Words from Christine

I first met Dennis while in college.  I was reading the Shepherd Express and saw his ad looking for models for nude art photography.  We met at a local coffee shop to talk and for me to view his portfolio.  I prepared myself by putting together a list of questions to ask Dennis, which he answered easily and honestly.   My intention of meeting in a public place unfortunately backfired.  In being in such an open setting, we had no privacy to view his work or to frankly discuss what modeling would involve.  Even with the frequent disruptions from a particularly nosy waitress, I felt surprisingly at-ease with the idea of modeling for Dennis.  After an hour-long discussion, we set a date for my first photo shoot.

I met-up with Dennis at the power plant shortly after sunrise.  We got down to business right away, with Dennis explaining what poses he wanted to see, where to move my arms, legs, head.  Dennis treated the session the same way I would expect any other professional photographer, so I never felt uncomfortable or awkward.  That’s not to say I wasn’t a little nervous.  After all, I was naked as a jaybird in front of a complete stranger.  However, my initial jitters wore off pretty quickly.   It didn’t matter that I was naked - we were creating art.  Besides, Dennis encouraged me all along, telling me I was doing a great job.  He seemed surprised that I didn’t complain or ask too many questions.  I did my best to just follow his directions.

I recall needing to wrap up the session by around 8:00 a.m., as I had to get to work.  However, the final series of photos were taken with me lying on the beach, with my head and neck resting on a piece of driftwood.  Dennis shot several pictures in rapid sequence, as a wave approached.  Unfortunately, the wave crashed over my body, and Dennis completely lost sight of me.  (You will find this sequence on the “Wave Sequence” section of his website.)  As the wave receded, I stood up, covered in sand, soaking wet, looking much like a drowned rat.  Needless to say, I had to re-shower to get the sand out of all the places where sand should never be.  I was 30 minutes late for work that day.  Overall, I think the shoot went really well.  Dennis seemed pleased, and I felt really positive about how I did.

Dennis called me again a few weeks later to see if I could do another shoot.  The difference here was that I would be photographed with another woman.  Was that a problem?  Again, it made little difference to me whether I would be shot alone or with someone, as long as the photos turned out well.  The other model was a student at the same university as I, so we had that in common to discuss during the shoot.  She and I seemed quite comfortable working together.   We had very different body types, her long and lean, I petite and curvy.  She was a brunette, I was a blonde, and so the contrast between us made for some interesting photographs.   We had great success, and several of our shots are also on Dennis’ website now.   The only drawback to that shoot was that one of us stepped in some poison ivy, which made for uncomfortable walking for the following few days (not to mention the itchy feet and but…).

In late September that same year, Dennis and I had our third photography session.  We camped at the Upper Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  It rained the first night, and Dennis was nervous about what we could do if the rain didn’t let up; we only had one deck of cards between us.  I had never traveled with another man before, and he was likewise concerned what I would be like as a traveling companion.  We did just great together.  In the morning, the rain had stopped, leaving a lovely fog across the ponds.  However, the cold had also fogged up his camera lenses, and we couldn’t begin shooting until his cameras acclimated to the surrounding temperature.  That was fine with me, as it was maybe 50 degrees outside, and the water in the falls was even colder.  Dennis had to continually tell me to sit still.  Fine idea that was, but I couldn’t stop shivering.  Still, Dennis took some beautiful photos.  How we suffer for art!  The funniest part of that trip was when a family of four (mom, dad, two young children) came strolling down the hiking path to find me buck-naked in the falls.  I bet that made for one heck of a vacation video!

The final session we had was in Arizona and Utah.  Over a 5-day weekend, Dennis took many rolls of film as we stopped in the washes of northern Arizona, the many ramshackle remains of several ghost towns and abandoned movie lots, and throughout Zion National Park.  The scenery was indescribable, thus the perfect backdrop for Dennis’ work.  My favorite photos that Dennis has taken of me came from this trip.  After working together three previous times, we were more familiar with one another.  I needed less direction, and the sessions seemed less like work than ever before.  There were some beautiful huge waterfalls Dennis wanted to shoot, but there were too many tourists around for that.  It didn’t matter to me, but he was the boss.  Dennis has told me that he was surprised that I seemed more comfortable being naked with people around that he was having me in such a state.  We both really had a lot of fun on that trip.  We had a great time taking amazing pictures, wandering around the deserts, eating Mexican food and drinking beers at the local tavern, and getting the SUV stuck in the sand dunes of Northern Arizona.  (FYI, just let enough air out of the tires until you drop to about 10 PSI.  You will be able to pull right out of the dunes.)

Nearly 15 years later, I still go back and look at the photographs of myself and the other models on his website.  I also have a few prints that Dennis gave to me, which I view from time to time.  To this day I am very proud of the photos.  Dennis made me look beautiful (his mom thought so, too). 

Modeling for Dennis is something I have discussed with many of my friends and some of my family.  I have yet to receive any negative feedback from anyone who knows my “little secret”.   Looking back, I would absolutely do it all over again.  In fact, I wish I had been able to do more with him back then.  Dennis and I have fortunately stayed in touch via the phone and e-mail these past 15 years.  He keeps asking me if I want to model again for him.  I would like to do that, so I have been making great efforts to try to regain the body as I had when I was 22.  It is no easy feat!

Oh, one more thing.  To answer the question posed by Dennis in his “Wave Sequence” series on his website, here’s where I am now:  I am a successful attorney running my own law firm for over a decade in the suburbs of Chicago.

Christine