Chapter 18: Collaboration

SUNDAY, I TOOK TONI on an adventure. Of course, everyone else came along, too. I hadn’t had so many people in the microbus since last summer. I told everyone that blue jeans and summer shirts were the fashion of the day. We drove out into the country to a stable Doreen told me about. Apparently, it was quite popular for theatre people to go out and have trail rides when they weren’t on stage. Of course, with both a matinee and an evening performance on Sunday, there weren’t any theatre people at the stable this time.

Suddenly, all my family became extremely shy and unsure about getting on one of the big horses. The stableman said he understood, but that the horses were very gentle and he’d have each of us mount in turn and lead the horse around the ring. Patricia volunteered to go first, before she’d let her daughter be taken around.

I got my camera out and started taking pictures. Leslie was right beside me.

The horse really was gentle and it took forever for them to go once around the ring. Then Patricia agreed and the guy attached a child saddle with short stirrups to the one on the horse. I helped get Toni on board. Patricia walked on one side as I walked on the other steadying Toni in the saddle while she wiggled all over yelling, “Horsie! Giddap, Horsie!” exactly as she would have if she were riding on my back around the living room.

Eventually, we all got a turn riding around the ring. Then Anna, Patricia, Leslie, and I agreed to go on a trail while Ronda, Min, and Leanne decided to sit it out and have a cup of coffee in the barn, served by one of the owners. The guide fastened something like an extra pair of stirrups in front of me so Toni could sit there between my arms.

We walked out to the woods, about half a mile away, then followed a path around a corn field and back to the barn. We were gone about half an hour and came back to the barn. We joined the others in the barn and all had some refreshments, then drove back to town. All the way back, Toni continued to bounce in her seat saying, “Horsie! Toni ride giddap!” I might have created a monster.

Min’s body was fully recovered from the staining a week ago. Her fair skin was glowing as I’d helped Leanne apply a moisturizing cream all over before she started painting the design for this day. Min purred beneath the attention and begged me to stay with her while Leanne drew on her body. I was nearby, but not always in touch with her as I set lights and backdrop with Leslie.

Leanne had Min lie on the bed and worked on her that way instead of having her standing through the entire process. I turned up the heat in the studio a bit so she wouldn’t get cold, just lying there naked. It had gotten pretty cool the previous night.

“I know now what an artist’s canvas feels like,” Min sighed. “So many exciting things happening on it and around it, but being completely dependent on the artist to put the beautiful part on the canvas. The tickle of the brush. The breath of the artist. And always looking out at a world looking in—never seeing what they see.”

“That’s a beautiful sentiment,” I said. “A little sad. Shall I tell you what I see?”

“Oh, yes.”

“The canvas is pristine. Unlike an artist’s canvas, though, the living canvas has the contours of a beautiful woman. There is the hollow of her throat, the ridge of her collar bone, the gentle but tantalizing rise of her breasts, and the sole darkness of the blush of her nipples. The delicate turn of her arms adds to the contrast with the artist’s design, even though no pattern will be drawn on them.”

“The artist spent a long time getting the design just right on my nipples. They must have made it hard for her to execute the design.”

“I needed to make them hard for me so the design would be just right,” Leanne joined. She was working down Min’s stomach.

“Now she’s painting around the deep inset of the navel of the canvas,” I said. “The stomach ripples as the brush tickles her sensitive surface.”

“I know what’s coming next,” Min said. She shifted her legs apart and I stroked the inside of her thighs. “The artist loves to draw on my vulva. She always takes her time there and tickles me just right.”

“Painting should be as pleasurable for my beautiful canvas as it is for the artist. There is not a part of her body that fails to please me,” Leanne said.

“As a completely independent observer,” Leslie said, “I somehow wish I had an artist to paint my canvas. My skin is alive as I imagine each stroke of her brush. I might need to shave some areas I don’t usually shave in order to make them available for the design.”

“Min is always so incredibly smooth there,” Leanne said. “I just want to lick her.”

“I think you did a little while ago,” Min giggled.

“Yes. So sweet,” Leanne said. “And that concludes the painting of this wonderful canvas. I think. Stand up now and let me see if I missed anything.”

I helped Min to her feet and we all looked at the beautiful tracery covering her body.

“It’s like the vines are alive. They shift and move as you change position,” Leslie said. “I hope we can capture that in the photos.”

“Well, let’s clear the bed out of the way and start taking those photos,” I said. “Min, I’m going to be working in black and white on the Hasselblad and the Linhof. Leslie is going to be shooting color transparencies on her Leica. So, we might need to change lighting and retake poses to get the best from both worlds.”

The vines really did shift and appear to be alive as Min posed and moved. We worked her into different twists as well as straight shots. We decided the color images would work best against a lighter background and using colored lights across her body. I felt the black and white would really zing if I isolated Min against a black void. I used a strong backlight to isolate her more.

Of course, we both took pictures of the other’s poses so we could compare the black and white and the color images. When it came to my piece that I wanted for a work of art, though, I switched to the 4x5 and went for the finest texture I could get with a sheet of x-ray film. Min was a perfect model and could hold perfectly still as I set the long exposure needed for such delicate work. Yes. Perfect.

I checked with Leslie and she was satisfied that she had what she wanted. I picked Min up and carried her to the dressing room where I could use cold cream and a few hundred tissues to carefully remove every trace of the black makeup. We kissed as I removed the makeup and caressed her body. I paid extra attention to being sure her breasts were clean and passed my personal taste test. The same was true when I opened her pussy lips and loved her clit with my tongue.

I didn’t think I’d be with Min again during this visit and wasn’t sure if I would ever be with her again, so I took my time making sure she knew I loved every crease and fold, every rise and fall of her body. When I sat on the chair and she settled her pussy down on my cock, I tried to memorize the feeling of her pussy squeezing and coaxing me to come in her.

As was usual for me after an intense session like this, I spent the rest of the day in the darkroom. Unsurprisingly, Leslie joined me. We just talked, mostly. Of course, talk included kisses and caresses when our shirts came off. We did not actually screw around, though.

“You have a very special relationship with Min,” Leslie said. “When we were working, I noticed that she responded differently to your voice than to mine. She always did what I said, but seemed a little stiffer.”

“I don’t know exactly how that relationship developed. You know, Leanne is hopelessly in love with her, but even though Min likes Leanne and will do anything for her, she doesn’t return that depth of feeling.”

“I could see that. I hope you don’t mind that I started using you to transfer my thoughts to her. I saw Leanne do that, too,” Leslie said.

“Really? What do you mean?”

“When I turned to you and asked you what you thought about having her move to a different pose, you’d turn to Min and give her the instructions, often touching her to move her as you so often do. Then I’d take my picture. Those were always the best ones—much better than if I’d just asked her to take that pose myself, or had tried to position her the way you do.”

“I didn’t even realize what you were doing. You really think it was that different?” I asked.

“Oh, yes. And I don’t think it is unique between you and Min. I really have a purpose in being here this week, other than getting my inner itches scratched a little. I’m trying to learn how you develop that relationship with a model. And do it so quickly. I don’t even want to take pictures most of the time while I’m here with you. Today was okay because this was a model that you’d been working with for quite a while. But when you have another model in—I think Anna said you had an actress coming in next Monday—I just want to function in the background as your assistant and watch how you work with her.”

“Maybe we can get a model for you to practice on,” I said.

“I wouldn’t refuse that, but this is your business, Nate. It’s not a school. I really don’t want to interfere with the business,” she said.

“First, I think you’d work better with a male model to start with. Tell me if I’m wrong, but you have a more natural affinity to working with men than women, just like I have a more natural affinity to working with women. Second, I know a guy who would like to have an Attic Allure photo, but is hesitant about posing for a guy. Sounds like a good match. And third, I will always help my friend, whether it is business or school,” I said.

“I love you, Nate. In a good wholesome way. Wanting to have sex with you is completely different.”

I had a couple of ideas and thought I could pull something together that would benefit both of us.

“Hey, sweetheart. Are you celebrating or mourning,” I asked Beth when I got hold of her.

“Yes, both. It’s weird having a night off and then just one more performance. I’ve seen the new entr’acte rehearse, though, and she’s really good. I’ve had an incredible run.”

“I’m so looking forward to seeing you next week. Do you want me to come down to Chicago to pick you up?” I asked.

“Um ... Uh ... That won’t be necessary. I’m not coming up right away,” she said.

“You aren’t?” I’d really been working on holding a place for Beth in my heart and in my life, but it was hard when she didn’t sound like she wanted to be with us.

“I really want to be there, but my sister offered to take me to Kenya for a week. Just the two of us and safaris in Africa and all that! Can you imagine? She just contacted me this week and said not to argue because she already had the tickets and reservations once we get there. How could I even think about arguing?” she asked.

“No, you’re right. You know we all got passports this year, just in case we get a chance to travel like that. I’m thinking of taking one of the college’s study abroad classes in the intersession this year. Of course you should go,” I said.

“I knew you’d understand. I’ll plan on being up there by the eighteenth. I’m so looking forward to seeing you all and going to shows and meeting people like you’ve been meeting.”

“Don’t forget how much we love you, Beth. It will be difficult to wait another three weeks, but we’ll be here,” I said.

“I love you, too. I need to get ready for the night now. Rose and some of the girls are taking me out dancing tonight. I can’t believe these girls dance all week and then want to go dancing on their night off. But it’s a farewell thing to me.”

“Okay. Have fun. And have a great time in Africa. That sounds radical!”

“Thank you, honey. ‘Night now.”

“Um ... I was told I could get a promo picture here,” a young woman said at the front counter of the store, Thursday morning.

“Yes, of course,” Melinda said. “Let me call for Anna. She’ll help you.”

Anna was upstairs in the apartment and was down in a minute. We’d all just wished Min and Leanne safe travels as they left for Chicago. I wandered into the store to see what had walked in.

“Hi ... um ... I am working with the Theatre Festival and they suggested I should have a more current headshot for my resume,” the girl said. Easily as tall as Anna’s 5’7” with long, dirty blonde hair. Nice shape from what I could tell, but she looked awfully young. I wondered what she was doing with the theatre.

“Oh! I see,” Anna said, looking up from the photo the girl showed her. She looked at the girl who smiled a pearly perfect smile. “Recently get them off?”

“Yes. I can’t believe I had to go through my high school graduation with braces on. I don’t have a single picture from the past two years that shows me without a metal-mouth.”

Oh. So that was it. Reminded me of the days of the old high school retakes.

“We can fix you up. Nate has a lot of experience with high school photos,” Anna said.

“I’m not in high school anymore. I mean ... I know I look young, but I’m eighteen and going to the university in the fall. Colin saw me in our school play and was nice enough to talk to me about what I wanted to do and to offer me an opportunity to understudy a role in the last play of the season. That means I’ll never actually get on stage, but I can shadow the actress and learn as much as I can,” she said.

“I didn’t mean to imply you were still in school,” Anna said. “You do look young, but Nate has worked with actors of all ages. I’m Anna and I’ll go over the various packages we have and see if we can tailor something that fits your needs.”

“I’m Greta Ahlquist. I was in the theatre the day Kathleen Thomas brought in the photo she had done here. It was so beautiful! I’m not nearly as beautiful as she is, but I’m hoping it’s better than when I had braces.”

“Well, Greta, let’s have a seat and talk about what you really want. I’ll show you some more of Nate’s work and give you an opportunity to meet him so you can decide if you want to work with him.”

I glanced in a mirror in the studio and wondered—if I were an eighteen-year-old girl, would I trust this dude to take my picture? Probably not. I’d been keeping my beard short, but my hair was shoulder length now and I had a tie-dye headband keeping it out of my eyes. Today, of all days, I’d chosen to wear a sleeveless T-shirt and a pair of bellbottoms. I really looked like all I needed was a guitar and a joint to be a perfect hippie.

“Can we really do that?” I heard her exclaim in the other room.

“Let’s go into the studio and ask Nate about it,” Anna said.

I still had a selection of both Leslie’s and my photos of Min on the table. Doreen’s photo of the Muse had just been returned from the frame shop and was ready for her to pick up. Leanne and Min had taken copies of the latest photo with them, but Leslie and I were still discussing the relative merits of the color vs. black and white image.

“Nate, this is Greta,” Anna said by way of introduction. “She had the unfortunate experience of having all her graduation photos, including her promo headshot, taken while she had braces on her teeth. She’d like to get them all redone.”

“All?” I asked as I held out my hand to shake Greta’s. “I’m happy to meet you, Greta. Welcome to Attic Allure.”

“Anna said that you could do the promo shot, but that I could have a new graduation photo, too. And I just love the pictures you’ve done that she calls Attic Allure. These are really cool, but I’ve had enough at the moment of additions to my face. Can you make my promo photo look pretty?” Greta gabbled on.

“Oh, I don’t think that would be a problem at all. Anna, what did you have in mind for a graduation photo?” I asked.

“Greta says she still has her gown and mortarboard. I suggest she bring them, along with her diploma, and we could stage a photo as if she’d just received it.”

“Oh, sure! We have that pillar front to a library or something among the new backdrops. It would make a nice scholarly background. We can do it this afternoon if you’d like.”

“Yes! I’ll run home and get my props and costume. I can be back in an hour.” Greta took off at a run.

“Nate, just so you know, all we’re charging her for are the prints. She signed a model release and is interested in some of the more exotic pictures you’ve taken.”

“Isn’t she a bit young for nudes?” I asked.

“If I remember rightly, Patricia was sixteen when you first took her pictures. So were Chris, Judy, and Janice. I was just eighteen when you talked me out of my shirt and bra, as were Lori, Avery, and Pam. I don’t think Greta wants anything too explicit, but every girl that age wants something that makes her look mature and exciting.”

“Well, she’s local and involved with the theatre, so I don’t want to make a spectacle of her. We’ll work on something that gets her excited.”

I chose the backdrops and figured we’d do the standard headshot series first. Then we’d move to the graduation photos.

When Greta got back in an hour, we got straight to work.

She’d changed clothes and was wearing a nice sweater with a cowl neckline, but she also brought several items on hangers. I showed her to the dressing room and had her sit in the chair.

“You are a lovely woman, Greta,” I said. “Unfortunately, you’ve overdone the makeup a little. That’s not a criticism, really. It would look fine going out on a date or to a party. In a photo, though, it would come off as being harsh. Strictly an effect of the lights and film. So, I’m going to soften things a little. Same general shaping and highlight, just a little softer.”

“Did you do the makeup on those photos I saw in the studio?” she asked as she let me turn her head and wipe off some of the eyeshadow and liner.

“I assisted on those. The real makeup artist was my instructor who conceived the images. She’s been helping me with makeup for a couple of years now. I’m pretty good at the street makeup techniques. A little less so for the theatrical makeup. I’m taking a course in that this fall.”

“That’s cool. Oh! I see what you’re doing. That looks better even as street makeup, doesn’t it?”

“Your face is very pretty and doesn’t need a lot after you apply the foundation. I’m darkening your lips a little because I want your teeth to be highlighted. I’ll bet you’ve been keeping your mouth closed as much as possible in pictures. Now we want to see those pearly whites.”

“Can we do two poses for the headshot? I love this sweater and I think it looks good on me, but I’ve also got a blouse that has a more ... um ... open neckline. You know, so it will show some cleavage. That’s okay, isn’t it?”

“Very much so. I’m pretty relaxed about how often costumes get changed and what we do with them. I love this mohair sweater. So soft and it shows your shape nicely.” I petted down her arms and then took her to the stage.

“You have almost as many lights as the theatre,” she said as I started turning them on.

“Not quite, but like the theatre, the quality of a photograph often depends on the way it is lit.”

“And the photographer’s use of the light,” Leslie said from beside me.

“Exactly. Greta, I’m going to be shooting a standard set in black and white. Those are pictures that I can have ready for you to pick up tomorrow morning. Leslie is my backup and will be shooting color transparencies. Those are for that one special shot that you want to present to your parents or someone important to you. It takes a few days to get those ready to print and they are pretty expensive.”