I've been an amateur photographer for years and with the purchase of a digital camera I got serious taking photos of everything from scenic shots to folks in their everyday lives. So when the local merchants club asked if I would do photos for Santa and they would pay for the supplies and a bit towards my time, I jumped at the chance. They allowed me to hand out my card and offer packages as long as the first photo was free. It was a great way to break into the "Professional" world of photography and with Santa as a draw it was sure to get my name out there.
The merchants had set up in one of the open store fronts "Santa's Workshop" decorated with presents, toys and a big chair, roped lines and advertising for all the merchants helping to bring Santa to the kids.
"Santa", aka Steve, is a great guy who volunteered every year to play Santa, barrel chested and jolly his formerly red beard had turned white about the time he turned 50, so the last couple of years and he no longer had to wear the fake one, he just started growing it out the first of August and by the end of November he had a respectable Santa beard. The other plus with brining in Steve was that Laura came with him, "Mrs. Clause" was 10 years his junior and every bit as much into Christmas as her husband, her red dress trimmed in white fur and green needle point was perfect for the part, even if it did cover her curves. Along with Steve's 20 year old daughter, from a previous marriage, dressed in an elf suit that might have fit a couple of years ago, but her bust was "busting" out at the seams.
I've been friends with the "Clauses" for a number of years, not close, but we know each other since our daughters had graduated High School together. Ginger was perfect as an elf; with her fathers red hair and a bubbly attitude the kids just loved being near her as she kept them in line and not mobbing Santa & Mrs. Clause. Her job was to keep them in line than bring them to Santa one at a time or as a family, when it was their turn, help them onto his lap while I took photos. Then when the big guy was done talking with them, Mrs. Clause would help them down give them a candy cane and bring them back to "Mommy". Pretty standard, bored to tears, Santa's workshop stuff. After two hours I was doing anything to keep from being board to death, I had started with tripod shots them gave that up so I could be a bit more artistic.
At eleven thirty we took a break, the four of us headed towards the backroom of the store we were in for a bite of lunch and to relax a bit. As soon as we were out of sight Santa's Jacket came off, his undershirt was soaked with sweat, working under the photo lights is hot work and the felt of their suits was just a bit on the warm side. "Great Dad!" his daughter Ginger moaned, "at least you get to cool off."
"Hey you volunteered," Santa Steve smiled at her, "besides we are all adults; remove what you want to cool off."
Mrs. Clause was already ahead of him the costume buttoned down her left side and she opened it up for air flow down about to the middle of her chest as it opened it exposed the strap of her white bra and the top of her breasts. "I hope you don't mind it Mitch, it is hot in here," she smiled at me as she grabbed a drink from the fridge.
"Don't mind me," I laughed, "I'm just the camera guy and I know it is hot under that many lights and wrangling that many kids."
Ginger undid the top couple of buttons of the green felt jacket, it parted as her lil' red bra and trapped breasts tried to escape. "If I do this next year I'll need a new top." Her green tights were just as tight but it showed her cute little ass off.
We opened up the back door and let the cold air blow across us cooling the Clauses down for the next session. A quick bite and we readied for the lunch rush, bathroom trip a couple of quick cigarettes, suits back on and we were back into Santa's world. I give them credit the Clause family kept smiles on their faces and the kids loved them. It is amazing how many kids there are in a small town, with a population of 5000, it felt like 4000 were kids, all wanting to see Santa. By three o'clock we were all ready for a break, I had filled two cards and sent them next door were the print shop was printing them as 8x10s and handing them out to the parents, along with my card and a package price list to order more.
This time there was no question, as soon as we hit the door Santa's Jacket was off, Laura pealed her dress down around her shoulders exposing both bra cups and a trim figure for a woman in her age group. Ginger opened the jacket all the way and flapped the tails to move air; her pale freckled skin was flush and glistening with sweat like her step-mother. I walked to the backdoor with my camera in hand, changing out the card, the afternoon had cooled but air was the main thing we all needed. I walked the card over to the print shop and cam back down the alley. As I stepped back into site I brought my camera up and push the auto shutter button, 3 photos a second. There sat Santa, big boots, red pants and hat in his white wife beater tee shirt, Mrs. Clause her red dress down around her waist her white hair and white bra shown like the snow at their feet, cigarette dangling from her lip. To their left a cute red headed elf talked on her cell phone, her jacket over her arm and her red bra bright against her pale skin, it was the photo op if the year. Steve looked up at the sound the looked around at the girls and laughed "That is quite a photo I'll bet."
The girls quickly covered up, and I apologized, "Sorry, it was just a fantastic shot, but no one but you gets to see it, I promise." I showed them what I had taken and even offered to delete them right then.
Santa Steve chuckled, "No, we have a couple of friends that those would make fun Christmas Cards for."
Laura gave me a warm pat on the back, "But please be careful with them." And Ginger just gave me the funniest little smile.
I traded cards again in the Camera, "Don't want these to end up at the print shop," I joked and we headed back to finish the night's work.
Two hours later we called it a night, next Saturday night we would do it again. Three Saturdays in a row was the agreement. I was sure there could not be that many kids in the county. Steve confirmed that it would slow down each week and that by the third weekend we would wonder why we even came. "Happens every year, but they want us here to keep a couple people from leaving town to go shopping." Big Steve shook my hand as we headed out the door, "See you next week!" both girls squeezed my hand and off they went.
I gathered my equipment and collected the cards from the print shop, then headed home to download the cards and set up my web site for viewing and orders. When work was done I sat back grabbed a beer and pulled the "special disk" out and downloaded it to my personal computer, the shots were incredible. Sexy and funny, they would make an incredible Christmas Card.
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By the time Saturday rolled around I was real excited to get back to work, I had over $3000 in orders processed and another $1000 worth to finish. Plus I had taken a couple of the "Santa's Secret" photos as I started calling them and turned them into a half dozen Christmas Cards for the Clause family.
"These are perfect!" Steve announced as I showed the cards to him and the girls, "can I order a dozen more?"
"They are pretty funny," Laura agreed "if I didn't know it was me I'd send them to everyone we know," her cheeks did have a bit of a pink shade to them, but she seemed to like them.
Ginger studied them and declared "Much better than any we've had done in the past, they capture the real family behind the suits." She giggled and handed them back to me.
"So" Santa Steve asked, "how much for a dozen cards?"
"For you guys, nothing." It was the least I could do, they were making me money already on the regular photos.
Our second Saturday was busy but nothing like the first, we actually had time to take more breaks when the line would run out, the upside was that we had more time to get to know one another, the down side was that less time under the lights meant less clothing removed during the breaks. They were much more comfortable around me and I took quite a few photos backstage if you will, a bra strap showing, perhaps a cup. Ginger still had the tight top on but wore a cute little skirt trimmed in red, green panties and her shapely legs flowed into a pair of elf shoes that curled back and had bells hanging from the toes. Every time she bent over to help one of the children she gave her photographer a nice view. Topped off with a cute green Santa style hat, she had it all. I took about half the photos I took the week before, but that was still a huge number, some of the kids were repeats, Grandmothers not happy with Mom's choice were back for more.
Every time I could put it in the conversation I moved it towards the "Santa's Secret" photos, how terrific they were. Joked about distributing them nation wide, the more I joked about it the more I saw the wheels in Steve's head working. By the time we were done for the day, he asked "So you really think you could make some money with that photo?"
"If you three will sign modeling releases, I can see if there is an interest," I answered cautiously. "I know a couple guys I could run them by for next year, but I told you I wouldn't show them to anyone but you."
"Check into it" he said, "we'll talk about it next week." They headed out the back door as I went to lockup and gather my equipment.
"Mitch?" I was turning the lights off when I heard Gingers voice from the back room.
"In here Hon' just finishing up, what do you need?"
