Photographer's Model (closed for pipper and JT)

[JayTee69gmx]

Phil made a small air kiss and smiled. "Absolutely."

He followed her downstairs, and to the front door. "Laurie, we should leave about 8:30 tomorrow for the zoo shoot. Then a quick lunch and we can do the fashion shoot. Going to be a long day."

He closed the door, and the phone rang. "Hello? OK Joan, she is right here." Phil took the phone to the TV room. "Mary? It's Joan." And handed her the phone as she muted the TV.

Upstairs Phil tidied up the studio and packed his cases for tomorrow's shoots. Then scanned the day's shots, and chose the best to upload to Dropbox.

"Phil?" Mary was at the door.

"Joan is in the hospital. Nothing too serious, they will do some surgery tomorrow, and back home same day. But she needs some help with the kids until she is back on her feet. So I will go there tomorrow and stay a few days. Please check the PVR every day and make sure the episodes are recorded. Upload them to my Box and I can watch them there."

Mary looked curiously around the studio, and said "I'll go pack." When she left Phil took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

 

[pipper]

Laurie felt cheated in a way. She had slowly dressed into the school girl’s outfit while Phil had photographed her, but the unexpected return of his wife had ruined her plan.

Now back home, she wondered how Oscar would react to the outfit. After all, it was meant to be worn by a girl in the club before a snake began to swallow her. There was only one way to find out! Laurie quickly changed back into the outfit; went down to the basement; opened Oscar’s enclosure.

Laurie watched him as he slithered around the room. Then the snake stopped and looked at her. Oscar opened his mouth…wide. Then Laurie swore that he had unhinged his jaw. There was no doubt about it, Oscar did want to try and partially swallow her, or…

It didn’t take long get Oscar back into his enclosure. A couple of hisses to signify his displeasure, but that was to be expected.

The next morning after a relaxing shower and light breakfast, Laurie donned her zoo’s uniform; checked in on Oscar who was just relaxing on his heated rock, before opening a cabinet and extracting a can of spray and a knife. Once they were locked in a special carrying box, Laurie went around to Phil’s and rang the doorbell.

 

[JayTee69gmx]

Phil called "Bye Mary, I'm leaving now. Call me when you get there." He shouldered his bags and made his way to his car. Unlocked and opened Laurie's door for her, and tossed his bags in the trunk, with Laurie's.

"Mary has gone to stay with her sister for a few days. Her sister is having an operation, and needs Mary to help with the kids for a few days. So, I'm a bachelor for a while."

He let it hang in the air.

Drove in his usual sedate manner. Watched her in his peripheral vision. She made even that zoo uniform attractive. No question she was a natural model.

"So, tell me what to expect this morning."

 

[pipper]

Laurie was saddened by the news that Phil’s sister-in-law was having surgery. “I hope she has a speedy recovery, and that your wife will back soon.”

Her mind wandered to the shoot in the afternoon. What would she be required to model in? Thankfully nothing too risqué, as it was a flyer for a store that sold goods for the entire family.

Then Phil broke her out of her deep thinking with a question.

“Oh, yes. Just use your camera, and it must be hand held at all times. No tripod, and no flash, because just like Oscar, the snake will think you’re attacking it, and will go into defence mode. If I say things like, ‘Move back’, or ‘Get out’, do it!”

 

[JayTee69gmx]

"I am sure she will be fine, some small procedure, but painful I think, and she will be under some sedation for a few days."

"Thank you for setting up the zoo shoot. It will be a nice addition to my resume." Phil chuckled, "You saw how nervous I was at the peat pit. You will not have to ask me twice to move."

They drove on, each immersed in thoughts. Phil was thinking it would be nice to do another bondage shoot with her, knowing they had the house to themselves. He still wanted his revenge for the peat pit. But first things first, they pulled up to the zoo, and he asked Laurie where he should park.

 

[pipper]

Laurie remained quiet as Phil arrived at the zoo. “Just park in staff’s parking area, which is over to the right. You shouldn’t miss it; it’s the one with the cars in it!” Then she giggled. “Sorry, with the zoo not open yet, the visitor’s one is empty.”

Once parked, the both of them entered through the staff’s entrance with Laurie swiping her security card to get in. Then it was onto the office. “Take a seat Phil; I’ll be back within five minutes. I’m going to find out what snake you’re going to take photos of.”

It took seven minutes for her to return. This time, her waist belt, contained the spray can and the knife that was sheathed. “Right, just follow me.”

Laurie led Phil through a maze of pathways, past many types of animals, before entering the reptile section. They passed many snakes before Laurie stopped. She looked at Phil. “Remember, if I give you an order, don’t question it, just do it. The last thing I want to do is use the spray, or knife, and then set off the emergency alarm to get the vets here, with the resulting pile of paperwork.

“This snake is a ten foot python; green in colour, and female. She's been named ‘Beth’ after the young girl who found it in a park. Apparently it had been a pet, before being abandoned. Sadly, its fangs have been pulled out.”

Then Laurie entered a code to open the enclosure’s door, and went in first. “Right, let’s see where she is,” she said while closing the door behind them.

Laurie searched for Beth. “Aha, there she is. See, in the far right corner, hiding in the growth.”

 

[JayTee69gmx]

Phil was nervous, perspiring a little. But he zoomed out max, and shot a wide angle which he hoped would show the effective disguise of the ambush predator. The shutter sound was louder than he expected, and he quickly changed to the muted setting. Slower response, but less likely to upset the snake. Could snakes hear? He didn't know.

Laurie was competent, professional in her bearing, and this added a level of attraction that caught Phil by surprise. He snapped a few zoomed in on her face, to add to his growing portfolio, which was becoming a comprehensive study of her moods.

Even in the zookeeper uniform she had an aura that attracted him. Indefinable. He could not say what made it work, but somehow the gestalt captured him in a way he had never felt before.

As they slowly approached the snake Phil took close zooms from the same perspective as the wide angle. He imagined a 'Where is Waldo' kind of poster with the close up as an inset, and children trying to find the snake in the large photograph.

 

[pipper]

Laurie walked up beside Phil, and softly said, “The zoo is paying you to take photos of the snake, not of me. If someone sees you, they may think it’s a model shoot in disguise.”

Laurie kept a close eye on Beth, watching for any signs of her going into defense mode. Sensing there was none at the moment, she touched Phil’s arm. “Just back up a little for me, please.”

Then she pulled a mini tape recorder out of a pocket, and slowly lowered towards the ground, and turned it on. “It’s a recording of a rat moving through grass. Let’s see if it grabs her attention.”

It didn’t take long for the snake to pop her head up out of her hideaway.

 

[JayTee69gmx]

Phil had his answer about snakes (or at least this snake) being able to hear. The head came forward, and turned to the direction of the sound. Phil shot several times, both wide and close up using the zoom. And happy he was also recording RAW files, the lighting in the enclosure was heavily dappled, like a rainforest would be, he thought. Very tough to get all the detail in a jpg.

Then he framed a series of partial views, some of which included the snake, some of which did not, but could form the basis of a 'which photo has a snake in it' poster. A little easier now the head had popped into view.

'Should have brought a red apple as a prop' he mused, imagining Laurie standing by the snake proffering the viewer an apple. Is that what Laurie had been doing? Somehow spurred by the reptiles she loved, offering him an apple? In very small bites? What really was the allegory behind the story? Did she even realize what she had been doing? Obviously she knew the surface effects, teasing him relentlessly, but . . .

He made a mental note to shoot Laurie in her zookeeper's uniform offering a red apple to to lens on blue colorkey background so he could lay it onto one of the photos of the snake. Or even better, naked.

 

[pipper]

Though the shoot was off to a good start, Laurie knew it had to be better. The thing that was proving difficult was getting the snake to come completely into view. It seemed as if Beth didn’t want to move anymore until she actually saw the rodent that was making the noise.

Snakes were always fed out of view of the public in a separate area, and not allowed back in their own enclosures until the ‘bulge’ had disappeared. Laurie had to come up with something.

Picking up three small stones, she told Phil, “I’m hoping these get her to open her mouth while hissing, under the pretence, that she feels threatened. It’s a trick we use, to get a snake use to being in a forest environment."

Then Laurie tossed the stones in an area near the snake, but not at her, less she gets injured. Sure enough, Beth made it known she was in defence mode. “She’s just telling anything that’s near her, that she is there. She won’t move unless she’s close to being physically attacked.”

 

[JayTee69gmx]

Setting burst mode as Laurie was preparing to toss the stones allowed the camera to fire several times and caught the moment as the snake's mouth opened to hiss. On review though, all but one were somewhat blurry. Phil reset the ASA much higher, and grabbed a few wide angle shots because the color balance would be slightly different, and he still had im mind the 'find Waldo' style of poster for the zoo to use. The character of the animal had to be evident in the photographs, and ambush hunter was what he wanted to convey.

Still, a full view of the snake was needed to gain an appreciation of the size of the animal.

"Laurie, if you can figure a way, I'd like to get some shots of her whole body.'

Truth was it wasnt Beth's body he wanted to photograph, but Laurie's. He liked being close to her, and working with her.

 

[pipper]

“This is going to be tricky,” Laurie said as she slowly moved towards the undergrowth. “I don’t want her to go back into hiding.”

Her time with Oscar had taught her many things, but just because a certain thing was successful with Oscar didn’t mean it would work with Beth. Though the snake was missing its fangs didn’t mean she couldn’t inflict injury.

Time seemed to stand still as Laurie didn’t dare move her eyes off of the snake. Her feet were near the snake’s tail, but no one in their right mind would grab that as the snake could whip its head around so fast. No, Laurie went for the best option. Like lighting she grabbed the snake just behind its head, and then its tail.

Picking Beth up, Laurie gingerly walked out into a clearing and placed Beth back down on the ground, and stepped away. “Get your shots, before she goes back and hides, but if she approaches you, slowly back up, and leave me to deal with her!”

 

[JayTee69gmx]

Even muffled, the shutter sounded clearly in the morning quiet. But so far the snake was ignoring him. Phil managed to catch a few with her tongue out, and also some full body shots. The perspective was wrong though. What did the snake look like from a rat's point of view?

Phil laid down flat on his belly, and shot through the grass at the snake. The shutter made a whispering almost rustling sound. As he hoped the snake turned and looked at the camera, scenting the air with its tongue. The long body sinuously tapered at an angle back across the frame. What a shot! Phil flipped to the review mode and made some quick checks of depth of field. The eyes looked sharp but foreground and background were a bit too soft, so he slowed down the shutter, and stopped down the lens. As long as the snake stayed still, it wouldn't blur. He pressed the shutter in burst mode, rapidly firing seven frames. The shutter made a continuous rustling sound.

 

[pipper]

Laurie watched as Phil took image after image of the snake.

“I think she’s watching you, wondering if you mean to attack her,” she softly said. “Just don’t make any sudden moves.”

Beth flicked her tongue in the air, just before she slithered back into the undergrowth. “That’s it for now, Phil. Let’s leave her to herself, before school parties arrive and the kids tap of the glass in the hope of getting her to reveal herself.”

 

[JayTee69gmx]

Phil turned and walked slowly to the small door they had entered through, trusting Laurie would protect him if the snake decided to attack. Less likely he thought if the snake saw him retreating. Still the hairs on the back of his neck tingled.

Once safe in the passageway, he reviewed his shots methodically. If any had to be redone, this was the time. The few of Laurie he flagged and moved to a different folder. One or two of them would add width to her model's portfolio. Though she kept dismissing the idea, he was convinced she could do well. Which he fully expected would be evident later when they did the beachwear shot for the store flyer.

"OK, I have what I need. We are a bit earlier than I expected. Can you give me a tour of the zoo before the gates open? I'd have not been here for years."

 

[pipper]

Sure! Just follow me,” Laurie exclaimed, hoping to use the extra time to calm her down. She was still a bit nervous about the shoot later that day.

As they strolled along, with her pointing out all the different reptiles, Laurie noticed Dave Turner approaching. Oh no! Not him! He was one of the keepers, and the only one she loathed to be around.

“Laurie! Fancy meeting you here; I see that Oscar hasn’t eaten you, yet!”

She cringed.

“Have you carried out that penalty for losing our bet?”

“No, I haven’t, and…” She was lost for words. “Oh, this is Phil, he’s been commissioned to take photos of the snakes here,” she said, hoping to deflect the subject.

 

[JayTee69gmx]

Phil walked along with Laurie as she showed him various other snakes, some turtles, a sleepy crocodile, and a few glass cages with lizards in a natural looking habitat. It was warm in the reptile house. Or was he just feeling warm being with her, learning her interests in them. It was nice spending time with her.

Then a man approached, dressed in the zoo keeper uniform. He greeted Laurie and teased her about some bet she lost. Introduced, Phil held out his hand and the other man took it, saying "Dave."

The man squeezed firmly and released, but kept his eyes on Laurie. 'Can't really blame him' thought Phil. Even the zoo outfit couldn't detract from her fit young figure. Penalty for losing a bet? Wonder what that could be. Phil didn't press the matter, but waited quietly to see what would transpire.

 

[pipper]

“Well,” said Turner. “With all the delays, I think, that with interest, he’s up to your knees at the present time. Maybe Phil, here could take the photos.”

Poor Laurie couldn’t believe what was occurring. She just wanted to leave. “I’ll think about it, okay?”

“Whatever, but the more you delay, the more of you goes in. Just remember that!”

Laurie turned her back on Turner. “Come on Phil, let’s getting something to eat on the way to our next gig.”

Once she had told the head keeper they were finished, and on their way to Phil’s car, Laurie said, “You wouldn’t know how to manipulate a photo would you?”

 

[JayTee69gmx]

"All photos are manipulated to some extent. Cameras have internal software, and photographers edit with programs like Photoshop. But I think you mean to make a photograph appear to show something that did not happen."

Phil stopped for a moment as he opened the trunk, having unlocked the car doors with his fob. She looked upset, or annoyed, but surely not with him, it must be something to do with whatever Dave Turner had said to her. He packed his gear and got in the car, doing up his belt. Heard the click as she latched hers, and started off toward the pub that they had lunch at before.

"Well, tell me what you are thinking about, and maybe I can figure a way to get the um 'effect' you are looking for."

 

[pipper]

Poor Laurie didn’t know what to say. If only Turner had kept his mouth shut! There was no way to get around it…so, “Turner knows I’m looking after Oscar, and what the snake did in the club.”

She took in a deep breath. “I made a stupid bet with that idiot, which makes me one as one, now. Needless to say, I lost, and the original penalty was for me to have only my feet just inside Oscar’s mouth. But, I kept putting it off, in the hopes of Turner forgetting. Besides, the last thing I needed was to remind Oscar of his past…though sometimes he has that look in his eyes.

“But…each time Turner saw me, he increased the penalty, and now my knees have to be in Oscar’s mouth, with means my feet and most of my shins inside his throat. So, to get Turner off my back, I was wondering if could take some photos of me lying down, than some of Oscar with his mouth open, and somehow combine the both.”

What a mess! Laurie became teary eyed, and quickly extracted a tissue from her jacket.

 

[JayTee69gmx]

"Well I am curious what the original bet was, of course."

Phil extended his arm across her shoulders and gave her a small hug, as best can be for a driver and a passenger in bucket seats.

"Don't worry, we will come up with something. Just have to be careful of the lighting, the rest is pretty easy. But there is one thing, to swalliow your legs, doesn't the snake have to unhinge its jaw?"

Phil gave her shoulder one more small squeeze and returned his hand to the steering wheel.

"I remember the zoo made up an ersatz arm for Oscar to try to swallow. Maybe we could make up something similar, but roughly the size of your calves and knees? Then I could photograph that, then do a shot of you with the same lighting in the right position, but with Oscar back in his enclosure. Really the main trick is to get the snake to open his mouth wide enough to look like he could have your legs in him."

Phil's mind though was on how nice it had felt to have his hand on her shoulder re-assuring her.

 

[pipper]

Laurie didn’t respond to Phil’s curiosity about the bet, itself. It had been made in the spur of the moment, and now regretted it.

The hug he gave her did let her know that he was there for her, through thick and thin times. “Yes, Oscar probably will have to unhinge his jaw, but not to the fullest extent; just enough to get the shins in his mouth. As for the knees, they’re just following the shins.”

Then Phil mentioned the ersatz arm, with the hopes of making one in the shape of her lower legs.

“That’s going to be difficult. The zoo has no plans to make one for the legs. After all, the arm one was made with meat and with no smell of meat, Oscar won’t even try to swallow it.”

Laurie sighed as she looked at Phil. “Unless we can come up with something, it’s looking more likely that my legs may have to go into his mouth and through his throat.”

 

[JayTee69gmx]

"Well I am sure we can come up with something. A while back we met someone one night, I had the impression the woman might have worked at a club like the one where Oscar was. Do they still have a snake that swallows . . . a person there?"

Phil thought that it had been some kind of strip club where part of the act was a snake swallowing (or partly swallowing) a naked woman.

"How specific was your forfeit? Does it have to be Oscar? If I got a photo of someone else being swallowed by another snake, I might be able to insert a photo of you, if I took one with similar lighting."

They were at the pub, and Phil turned in and parked in the lot. Like the last time there were a few stares, older guy with beautiful young woman kind of stares. Phil enjoyed them, they could think what they wanted as far as he was concerned. He really did not care what anyone thought about him spending time with her.

As they walked in he let her precede him through the door. He never got tired of that view.

 

[pipper]

Laurie entered the pub, having remained silent while trying to work out in her mind, if Phil’s idea could possibly work. She quickly headed for a vacant table. A look of surrender came across her face as she sat.

“No, it has to be Oscar, and we can’t use Bella. I don’t, nor does the zoo, want her to visit him.” Laurie sighed. “What a mess. I really could do with a gin and tonic right now, but turning up at the shoot with alcohol on my breath, would give them reason to send me packing. I best have a coke and a salad.”

Then she got out her phone. “I’ll call the zoo, and see if they intend to feed Oscar with another ersatz. I’m sure by now he’s starting to get hungry again. Maybe I can convince them to make one in the form of legs, as they would be larger for him to swallow.”

 

[JayTee69gmx]

"Arm was the first test, now move on to something more representative of what he was doing at the club? It does not have to look like legs, just have the same width and thickness to get his jaw to distend the same as it would if the dancer's legs were being swallowed. Should help them determine if it was the size that bothered him, or something else."

Phil ordered for them, two cokes, salad for her and a same for him, with grilled chicken. The waitress gave him an odd smile, almost conspiratorial. Most of the other people in the pub had given up trying to guess their relationship. Her naturally blonde hair made it unlikely she was closely related to him, but nowadays, who knows?

"I do a good gin and tonic Laurie, let's celebrate after the photo shoot, back at my place. We will have the place to ourselves. Did your parents go away this weekend, as usual?"

"It would be nice to relax a bit after such a long day."