The Photo shop
by Candyman666©
Chapter 7 : Nancy and Grace
After a few weeks, I started wondering if and when I would hear something from Nancy and the potential birthday gift for her mother Grace.
Then on a beautiful sunny Thursday, the shop doorbell chimed. Making my way from the computer room to the shop, I was pleasantly surprised to see Nancy, the beautiful young mother who gave me, a while ago, the treat of a lifetime; wholesome mother's milk, straight from its most beautiful natural source. She was accompanied by a more mature woman, who I presumed was her mother Grace.
"Hello Nancy, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
"Hello again, I am here to follow up on your suggestion, but first, allow me to introduce my mother Grace."
"Hello Grace, nice to finally meet you after everything your daughter told me about you."
"Oh I hope she didn't divulge any of my secrets or told you what a bad mother I am," Grace replied with a smile.
"No...no absolutely not, on the contrary, Nancy was singing your praises, but she didn't tell me how beautiful her mother looked."
"Flattery will get you anywhere...Lew was it?"
"Yes indeed, Lew, the village photographer, and did Nancy tell you why she brought you here?"
"Not really, she mentioned that I should check out your shop and that she had a very nice time with you, taking photos of her and the baby."
"Ah Nancy, did you bring your mother here under false pretenses then?"
"No Lew, but I am not sure if I would've been able to convince her to accompany me if I had divulged my dark motives."
"Dark motives, God girl what are you scheming for me now?"
"Well mom, I think it is high time you had some decent photos taken, and as your birthday is coming up and you never can find anything for me to buy you, Lew suggested a portrait photo session. That's why I brought you here today, to have your picture taken."
"Absolutely not Nancy, I look a fright."
"Hey mom I told you to wear a nice frock, and you did, and you absolutely don't look a fright you are gorgeous and you know it, you just don't project it the way you could."
"I must absolutely agree with your daughter Grace; you do look stunning, in fact remarkable for a lady of your age."
"What, you told this man how old I am?"
"Yes mom I did, and I even showed him one of the rare photos I have of you; he was immediately enthusiastic to get you in front of his lens."
"Absolutely, I would really appreciate it if you would do me the honor of posing for me, and don't let your age influence you for one second, you look more than ten years younger than the age your daughter told me."
"You are just saying that to convince me to do what my daughter wants me to do."
"No Grace, I mean it, you have a natural beauty, which, by the way, you've passed on to your daughter I had the pleasure of photographing a few weeks ago."
"Come on mom, go for it, how long has it been since you had decent photos taken? And Lew might pleasantly surprise you with his unique photo techniques."
"Alright, what's the worst that could happen? That I look like an old hag in the pictures?"
"No way Grace, I will make sure of that! Oh, by the way where is baby Emilia?"
"She is with her great aunt," Nancy replied, "my mother's older sister and Emelia's godmother. She is also the one that named her."
"Lew, my mom is in no hurry." Nancy said, with a sideways wink.
"Come on Nancy, I don't want to take up Lew's whole afternoon. Half an hour should more than suffice to take a few pictures."
"Dear Grace, let me, as the professional, be the judge of that. We will take as long as it takes to bring out the best in you, although I doubt that will be very difficult, you being absolutely gorgeous."
"Lew stop with these compliments; if you keep it up I'll start to believe you."
"OK mom I'll see you in few hours. Lew will give me a call when he's done and I can collect you."
"Jeez Nancy, you make me sound like I'm a kid you need to pick up from school."
"No mom, more like a kid that came to play with a friend."
On those words Nancy quickly exited the shop and left her mother, a bit lost for words, in my care.
"Excellent, let's go to the studio!"
When Grace entered the studio I heard a sharp intake of breath.
"Oh my, I had no idea you had such a big studio back here, it doesn't show from the street at all."
"Yes, if you want to take good pictures, having space is of the utmost importance, lots of space. I don't want to be in your lap while I'm taking pictures. You wouldn't feel comfortable and that would result in forced expressions, absolutely no good, so I try to keep a distance between me and the model. I want the person I photograph to feel relaxed as if they are sort of on their own. OK let's get you started in a garden setting."
I pulled down a background with a spectacular yet intimate garden view, moved a garden bench in front of it, and enhanced the natural light coming through the roof, with some artificial daylight.
"Please take a seat and try to pretend you're sitting in your own garden. I'll even make it a bit more real with bird song, creating a real garden atmosphere."
"Oh my, I thought I would have to stand in different poses, I never imagined I would be sitting in a garden."
I saw that Grace started to relax as she took a fairly natural pose, just like she would be sitting in a real garden or in a park enjoying the scenery.
"Just look to the side Grace, don't look at me, at least not yet, I'll tell you when to shift and look into a different direction."
I started to snap away, moving around the studio at quite a distance from Grace. After a while she didn't even notice I was there anymore, listening to the sounds and watching some footage of a real park I had projected on the opposite wall.
"OK Grace, now please stand behind the bench."
After some more shots I suggested we change the scenery to something entirely different. I replaced the garden view with one of a den, with bookcases filled with colorful books and an open fire, in front of which, I installed an old leather easy chair, a little side table and a floor lamp. Handing her a book, I asked her to pretend reading it. Grace was really getting into this; she was like an actress and played her part to perfection.
We were now about thirty to forty-five minutes into the session and had exchanged some pleasantries, some of them even of a slightly sexual nature, so I thought the time was ripe to see if I could get her to disrobe for me. I changed the scenery to an old fashioned living room with a chaise longue.
"Grace, I am not sure if Nancy told you that I specialize in a more specific type of photos, bringing out the natural beauty of the model I am photographing?"
"She told me that you took pictures of her and the baby in a rather unclothed state, yes."
"Would you be willing to do something similar?"
"Come on Lew, at my age?"
"What's your age got to do with it?"
"Lew really, I am fifty-two, well over the hill!"
"Allow me to completely disagree, you are a gorgeous woman in your prime and I have no idea what hill you are referring to. Apart from the fact that you absolutely don't look like a fifty-two year old woman, unclothed photos of a more mature lady can look stunning. Tell me, have you ever done that before, pose in the nude?"
"Oh we are at complete nudity already, are we?"
"As a matter of fact we are yes, but I beg you please answer my question."