Working With Katie - A Cold Day... for California

Lines to Her Heart

Katie

I found Katie’s ad on Craigslist. It read, “Eager nude model. I am an experienced model specializing in artistic nude and fetish modeling. I am a 20 yr old starving college student at Cal. I love modeling and you love taking photos. Lets meet. Email - .......”

There was something about her direct ad that intrigued me. I wrote to Katie and sent a few of my photos from my portfolio that showed what I was looking for in a photo shoot. I listed some possible dates and the location of a studio I was going rent for a day.

In an hour I had a response back. It had links to a couple of photographers’ sites featuring her, and some questions. I looked at her work and was wondering about her short ad. Her photos were amazing (I give great credit to the photographers too) and she obviously either had lots of experience, was directed very well, had an innate ability to model or all three. Her questions asked for more details about my ideas for the shoot and what I wanted. After seeing her photos, I changed my mind about what I wanted.

Katie has beautiful creamy Irish skin and light blonde/red hair. I knew I wanted to experiment with contrast since her skin is so light. I wrote to her that I would be using dark backgrounds with her well lit by angular lights, creating harsh shadows. She was wrote back and said she was all for it. She also wrote, “ I have a natural look.. I don’t shave down there or my armpits.” Since I had seen that in her other photos, I knew it and looked forward to working with someone with a unique look.

The night before we were to meet, she called me and wanted to meet at a coffee shop, plan out the shoot, and then head to the studio. I think she also wanted to see if I was a psycho. I got my camera gear ready to go.

On Saturday morning, I woke up to a sunny November day. The light was angular and beautiful. On the way to Berkeley to meet Katie at Jump’n Java Coffee House, my cell phone rang. I listened to the other person for a minute, swore, apologized, they apologized, and then said “goodbye.” The studio manager had called to cancel because he had double-booked the studio and even though I had booked it first, the other photographer was already there and was going to use it all day compared to my two hours. “Fuck.” was my response. I told him I was heading to meet the model and this was rude to her and me. I also told him I would have to pay her something since she held up her end. He offered me to use the studio in a month for half cost as an apology. I thought about it and decided to accept it. By this time I was trying to find parking on the street by the coffee shop..

I pulled up to the coffee shop and walked in with my notebook, portfolio, and a sad face. A few minutes later a beautiful blonde sped by in her car, found a parking spot and came rushing over. She was only a minute late, yet apologized. We went in and got some hot beverages. As we sat down, I finally was calm enough to tell her about the studio. I told her I would pay her for an hour and would want to book with her again.

Katie was silent for almost a minute. She smiled and looked me in the eyes and said, “Graveyard or nature.” I looked puzzled at her. “I’ve worked at two places near here, an old graveyard and a natural, secluded park.”

I didn’t want to work in a graveyard on a sunny day, so I decided on the park. I looked at the sun. It was 11am and the sun was directly overhead. I looked at her and really wanted to photograph because there was something so alluring about her and I wanted her then (in both an artistic sense and a carnal way, but I kept my to my ethics.)

She said, “Follow me.” We got in our cars and I kept up. We drove up to the hills outside of Berkeley and she pulled off onto the side of the road in the middle of no where. She helped me with my camera, tripod, and other gear. I left my Hasselblad and big gear in favor of my Nikon and all of my Ilford 125 and 100 since it was so bright.

We walked up a trail that had grown over with grass and were about 40 yards in when she said, “We’re here.” I looked around. We were just a minute from the road yet so secluded. I realized how cold it was and asked, “It is only 50 degrees out. Are you sure?” She looked at me and started undressing. I was really aroused both artistically and sexually. I come from a cold place (Montana), so it is a part of my core-being. I later learned she was from Minnesota and knew what cold was as well. We both liked it.

We would shoot a roll of 36, then she would put on her sweats to warm up or go lay in the sun. Hell, I was cold, but she truly stepped-up and worked hard. We worked under the shade trees, in the direct overhead sun, and in dappled settings. Her body was so sensual laying along the logs, stretched out. Sometimes I would just stare for a minute, then get back to shooting. I needed that time to truly soak in her beauty and figure out how to capture it better.

For her part, Katie listened to my ideas and helped me evolve them into something better than either of us had thought of. I was amazed with our synergy to create things. It is a rare gift to click with a model and feel like "one" artist trying to create beauty.

Our photos were very artistic, yet erotic. After an hour, I had to get more film from my car. Katie sat on a log and laid back, watching me walk away. As I walked back a few minutes, her eyes were closed and she was slowly massaging her breasts. I think she was doing more than trying to keep warm. She heard me, stopped for a few seconds and then slowly continued doing it.

We shot another couple of rolls with me trying to keep my mind on art, not on my desires. After about an hour and forty-five minutes, I was about worn out and she was too. I watched her get dressed as I packed up my gear. It is so sexy to watch a woman dress, whether we had just made love, or she was getting ready to start her day, or she is a model at the end of the shoot.

We walked to the car. I gave her an envelope with the cash for the two hours, plus a little extra for finding a great location. I also gave her my card. She took them and smiled, gave me a big hug, and I felt the body I had just seen naked for almost two hours.

I rushed home, took a hot shower and relived the experience how my id had wanted it to go. Later that evening, with a glass of red wine, I went into the darkroom to develop film. I was very pleased with the shots.

I never got to work with her again. Katie transferred to UCLA the next semester. I sent her some prints and she liked what we had created. I am very thankful for the time we shared. I still get excited, aroused, and filled with ideas for photo shoots when I look at our contact sheets and prints. I think Katie was as close to a muse as I have ever had.