Helen chases her dream
Click, click, click, click, the sound of the rapid fire shutter closing on the camera roused Helen from her day-dreamings as she lay on her sun lounger on the beach.
"What do you think you're doing?" she asked the man with the camera.
"Sorry, I just carried away with your beauty and figure, I couldn't help myself"
"If my husband had seen you taking photos of me in my bikini, I don't think he'd be very pleased."
"Well actually if that's your husband down by the edge of the sea, he suggested I come and talk to you. We've been chatting about my work as a photographer and talent scout for a modelling agency. He told me about your dream of one day becoming a model and with your looks and figure he reckons you would be perfect, so here I am, to talk to you. I can fully endorse his views of you so if you are interested in auditioning for me this is your chance to put yourself forward."
"Wow, do you really think I have what it takes to be a model?" she replied.
"Not too fast, honey" he said, it's alright looking stunning in a bikini but what will you look like with a full make over, different hairstyle and make up. Will you be able to pose to instructions and will the camera love you?"
"How will I know that?" she replied.
"That's where I come in" he said. "I can do you a professional photo shoot and provide you with a complete portfolio of pictures. I can then introduce you to different modelling agencies, and when you show them your portfolio, they should be able to get you loads of high end work.
My name is Len Ellis, known throughout the industry as Len the lens. If you're interested, here is my card with address of studio and my number. Everything is done properly, bring your husband or a chaperone along if you come for a photo shoot. Every meeting or shoot is recorded and an unedited copy is emailed to you immediately after the shoot so you know that everything that happens is all agreed work. It protects you and it protects me".
"Well Len I'm Helen, and my husband is Johnny and it's always been my dream to be a model so I'll talk to Johnny and maybe give you a ring later."
The following day, after she had convinced her husband to go with her, Helen had rung and made an appointment with Len for a photo shoot to start her portfolio to take her first steps to becoming a model.
On time, Helen and Johnny arrived for the photo shoot. Len had got them both to sign consent forms for the shoot before Helen retired to the small changing room. Len had told her to dress in whatever outfit she felt comfortable posing in first as being at ease would help to settle her nerves.
She had decided on a just above the knee skirt and silk multi coloured shirt that fitted closely to her chest, a typical Saturday night outfit that she knew she looked good in. Len had her posing every which way before announcing it was time for an office girl set, then a tomboy set with her in a football outfit, then a swimwear set.
Helen had been reluctant about the swimwear set but Len had simply pointed out that swimwear had to be modelled and these models got paid better rates than others. She had glanced across at Johnny who had been watching and listening intently. He gave her a nod to agree.
Two hours after starting out, Helen and Johnny were inspecting the first photographs in her new portfolio. The photographs were spectacularly good and showed Helen at her very best, smart, coquettishly shy in some, through to sexy in her swimwear set.
"I can hardly believe that's me" she said. "I'm sure I'll get modelling work with these Johnny"
"They are fantastic" her husband replied. "What happens next?"
"Well firstly you pay me for my work and then I'll begin showing your pictures around" Len told them. "For producing your portfolio this afternoon the cost will be Β£1500."
"Wow we weren't expecting it to be that much, we were thinking it would be about Β£200. We simply don't have that kind of money"
"That's my rates honey. I'm good and I get results." Len told her.
Before she had time to reply her mobile phone pinged with an incoming message. Glancing at her phone she realised it was an email from Len.
"That will be your copy of everything that was said or done at this afternoon's shoot." Len told her.
Johnny now spoke, "We are sorry Len but we can't afford that so what happens"
"Well I'm disappointed, but I'll try to sell some of the pictures to sports magazines for background shots from the swimwear set and we go our separate ways or the second option may be of interest to you. Once a week the local camera club rents my studio for the evening and occasionally they pay for a model to pose for a couple of hours. They pay top money for the better models"
Helen really wanted to own the portfolio to keep alive her dream of being a model. "How much do they pay and what does it involve?" she asked.
"I think they pay about Β£500 for a set like today but would probably mean topless shots. Up to Β£1000 for nude shots including posing with other nude models either men or women. For your first shoot you could only expect around half of that due to you being an unknown model.
And don't forget everything is recorded and sent to you after a few minutes so there won't be anything you don't agree to"
"I've dreamt of being a model from growing up and I suppose I half expected that if I reached that point in my career I'd have to do topless, but I couldn't do fully nude, I'm far too shy" Helen told Len whilst looking at Johnny. Johnny merely smiled and shrugged his shoulders.