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Colleen Coble writes romantic suspense with a strong atmospheric element. A lovable animal of some kind--usually a dog--always populates her novels. She can be bribed with DeBrand mocha truffles.
Denise Hunter writes women's fiction and love stories with a strong emotional element. Her husband says he provides her with all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too.
Diann Hunt writes romantic comedy and humorous women's fiction. She has been happily married forever, loves her family, chocolate, her friends, chocolate, her dog, and well, chocolate.
Cheryl Hodde writes romantic medical suspense under the pen name of Hannah Alexander, using all the input she can get from her husband, Mel, for the medical expertise. For fun she hikes and reads. Out of guilt, she rescues discarded cats. She and Mel are presently taking orders from four pampered strays.
33 Comments:
Short of taking your own background drop, providing your own lighting--the lighting that you think makes you look best, (I find same level lighting helps me rather than over or under head level--those are really scary) wearing your perfect color and being given the chance to smile (try to get it) there is nothing you can do.
Back some ten years ago in a management job, I was required to watch a customer service video -- an Al Gore video. (This was way before the inconvenient truth...) He was describing a study done with a Minnesota Motor Vehicle branch. The branch decided that what would definitely improve their customer service was to hire more employees so that there would be a shorter wait for all the applicants and re-registrants. But it didn't seem to improve customer service. So they decided to actually ask the customers (isn't that a mindbending thought...) and found that everyone hated their license pictures and didn't mind waiting in line if they could "select" from more than one a picture they would have to live with for four years. I think this is a pretty good idea. Indiana hasn't asked us. (Personal sidenote: I am a little disappointed that this study didn't make more sense to Mr. Gore. ;0) )
VA must be a lucky state. we don't have to put our weight, eye color, hair color etc on the license. only thing on there is the height.
Okay, Deborah, I'm moving to VA!
Melissa, very interesting! A woman would have approved that whole thing. *g*
Just smile and keep smiling. Let all of the stress from the trauma of the DMV just melt off. I have never been too disappointed with mine. Maybe CO has professional photographers.
Also, wear a color that looks great on you, for real!
I just kept the weight the same for many year, even though my actual weight had changed. I didn't write down the wrong weight, mind you. I just left it as it was. I don't change my hair color on there every time I change it on my head.
Shoot, I don't even change my address on there every time I move! LOL So why should weight be any different? It's not like the cops are going to weigh you when they give you a ticket. Thank heavens!
Erma Bombeck used to say you know it's time to return home from vacation when you look like your passport picture. Ain't it the truth? All these pictures almost make me want to quit traveling. Almost!
Something's not right.... ;)
Katy McKenna www.fallible.com
Ok, tip your head SLIGHTLY to the left and lift your chin up just a bit. It cuts out the shadow under your chin that gives you the "double chin" DL look. My photographer cousin gave me that tipped, it worked, and I actually think my DL is cute! :) Just make sure you don't crank your head too much to the left, then it looks like you broke your neck, or tip your chin up so it looks like you're all chin. Ew. Slightly, is the key word on both teh head tip and the chin lift.
I FINALLY got a good picture last time I renewed my license and I was so thrilled to have a good picture.
Then I showed it to my oldest son and he said, "Yeah, but it doesn't look like you." So much for that.
No--I hate my license picture! I think it would be fun to have one of those glam shots, but then again, I'd probably be arrested for impersonation when they compared reality with the pic, lol
This is so funny you should say this today. My son JUST took my driver's license out this morning, and he goes, '118 Mom?"
LOL! I actually LIKE my picture now. I put on extra makeup, made sure my hair was curled and looked good, and wore a color that was good on me--in this case royal blue. And I tipped my chin up so it made my face look thinner. LOL Try it, Di!
And I haven't changed my weight on there for twenty years. LOL
As far as the pic goes, I'm a big fan of doing something silly, like wearing crazy colors and putting on a sexy pout - something that will make anyone laugh when they look at it.
For weight, I put down my dream weight. I mean, I'll be there someday...right? So technically it isn't lying ;)
I lied about my weight. I put it at 10 pounds under what I weighed at the time. Now I weigh 7 pounds less than my license. When we lived in PA we didn't have our weight on there and I was totally caught off guard when I came to Illinois and they DMV worker asked my weight. I really didn't think she'd put it on there or I would've made it even less!
You guys crack me up! Great advice, Jaime! Now if I can only remember how to DO it!
Kristin and Denise, too funny! What's with those kids anyway? *g*
It looks like it's unanimous that you all just leave the weight where it is. I tried that once--well, I upped it a couple of notches, but not as much as I should have. The lady across the desk took one look at it, at me, and gave me one of those, "yeah, right," looks. Yes, she was skinny and 16 years old. She'll find out one of these days . . .
Suzanne, you're seven pounds LESS than your license says???!!!! That's just wrong.
I agree Di, that is just WRONG!! Unless you're weighing my skeleton alone, I will never again weigh what it says I do. LOL
Sorry guys. Pass me some chocolate and I'll work on that, um, problem for you. ;)
You know, I totally forgot about the whole weight thing? I need to renew my license too. Hmm, going to go look and see what it says.
Huh, I was actually honest about my weight last time. Now I'm actually a little less than that. I'm still over my goal weight, but it's nice I'm lighter than what my license says.
I wonder if I can get away with putting down my skinniest weight from this year. At least that's recent right? Even if seeing that weight again is only in my dreams. The circumstances surrounding that weight loss are things I'd rather not have to go through again. :)
By the time I get through the line at the DMV, I honestly don't care what I look like. I just want to get outside, where there's fresh air and freedom! Of course, I'll care again once I see the picture. ; )
I think the best thing to do about taking driver's license pics is smile the entire time. This way, the photographer can't take a picture without you being ready. Prayer might help too.
Actually, and don't hate me, I still have the same photo from 13 years ago! LOL Here in GA, if you do't get any traffic tickets, you don't have to take a test any more. Just send 'em your ten bucks and they send you a new one.
The only rub comes when someone looks closrly at the photo and looks at me with a question in their eyes.
Yah, in my most recent DL picture, I was 7 months pregnant. Granted, you can't see my big huge belly, but that makes it even worse. My 'baby' pudgyness only looks 'motherly' when you can see my swollen belly, so the picture of me mid chest and up makes me look plain ole huge.
My only advice is, smile (I hate it when they catch me not smiling.. it makes it worse!!) and stick out your chin. Ack, I always end up tilting my head under, which makes my chin tuck under causing the whole double chin look effect... I now look stupid in my pictures because I stick my chin out there as far as I can... but hey, there is only one of them, and that's what counts!!
sorry i don't have much to comment on regarding your post but i just wanted to say that i finally bought my first diann hunt book and it got delivered yesterday, so yay! i am about to go read it (had to read my terri blackstock first as it was 4th in the series lol... but i just finished it).
My DL picture is the only one I ever look GOOD in! It must be that I'm so unphotogenic that I reverse the issue on my license and look great. And young. My hubby picked mine up the other day and asked if I was 12 when they took that picture, lol. I have no advice, other than to be reallllllly nice when you go in and treat the photographer kindly, no matter how cranky they are, and with that I've always ended up with them previewing my picture and actually retaking it if they didn't like the way it turned out. lol BTW, in Michigan we don't put down weight. Otherwise I'd pick the weightI was in college. Does it specify CURRENT weight? =)
Which book, Bethanie? Let me know what you think! (If you don't like it, write to me, personally). LOL!
Ane, I want to borrow your DL for my author photo! LOL
That is so true how cranky you are when you get thru a California DMV, there's no way to have a good shot.
I just make sure I never get pulled over or carded:-)
I was asked to smile in my first DL photo. My dad, who was with me to take the test, said, "WHY? If a cop pulls her over, she is NOT going to be that happy."
I liked the photo of me from my former state. (NM) This state has something wrong with the cameras. (OK) At least that is my hypothesis.
We don't have to take a new test, but every four years, you have to renew and get a new card with a new picture. Also if you change a name (like getting married) or move, they want the card to match your current name and address. Yay. My current DL should renew in 2010. Same time my Notary is up, actually.
I say, don't worry about it. Years from now, when you have to do this again, you will look back at this picture, and say, "What was I so worried about? This is good shot!"
If they would let you go to a PHOTOGRAPHER to get it taken, like your passport, or a school picture, it would look so good, nobody would recognize you.
diann, i'm reading for better or for worse, and i'm really enjoying it :) like your writing style muchly!
The driver's license isn't a problem--I don't use it overseas as an id. It's my PASSPORT picture that's so bad! My passport was going to expire, so I went to the American consulate, nice photos (taken and touched up at my local photo shop)in hand. They weren't the right size! So...I had to go across the street from the consulate and have some taken on the spot. The man stood too close to me, so my face--especially my nose--was distorted. I look like I weigh 50 additional pounds. I look like a cow. Sadly, my passport does not expire until April, 2016. (Maybe by then I will look like my photo.)
I still HATE my driver's license photo. Even though it's old, it's worse than I am now.
I still HATE my driver's license photo. Even though it's old, it's worse than I am now.
Glad you're enjoying the book, Bethanie!
Pam, that's too funny--well, in an I-feel-your-pain sort of way.
Ashley, I can totally relate.
I like my current DL photo. unfortunately you have to renew it every 5 years and i'm sure i won't get a nice one again. bleh.
i think it's funny you have to put your weight and stuff on your licence. we don't have to do that here. it is name, address, date of birth, licence number, licence class (ie car, truck, motorbike etc) and photo.
I'm so glad we don't put our weight on our DLs here (Ontario, Canada)! I think I would start a picket line. My last picture makes me look like a very angry gothgirl, so I was actually looking forward to getting a new one! I've been waiting since December to get my new DL in the mail, so I've become a veeeeery careful driver.
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