Returning Customer.

Back in the early 80's I did a little photography and actually had an SLR! I was asked to assist with an evening photo shoot at a local open air swimming pool - the photographer had a couple of medium format cameras that were always on their tripods and he wanted someone to shoot differently!

I was to be paid £20 for the work! An absolute fortune in those days.

He had not said what the shoot was or too much about it, until we arrived. It was to be a lingerie shoot for a new designer who wanted to launch herself onto the market.

So, after setting up the designer invited us to "meet the three models" in a relaxed atmosphere.

Sitting there, and they wandered in. My jaw nearly hit the ground! One of the models was a girl from my class at school "D"- and she had the most wonderful legs. Her legs go me in trouble during an art class at school, when "D" was the "model" and all I did was draw a collage of one of her legs.

Both of us looked "embarrassed" but after a chat "D" knew I was their professionally and we both relaxed and had a great time with plenty of laughs.

Everything went extremely well and when finished, "D" asked if I would take a few more of her for her own use which I was happy to do. And after everything was processed, "D" paid for all the prints and I gave her the negatives too.

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Thirty plus years later ...

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I am at a reunion recently for old school friends and "D" comes up to me and says "I have something to show you" and produced a folder with some of the prints - I had almost forgotten about them. We had a good chat about it and a laugh about being embarrassed. I then told her that a few years after the event, her father came to work for me and he had her picture on his desk which at that time served as a reminder and I would ask how she was doing, but he never knew why.

This week, I have received an email from "D" asking if I will do a new portfolio for her - similar to the one from before. I must have made a good impression with the originals and she is prepared to pay well!

Just need to find a suitable date and location for this summer.




A long wait for a customer to return!

Gamka - are you sure this story wasn't intended for the Simon Bates Show??.

Methinks you are a sly old fox, and there's more to this than you're letting on!!

Anyway, joking aside, It'd be great to see some of these photos of the lovely "D", both then and now.

Yeah at least let us have a look at Ds legs?

I wish ... or wished. Seriously though, no, it is just going to be a favour for an old friend.

My charges: Dinner out somewhere nice, or at her place - with her husband there too and either 1/2 case of decent wine or two bottles of 21yo single malt.

I don't think she will let me. They are intended as a birthday present for her husband. And I will not keep any images directly. I will keep a password protected CD with an encrypted ZIP file to which she will know one passwrd and I the other, just in case.

Great story though

Well, finished!

Have just gone through the final selection and album with "D" - just a couple of very large prints to arrange.

We used the same open air pool as the original for some shots and a discrete garden for some more. A varied mixture of clothed, lingerie and nude in a totally relaxed atmosphere. She bought along another old friend to help out and I also did a few pictures of "J". too. I will certainly say that her legs have stood the test of time and have some really great shots of those - one of the enlargements will be just her legs stretched out across the print!

There was a minor discussion about my fee - "D" covered the various costs for the location and the large prints and the either 1/2 case of premium wine or 2 bottles of 21yo turned into both - sampling one just now! And just as she was leaving presented me with a cheque for £400 - apparently I have done a great job!

Before anyone asks - no, I cannot even give you a sneak preview. We have an agreement in place that assigns copyright to "D" - which I was happy to do and that I do not display any of the images without her prior consent.

The last part will be in a couple of weeks when we meet for dinner - she has asked me to hand the album to her husband at the end of the meal - if only I could capture his face when he opens it!

What! No spy cam secreted about your person
You could write a whole Mills & Boon story with this

Tempting ... but that might sow a little seed of suspicion in "D's" mind about whether I was totally honest about all prints, files &c - which I am and will be.