Taking your submission Photos!

[Grey Jedi (Donna Keeley)]

A Message From the Rebel Legion Costuming Judges:

As I struggle with yet another really difficult, distracting, multi-colored background submission photo, I want to give upcoming applicants some tips for making your submission go faster and smoother.


1. Submit more than 1 photo.

The best shots are a full (head-toe) front and a full back, which show the details of your costume. If the Legion Costuming Judge cannot see the details and confirm that you have met the requirements, then your application will be put aside while we request and wait for more pictures.

If you take a long time to get us additional photos (over 2 weeks), then your application may be "dumped" by the system and you'll have to submit a new application. It's a pain for everyone; giving Judges everything they need the first time around is much easier.

Action shots are good for your membership picture, but we really need the "boring" ones.


2. Choose a plain, solid colored background for your pictures. (Preferably something that contrasts with your outfit colors.)

Pictures with brick walls, rock walls, bushes, trees, wood fences, mulch, grass, polka-dots (I got two with that background ), patterned wallpaper, and/or same/similar colors to your outfit take a lot longer to Photoshop. It breaks my heart to see a really great costume be "butchered" in the background deletion process because of all the little, nitty, irritating pieces that need to be removed so that you can be "placed" in one of our backgrounds from the movies.

An Endor Trooper may look great in the backyard, but that means the LCJ has to spend even more time to remove all those elements so that we can put in an actual image from Endor behind you.

Think "greenscreen" and don't worry about the background details; plain is good.


3. BE PATIENT.

LCJs have a life outside of RL and sometimes we can't get to your application as fast as we would like. The LMO requests that we process applications within two weeks of it being submitted. That may mean that people who submit at the beginning of the window may wait longer than those who submit at the end. We tend to do applications in batches.


4. Accept the LCJ's decision.

It has been a 4+ year process to upgrade the costuming standards for this club. Just because "that guy" got in with an inferior costume doesn't mean you can. "That guy" may have joined back in 2002 when the standards were less strict and his profile hasn't been updated/edited yet.

The standards are the standards. You need to read them and follow them. If you have questions then ask the LCJ for that costuming category before submitting your application; they should be able to give you the information you need.

The costuming forums (Pilot, Jedi, Rebel Troopers, Royalty/Senatorial, etc.) are there for YOU. There is a TON of good information in there. The Rebel Trooper forum even has "Where to Get" threads at the top of the page so that you can get your items from the same suppliers as the rest of the full members. Use the Search function on this board to find discussions on specific items.

If you are still unhappy about the decision, then you can go to the Legion Membership Officer and request a review.


Thank you for listening and I hope your upcoming applications go smoothly.
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