As we made the turn, the wind almost died as we came upon an incredibly secluded section to an incredibly secluded beach, framed by a large rocky cliff holding the mountain back from the ocean. Large, shimmering boulders lay in the wake firing off immense pillars of water as the waves crashed.
“Oh my God! This is perfect!” chimed my sister, her eyes sparkling.
I smiled back. “Glad you like it. Let’s get set up. We got a lot to do with little daylight left.”
It didn’t take us that long to get all squared away. We set up the dressing room which was quick and easy, and even went as far as to weigh it down with some loose rocks. The wind had picked up and the last thing we wanted was to go chasing into the ocean to grab some shower curtains. Kelly set up her temporary garment rack right next to the room, making sure that all of the dresses and suits were not wrinkled and were ready to wear.
“Okay Mom, here’s your first look,” Kelly said as she handed her a red polka dot summer dress. “Figure we’d start with a cute one.”
Mom smiled and went into the changing room. As she got ready, I inspected my equipment.
“Damnit. Looks like the tripod’s busted after all,” I said in as I tossed the unit on the sand.
“Is that going to be a problem?” Kelly asked.
I shook my head. “Not really. Probably really wasn’t needed anyway, but I always like to have my options. I can fix it back at the studio.” I grabbed my Digital. “Almost ready?”
As if on cue, Mom emerged from the dressing room with a “Ta-da!”
I couldn’t help but whistle. The dress was adorable, sleeveless and with the skirt falling just below the knee and an almost too deep V for the neck line. At first glance, it seemed a little conservative, and yet, somehow, it crossed the line into flirty. She almost appeared to be painted on a B52.
“So,” she said while walking up. “How do you want me?”
“You just do your thing,” I said. “You’re at the beach. Go play.”
With a tilt of her head, she smiled, winked, and then took off running through the shallows, leaving trails of sand and water flying in her wake.
“Oh shit,” I said running after her furiously clicking away while Kelly laughed and prepared the next look.
It was one of the best times I’ve ever had on a shoot. She was an absolute natural with an uncanny ability to switch from pose to pose with ease. We got action shots and power poses and sultry seduction. She’d lay in the sand or jump in the air. Distant shots of her standing on the cliff’s edge, or close-ups of her biting her lip while staring at the camera. We went from one dress to another to another and more still. Blouses, skirts, boy and Bermuda shorts. We were like a machine, power changing and clicking away. It was without a doubt the best time I ever had on that beach.
“Good news Big Brother, first looks are done!” Kelly exclaimed as she walked up to me as I reviewed the pictures on the camera.
“That’s awesome!” I said looking up. “We got some really solid ones I think you’re gonna love.” I examined my watch. “Looks like we have about an hour and a half until sunset. I might need you to hold the reflector for me so we can reflect some light if it gets too dark.”