Kendal snorted.
“Yeah, that’s what the jerk thought, too, so I decided to take him down a notch. I told him I was expanding my harem, and any girl who wanted to get my attention could sit on my lap.”
“You ‘stupid boy.’ How many girls have sat in your lap so far?” Mom asked.
“Heck, Mom, I think there’ve been like 30 or 40 girls, one guy and three lesbians. Oh, I almost forgot, and one teacher.”
I think Mom had a migraine because she ignored me for the rest of the trip. Kendal was amused but was smart enough to keep her mouth shut. The rest of the trip was uneventful. I really didn’t want to explain the teacher or the guy.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND his wife were happy when we showed up early. Jeff and Emily explained that most models were usually at least 30 minutes late. They set my mom and Kendal up at a table in the back of the studio. Jeff talked to them about what would happen as we worked.
Emily took me to the side of the studio where there was a silk screen for changing. If anyone wanted to, they could easily see me when I changed.
“Jeff, come here!” Emily exclaimed.
He rushed over. She had my suit out and my other outfits hung on a movable rack. They whispered to each other as they went through my clothes. When he was done, he turned to me.
“I take it these were all made for you?”
I nodded.
“How long ago?”
“Couple of weeks ago,” I answered.
He gave me a tight smile and left me with Emily. She had me strip down to my underwear. She saw my bruises and just clicked her tongue. She got out her razor and shaved my chest hair. I was bummed because I was proud I actually had some. She then shaved my armpits and cleaned up my neck. Then she looked me in the eye.
“Strip.”
I thought about it for a few seconds and realized that being shy wouldn’t work if I was to be a model. I dropped my shorts. Emily examined me like she was a doctor.
“Shaved or trimmed?”
It took me a moment to register what she was talking about. I decided I didn’t need to be shaved the next time I went into the locker room.
“Trimmed,” I answered.
She trimmed my pubes, and then to my horror, she shaved my balls and around the base of my member.
“Put on this robe. I need Jeff to look at you before we do your makeup,” she said when she was done.
Emily got Jeff, and when they came back, Mom and Kendal were in tow. They made a semicircle around me, and Jeff asked for my robe.
“Robe, please.”
This was the first time I felt embarrassed. No teenage boy wants his mother to see him naked, but I took the robe off. Jeff and Emily started to talk about the different makeups that would cover my bruises and work with my skin tones. He had me turn around so he could view my back. He told her to do my nails and trim my eyebrows. They decided I would start in the suit and other full outfits. Then I would switch to underwear, and they would do full-body makeup at that point.
My mom gave Kendal a hip-check; the two women were chuckling, and Kendal blushed. I guessed Mom had caught her staring a little too hard. Speaking of hard, I was surprised that Mr. Happy didn’t come out to play. I think it was because I was on display to my mom. Jeff let me put my robe back on, and Emily handed me my underwear. She had me go to one of the makeup tables.
Makeup and hair was boring, but Emily took the time to explain what all she was doing. When she was done with the makeup, she did my hair. It just needed to be arranged correctly. She then put a paper collar on my neck so I wouldn’t mess up the makeup when I got dressed. When Emily said I was ready, Jeff had me stand in front of a blue screen. He explained that they would put in the background later.
He took a light reading and took a test shot. He plugged the camera into a PC, and my picture came up on a sixty-inch monitor. The high-definition shot and large monitor showed everything. Jeff and Emily decided I needed some touch-ups, and when Emily was done, he took another test shot.
Once everything was set, Jeff turned on the music and had me pose. It was harder than it sounded, but Jeff was patient with me. He helped me get everything to his liking. They had me make several clothing changes. By the fourth one, Emily would just bring out the clothes, and I changed on the spot. I was starting to have fun when there was a commotion in the back of the room. With the lights in my eyes, I couldn’t see what was going on.
I began to perspire because the lights were hot. Jeff called a break to help cool off the set. Emily had me strip down to my underwear and dried me off. She did my body makeup and gave me a pair of black, skimpy underwear to put on. I took several shots, and Jeff declared we were done. I put my robe back on and went to find my mom and Kendal. While we were shooting, lunch had been brought in; that had been the commotion. I was disappointed to see it was all rabbit food. I made myself a salad, got an iced tea, and joined everyone at the table.
“So, what do you think of your first photo shoot?” Emily asked me.
“There’s a lot more to it than I’d thought. I want to thank you and Jeff for taking it easy on me. Can you give me any tips that’ll help me down the road?”
“Treat your body like a temple. I’d suggest you talk to a dietitian about what to eat. I’d also suggest that you go to a good health-food store and talk to them about natural supplements. I can see you already work out. Work with someone to sculpt your body. Don’t overdo it, though; muscle-bound isn’t selling right now,” Jeff said.
“No drinking, no drugs, show up ready to work, and get plenty of sleep. You also need to work on skin care. Whatever you’re using is drying out your skin. I have some soaps and creams that will help with that. Absolutely no tattoos, and never cut your hair without prior approval,” Emily ticked off her list.
“You have what it takes as far as looks. You seem like a nice guy, so I’m going to give you some tips that I don’t normally share. Never sign your photo release before the shoot. They’ll have a lawyer-type there, and he’ll tell you he has to leave. Don’t fall for that. Also, insist on seeing all the photos you’re releasing. If you see candid shots or nudity, make them delete them off both their camera and hard drive. Nude shots can ruin your career. Once you’re happy with the shots, then sign the release,” Jeff coached me.
“Don’t forget to be paid,” Emily quickly added. “If you’re at a shoot like today, make sure the check is ready before you sign the release. If you’re at a shoot for a big client that you have a contract with, let your agency handle you being paid.”
Kendal took notes on her tablet.
“Never go to a shoot alone. You need someone to act as your chaperone,” Emily added.
“This last tip will probably get me banned as a photographer: get the resale rights to your photos. The client will be able to use the photos in their ads. Later on, you’ll have control of them. There’s a lucrative market for selling your pictures later,” Jeff told me.
The other model was supposed to show up at 1 pm. When she hadn’t made an appearance by 1:10, Jeff took us over to the monitor and we went through each shot. He and Emily helped us pick out the ones to send to Ford, and made us a CD of all the pictures. He promised to have the finished 8” by 10” photos overnighted to Ford. He made an invoice for materials, and Kendal wrote him a check. She also signed the release, since I wasn’t eighteen yet.
At 1:45, the Ford model showed up with five other girls and her agent. I knew which one was the model because Emily had shown me her card. In the business, a ‘card’ was used to give clients quick details on the models. Her card had her picture on it, and said she was five-ten, with brown hair and brown eyes, and with measurements of 34B–24–34. The girls all saw me and came over to flirt. I looked over at Jeff, and he gave me subtle shake of the head to let me know not to play their games.
“Jeff, send me a text when you’re ready for me. We’re going to take a walk.”