The Photo Studio - 1

My parents were of English descent and had named me Lewis, but everyone calls me Lew in English and pronounce it as loe. My story begins when I was fired from the company where I had worked for 42 years due to a reorganization.

Until my 58th birthday I had been busy in the company, sometimes working days from 12 to 14 hours. I had a European job that allowed me to travel regularly all over Europe and sometimes even intercontinental.

During those travels I met people of all ages and genders, but to be honest, as a bachelor my main interest was women. Especially with my hobby as a photographer, which eventually led me to open my own photo studio in the village where I lived after my retirement.

The farewell premium I received allowed me to buy an existing building and build a serious photo studio behind it.

The little photo shop I bought had been around for years in the village and no one actually looked at it anymore. It had a small display window with a few analog and digital cameras neatly displayed around some typical photographs you would expect in such a small shop. Photos of pets, of first and solemn communions, some wedding photos and photos of local events

The man who kept the shop open was actually an antiquity himself. I estimated him somewhere in his eighties and indeed during the sale of the property I heard that he was 87, it was high time to retire, he happily told me.

However, before I tell you about my adventures in the photo studio, I want to tell you how my hobby of photographing all kinds of subjects evolved in a completely different direction when I was 28.

During a business trip in Italy, I met a very beautiful Italian girl.

Soon I learned that her name was Catharina. Maybe I should rather call her a young woman because she later turned out to be 18 years old, so completely legal.

She worked as a waitress in the restaurant of the hotel where I was staying.

After a hard day, with several difficult meetings with suppliers, I was totally exhausted, so decided to grab a quick bite to eat in the hotel restaurant rather than somewhere outside. Usually those hotel restaurants do not attract many guests because they are usually quite pricey and the food is usually not up to much.

The place was almost completely empty when I entered. I chose a table next to the window overlooking the hotel garden.

When I finally sat quietly, a very beautiful young woman approached me with a package of menus under her arm. She spoke to me in a sultry voice, as only Italian women can,

Buonasera sono Catherina tua cameriera questa sera.

Yes, there I was, I only knew a few words in Italian but I wanted to show that too.

Buonasera sono Lew e mi piacerebbe cenare, ma parlo molto poco italiano.

Do you speak English?

I asked.

Yes

she replied in almost perfect English, which is how our conversation continued.

I learned the language at school and I love to practice when I can

she gave me.

Do you dine alone sir?

After a positive answer from my side she said

I'll get you an English menu.

That would be very kind of you, Miss.

She disappeared but came back in a flash and gave me an English menu. After she asked me what I wanted to drink she gave me enough time to make a choice.

As a wine lover I asked,

Do you have an open bottle of red wine, one you can recommend, something local perhaps?

That was clearly the signal she needed to showcase her knowledge of the local wines.

We have an excellent red wine from a small vineyard near Rome, they produce exclusively for us. It has the right volume of tannin and can be drunk quite young.

Excellent, Catherine was it?

Yes sir at your service.You seem quite young to already know so much about wines and vineyards Catharina.

I am studying to become a sommelier sir.

Excellent then you are the perfect person to give me the best advice about the local wines.

We kind of started talking about her passion for wines and mine for photography.

I have to admit that I had secretly studied her a bit and what I saw had greatly fueled my interest in her. On a sudden inspiration I asked her if she had ever thought about becoming a fashion model, but I didn't get an immediate response.

Unlike many Italian women who dye themselves blonde, she had kept her natural black hair color. But not that blue-black, but rather a warm natural black. She wore it in a ponytail, most likely an obligation of the management given her position at the hotel.

She was quite tall for an Italian, I guessed between five and six feet, and like most young Italian women, she was slim, but with the right curves in the important places.

Pretty soon she confided in me that it was financially difficult to pay for her studies. Since her parents were not wealthy, she had several jobs to make ends meet.

And that's how I ended up here in the hotel as a waitress.

Yes I understand your problem, but if you will allow me, you are a very beautiful young woman

You flatter me sir

she said with a shy smile.

No, no, I'm serious, have you ever thought about a modeling career?

I didn't want to give up the idea of ​​photographing her so quickly.

Do you mean on the catwalk or photo shoots for booklets and the like?

That is indeed what I mean, you can make a lot of money in that sector in a short time.

Yes, I heard that, but then you first have to invest in a portfolio to send to agents and fashion houses, and I just don't have the money for that. And I don't think I'm pretty enough to make it in that world, if I had the courage to do it at all.

As an amateur photographer, allow me to completely disagree with you. I think you have what it takes to make it happen in that world, maybe I could help you with that.

I could never or dare to ask you that. I'm sure you're an honest, trustworthy man with a good mind, but I hardly know you at all.

You are 100 percent right Catherine, I could be a serial rapist or worse a murderer.

No, no, don't get me wrong, you look like a trustworthy person, but I've only just met you and you're a guest at the hotel.

That of course makes it very easy for you to look up my data in the register.

That's true though

You know what, I'm staying in Rome for the weekend because I have a bunch of meetings next week and I don't have anything planned for the weekend. In fact, I'm going to get bored to death on that weekend, because I've visited all the tourist sites a long time ago. You are from Rome, I bet you can show me places in the city that are completely unknown to the average tourist and absolutely worth discovering.

With the courage of desperation I asked Catharina

If you are free would you like to be my guide in Rome, Saturday or Sunday afternoon? Admit it, you couldn't be safer out on the street, surrounded by other Rome residents, and you'd save me an awful weekend.

Catherine looked at me wide-eyed and I saw the cogs of her brain turning at a hundred an hour, weighing all the pros and cons.

Okay

she said

I could do that and you are right, on the street surrounded by many other people I would certainly be safe.Fantastic! I will then bring my camera and if you allow me I will take a number of photos of you that you can possibly put in a portfolio. I do have some experience shooting wedding and child portraits for family and friends, so how hard can it be to photograph such a beautiful young woman as you?

At that moment, a photo session in lingerie or completely naked was the last thing on my mind, certainly not in public.

After the meal we said goodbye and agreed to go for a walk in the city on Saturday afternoon around two o'clock.

When I went to my room I felt a bit nervous about a possible first model photoshoot, not with a professional model, but with a very beautiful young woman.

The next morning, after breakfast, I asked the hotel concierge where I could find a store to buy batteries and memory cards for my camera, because I certainly didn't want to run out of energy and memory, I wanted to take full advantage of this opportunity.

At the stroke of two she was waiting for me outside next to the hotel, where we had agreed, for our walk in the city.

She looked completely different without her uniform, wearing tight-fitting jeans that looked like they were painted on her body rather than actually wearing them.

Not a trace of panties to be seen, was she really commando I wondered or maybe she was wearing a very small thong?

Her tight jeans really accentuated her head-turning gorgeous ass.

Since the weather was warm, she wore an open top with a boat-line neckline that left the top of her shoulders exposed and strongly suggested she was not wearing a bra, which was actually confirmed by her nipples digging into the soft material of her top. like naughty little fingers trying to find their way out.

Her top was also short, revealing a portion of the midriff, revealing her beautiful navel to the outside world. Fortunately, piercings and tattoos were not in fashion at all in those days. I find those things absolutely repugnant, in my opinion there is no finer dress for a woman than flawless unblemished skin.

You know Catherine, I don't think we can completely avoid the real touristic places, pictures at the Trevi fountain, the Spanish steps, the Colosseum, San Marco square or the Vatican would look nice in any portfolio.

She immediately agreed with me.

As our walk progressed she clearly got more and more into that pose and indeed began to strike poses that began to attract attention, especially from the younger Italian men we encountered, who gave me envious looks.

After she showed me to some patios in private homes she knew that were really beautiful, we had to drink the obligatory Italian strong coffee in one of the many coffee bars around 4 o'clock.

Because she also took me to those more isolated buildings and found that I behaved like a real gentleman, she confessed that she actually enjoyed herself and trusted me more.

That's all I needed for my next step,

How about dinner tonight Catharina?

uh a dinner?

she asked.

Yes, you showed me all these interesting places and I wanted to thank you for that with a dinner and I am absolutely sure that you also know small cozy restaurants. Do you really want to sentence me to have dinner all alone in that hotel restaurant tonight?

No, you're right, that would indeed be a bit mean of me, I do know a restaurant that you could appreciate.

Great we have a date, is eight o'clock okay for you? I know this is early for Italians, but we folks from the North eat a bit earlier, so I thought eight o'clock was a good compromise.

Okay

she said,

but we can't meet in the hotel, because they are very strict about that, we are not allowed to go out with the guests, this afternoon was already a bit of a risk for me.

Understandable, where shall we meet then?

Come to the right corner of the street, I'll be there at eight.At seven forty-five I was already waiting for Catharina, a little nervous. I had never done this before, going to dinner with a woman I didn't know at all, even in a foreign country.

When she arrived, she managed to surprise me yet again by providing proof that you can look great even on a small budget.

As it was a warm spring evening, she wore a simple floral dress with spaghetti straps that showed off her amazing figure. Her plunging neckline allowed a little of her beautiful bosom to be admired and ended in the middle of her sun-tanned thighs.

I remember struggling not to rest my gaze too much on her breasts, but when I looked into her eyes I was completely lost again.

It's only a short walk to the restaurant I chose.

After about fifteen minutes we arrived at a ristorante as you only see them in Italian films, small tables with white and red checkered tablecloths. When we entered I immediately got hungry because of all the delicious smells that came towards me.

Buona serra Catherine! Come stay?

Molto buono e con voi?

I was a little lost, but I understood a little bit of what was being said.

I had a vague suspicion that Catharina knew the owner because she immediately got a real Italian hug.

We were led to a table in a discreet corner.

I suspect they know you here, do you come here often?

Yes and no, before I started in the hotel I first worked here a bit, and if you look at it that way I have indeed been here more than once. Would you mind if I made the choice? Antonio doesn't have menus in English, or shall I translate it for you?

Absolutely not, I trust you completely.

It was one of the best dinners I've ever had, its simplicity rivaling anything I've had in the finest restaurants.

The wine was, as I expected, great, proving once again that you don't always have to spend a fortune to get the best.

Catherine, of course, had to defend her honor if she ever wanted to become a good sommelier.

As usual I had my camera with me to document this unique dinner and to add a few more shots to those from the afternoon walk.

Since it's still early and it's a lovely evening how about a walk to digest this delicious food?

suggested Catherine.

That is a very good idea.

Catherine led me through narrow Italian streets with those buildings that look incredibly ugly on the outside but hide luxurious apartments on the inside.

When we arrived in a less attractive neighborhood Catharina turned to me.

How about a cup of coffee to end the evening, my apartment is just around the corner?

Sounds tempting Catherine, if you can make me a latte macchiato?

Can I

she said with a smile.

Then I can immediately download the photos to your computer.

We went through one of those double doors found in many of those Italian buildings and came out on to a patio with a few, almost dying, dead bushes and what must have been a beautiful tree in the middle.

I'm sorry but you will have to climb a lot of stairs, because I live on the fourth floor.

I had no problem with it, because for four floors I could admire her beautiful ass making delicious movements under her short dress.

Her place was small but cozy and immaculate, something that is rather strange for eighteen-year-olds living alone.

She had neat furniture, a table for two, a soft sofa, a nice bookcase filled with all kinds of books about wine, of course, and on the wall a few posters of vineyards and grape varieties.

From your collection of books I can clearly deduce that you are indeed involved in wines and vineyards. But your budget won't allow you to have a few bottles at home?

I have my sources for wine

she said,

If you know where to go, they don't always have to cost a fortune to be tasty.In one corner she had a small kitchenette with a two-burner gas stove and a few cupboards.

On the gas stove was the one and only Italian espresso coffee pot that she immediately started preparing for the offered cups of coffee.

She already knew by now that I wasn't a fan of that really strong Italian coffee that makes hair grow on your chest, so she made a latte macchiato that I love more.

She preferred the really strong variant where you could straighten a spoon, pitch black with a lot of sugar.

While looking at the pictures of the day we started talking about how she saw her future, how she wanted to finance her studies and what she expected to achieve in the world of wine.

I told you I had my sources for wine, well I have an uncle

Don't Italians always have an uncle somewhere?

I joked.

Yes that's true,

she said,

But mine has a small farm where he grows olives and some grapes and during the harvesting period and making the wine I always help him with the picking and pressing, that way I not only learn about the taste of wine but also about the vinification process.

That's very smart of you girl.

Going back to the pictures we took this afternoon, would you dare to go a step further than what you did in the street?