of penguin bars and got a glass of orange juice and got to wear my two outfits and mess around with props. The end of the day I got 27 pictures for £240 which is a good deal and hey, you only do it once
. All my friends are incredibly jealous and everyone has decided I should be a model
so it was a very good day for me. You do have to wait w while though so bring something to do. The makeup artists were amazing because this fat and ugly girl came in after me and they made her pretty so it’s worthwhile, don’t panic people and don’t diss it!
December 30th, 2009 at 1:47 am
They can make anyone beautiful with the right make up and lighting! That’s why glamour is such an illusion!Glad to hear you enjoyed the day!
February 7th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
My partner and her friend went to the makeover – would regard it as a scam – though not necessarily breaching trading regulations – the girls enjoyed the makeover though I have seen better makeover work. The photographs also were good but overpriced and not of a sufficiently professional standard. We didn’t purchase any as I had the gear to take my own.I am still waiting on the refund of my deposit however…
February 9th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Sorry to hear they didn’t enjoy. I can only speak of my own experience, which was very good.
March 4th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
I only spoke to the woman today on the phone and all sounded very good , i gave them my £50 deposit and my bank details and got a email saying for my portfolio would cost around £300 minimum . I spoke with family and friend about it today and they all said dont do it and if your not guarentted modelling work out of it its not worth it . i emailed the woman back today and asked for my £50 deposit back so just waiting for a reply now .. If some things sound to good to be true they probaly are .