The whole experience happened as it would for any other woman. The appointment was made in Michelle's name and I maintained my female persona throughout the entire experience. If the staff suspected I wasn't female, they never indicated so, nor did I volunteer the information.
My preparations were minimal. I washed my hair, shaved closely, and did my own beard cover. In initial contact with Glamour Shots, they will inform you to arrive with no make-up, but I realize their professional make-up artists rarely have to tend with proper beard cover for females. In fact, I have seen disappointing pictures of other crossdressers that had visited Glamour Shots, and relied on the make-up artist to cover their beard. Unless you are totally new to crossdressing, you can probably do a better job yourself. Don't worry, you'll still get plenty of pampering as they work your hair, eyes, lips, and cheeks.
Upon arriving, I was asked to fill out a standard form requesting general information. A "make-up artist" was assigned and she introduced herself. Again, if she suspected me as being male, she wasn't letting on. She lead me to a private changing room where they provided me with a tube top and a smock to replace my blouse. I still wore my bra under the smock. Almost all the makeup they use is in powder form and they don't want to risk getting it all over your clothes.
After I changed, I was escorted to her chair. We chatted as she went about arranging and cleaning everything in her work area. She asked me what colors I usually wore and what kind of look I was after. I told her slightly darker shades of red work best on me and and I wanted a mid-glamour look - but leaning more towards the glamorous side.
She began the makeover by putting my shoulder length hair in hot rollers. At this point, I'm not sure how they would deal with wigs, but I've heard from others that they are not a problem. She applied the makeup while my hair was setting. After trying three shades of lipstick, we eventually found a color we were both happy with. She then removed the rollers from my hair, teased it a little to give it more volume, and quickly and expertly styled it. I'm always amazed with what they can accomplish with my hair that I can't do in hours! During the whole process the make-up artist was chatting with me and our neighboring makeover and we were all having a great time.
Next, I was off to the clothes rack! I was impressed with their selection. Leather jackets, sequin tops, sweaters, and boa's were all available in various colors and styles. I was told I could have four different outfit selections. Alternatively, you can bring in your own outfits if you wish. I choose a copper leather fringe jacket (with matching cowgirl hat), a black and gold sequin top, a pink fuzzy sweater, and a violet boa. I was a little worried about the boa shots because I knew it would be an off the shoulder shot and I was going to need my bra to hold the breast forms in place. However, my desire for the boa shot was overwhelming, so I risked it. The lady here was very helpful and offered some suggestions as to which outfits she thought worked great on film. She wrote down my selections and I was instructed to wait in the public reception area for the next available photographer. At this time, I was still in the tube top and smock. Actually, I welcomed the chance to relax and observe others for a short time. I hat a great time watching the other girls get their makeovers. There was a little girl about 10 years old and it was fun watching the expressions of her mother after hair and make-up was complete. She was raving about the excellent job! To everyone else, I was just another girl getting Glamour Shots.
They had two people doing the photography that day, one male and one female. Luckily, the girl was freed just before my turn. Basically, you do four different poses in each outfit which gives you 16 shots to choose from. There was no dressing room where they did the shoot, which meant I had to make my clothing changes with the photographer present. But, I was able to change outfits unnoticed as she changed film, or selected jewelry for the next set. The shoot actually happens fairly quickly. You sit down, she changes the sliding board backdrop, and she places you in four poses. I worked very closely with the photographer and I got the feeling that she wouldn't have cared what gender I was. She was only concerned with providing me with the best shots possible. One additional note about jewelry: I wasn't concerned as I have pierced ears, but all the earrings there were clip-ons so everyone can use them.
Once my shoot was complete, they brought me to a table with a monitor and the black and white proofs so I could choose which shots I liked the best and how many units I wanted to purchase. She was very nice and explained the prices and sizes of shots available. They might have some "manager's special" available too. Unless you have extreme will power, you can count on spending a couple hundred of dollars.
My only disappointment with my experience was that it takes three weeks processing time to get the final prints. Still, I was very satisfied with the experience. I know that not all Glamour Shots are the same, and some people may not receive the wonderful treatment I received, but my experience was everything I could have hoped for.