I recently went in for a reshoot, but I felt the staff member who handled it took my photos rather hastily—maybe we just didn’t click.

Until last September, I was in the department responsible for coaching staff on photography. From October through March, I moved to another department, but was still essentially in charge of that area. Since April, someone else has taken over the coaching, so I’m not really in a position to say much anymore. Even so, I’d still like to know what’s going on, so could you contact me through the form below? https://universe-club.jp/help/contact/ Getting back to the main point: When it’s time for a reshoot, many women request the same staff member if they liked the person who took their previous photos. For example: “I’d like to have a reshoot, and I’d like to ask the same person who took my photos last time, Mr./Ms. ○○.” However, if that staff member has transferred departments, you may have to go to a different branch. That usually doesn’t mean traveling very far, though. For example, you might go to Ikebukuro this time instead of Ginza, where you went last time. The problem is that sometimes the staff member has moved to a department that doesn’t conduct interviews. In that case, no matter how specifically you request them, someone else will have to handle it. That said, it’s also possible that you only realized how good—or bad—the first staff member was when you had your latest reshoot, which makes things rather complicated. If you contact me through the form above, I can ask whether it might be possible to arrange another reshoot for you. But if they say they’re too busy to do it, that’s the end of the matter. (When I was still in the department responsible for coaching, I could at least say something like, “What is this photo? She wants a reshoot too, so let’s retake it.” ＜＞) > There weren’t any particular instructions about posing. If a staff member doesn’t really like poses that look too staged, or wants to capture a scene that feels as natural as possible, they may not give many posing instructions. I feel like staff members are divided between those who like saying things such as, “Push your hips out more. More, more… yes, hold it right there,” and those who don’t. > “Let’s finish this quickly, okay?” I don’t really understand what that means. If you had told them you needed to finish by a certain time, then I can understand that they would have to wrap things up by then. But otherwise, I don’t see why they would want to finish quickly. Basically, I suspect this may have been because the woman said something suggesting she didn’t have much time. Is it possible you mentioned something like that when making the appointment, or at some other point? > ① Have any male members ever looked at a woman’s uploaded photos and thought, “She was photographed carelessly”? If the man you’re currently seeing is fairly understanding—someone who wouldn’t say, “You still want to meet other men even after having a reshoot?”—you could ask him. I think he’d give you an honest answer. I’ve never heard anyone describe a photo as “carelessly taken,” but I have heard comments about whether the photographer was skilled or not. You could ask whether he thought, “These photos were taken by an inexperienced staff member.” However, there aren’t many men who are that understanding, so it may be safer not to ask. > ② If the previous photos looked better, can they be switched back? Men generally want to know what a woman looks like now, so the preference is usually to use newer photos. This is especially true if she has changed her hairstyle or gained or lost weight. However, if someone asks to have the photos changed back, they may offer a compromise, such as, “In that case, let’s use two of the previous photos.” > I thought women could only view one photo. As part of improvements to the members’ program about one or two years ago, women became able to view all six photos as well. I believe videos are also available now. (The fact that staff comments can’t be viewed has remained unchanged.)

① No. I have absolutely no idea. ② Staff may make use of your previous photos as well, but women probably don’t need to request this very often. That’s because the staff usually do a good job selecting a main photo that makes you look your best. In most cases, the photos are flattering, and the women I’ve met have looked just like their pictures, which I thought was excellent. Lately, I sometimes feel that the photos have been edited or polished a little more, but since that leads to offers, I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing. I’m sure you’re very concerned about how your own photos look, but even if they turn out well, there can be a discrepancy when you meet in person. If they don’t look good, you may not receive any offers—and even if you do, that doesn’t necessarily lead to an ongoing relationship. Also, when it comes to introducing men and women, clubs tend to become places where many regular male members—often unpopular, older men—gather when there are more new women joining. Since staff want to focus on attracting new women for the sake of the club, I don’t think they generally welcome repeated reshoots, unless you’re someone who continues receiving offers year after year. There may also be an important point in the fact that, thanks to a reshoot or having your profile re-uploaded, you received an offer quickly from someone who took an interest in you right away.

I think it’s better to decide after looking at the photos. Even if the work seems careless, as long as the photos turn out well in the end, I don’t see a problem. These days, it seems you can check them yourself, so it wouldn’t hurt to review them first. The only time I look at a set of photos and think, “This feels kind of sloppy,” is when every shot has the exact same expression and angle. But that might just be the female member’s personal preference, so it’s hard to say from the viewer’s perspective. I’d avoid making an offer, though… Other than that—for example, the way the poses are directed—I may sometimes feel they’re trying a little too hard, but I don’t recall ever thinking the work looked careless. By the way, when a video thumbnail showed someone’s eyes rolled back, I thought, “Wow, that’s sloppy work.” It’s a pretty common mistake, though（笑）. Taro

① I haven’t really felt that way myself. That said, I may feel that way because I haven’t been seriously looking to make offers lately... ② As far as I know, men can only view one photo of a woman, but I believe she can have it changed. Also, women sometimes upload only a selection of photos taken previously, so I think men can still get a general sense of what she looks like.

① No, not really. To begin with, I don’t scrutinize the photos that closely. ② I think it’s best to ask. Personally, I’d rather avoid women who are overly assertive based on assumptions like, “They probably took the photos carelessly, as if to say, ‘Let’s get this over with quickly.’” They sound like they’d be more trouble than women who simply don’t photograph well.

I’ve only seen a limited number of women, so it’s hard to say for sure. With ①, I do sometimes think, “That’s a shame,” but honestly, whether it’s the staff’s fault or the woman’s depends on the case. It’s common with large companies for things to vary greatly depending on who you get as your staff member, so I suppose all you can do is chalk it up to bad luck. Universe is a large company too, after all（笑） But the women involved are taking this seriously, so I don’t think it’s something to laugh about. Staff, their managers, and the president all need to take it seriously. Sometimes it may actually be case ②, where the previous photos are still being used, so I think it’s worth bringing it up anyway.