Get in the booth!

It seems like everyone is jumping in a booth of some kind these days. As they should be! With the triumphant passing of Super-Duper-Fat-Tuesday, I thought I'd keep us in the spirit of "boothing" it.

A few days ago a friend of mine sent me a link to a fabulous website, Photobooth.net, a site that tracks photo booths across the country and around the globe. And not these new digital photobooths - the real ones, complete with chemical-peeling, smelly goodness.

The second she sent it to me, I was reminded of my favorite photobooth experience ever. No, not making out with a my high school boyfriend. Sheesh. I've been pinning this photostrip to bulletin boards in my various offices and workspaces, but in the craziness of my last move, it never emerged to join the latest batch of ephemera on my walls. So I dug it out. (See it. It's to your left).

Now this isn't any old photobooth shot. It's from Brett Ratner's "Hilhaven Lodge" photobooth. How on earth did I get my picture taken in his photobooth you ask? Well, he doesn't just keep his photobooth at his home, he takes it places. Parties, social gatherings, anywhere that people will jump in and "pose" for him.

I ended up at one of these gatherings in New York City a few years back and jumped at the chance to have my "portrait" taken with my favorite camera. (Ironically, it was the same party where I met Chelsea Clinton. I was more star-struck by her than anyone else in the room... as you might all imagine.)

After I climbed out of the booth, I waited patiently for my photostrip, eager to see how they came out. The little photobooth man (he was actually quite short) pulled out the strip, handed it to me, watched me smile, and then took it back. I was shocked. I couldn't believe he wouldn't let me keep my photostrip. But I tried. The exchange went something like this:

"What?! You're taking my photostrip? How? Why? Oh, wait, you want to put it in Brett's book? Oh...ok! Can I take another one to keep for myself? No. ...hmmmm... please. No. Pretty please. Sorry, kid. I've never seen a photobooth before. Well....okay! But don't tell Britney. Jump in!"

Ok, that last part isn't true. But, the little photobooth man did let me sneak in once more to take a second photostrip to take with me. He even let me choose which one I kept for myself. (Thanks little photobooth man!).

And sadly, no, I did not end up in the book. But believe me, I checked.