and all thoughts of Ayyan did not leave me until I slept. But in the dream I saw a laughing girl with thin black pigtails and slanted eyes. She showed me the spread of the right hand and laughed. And I looked at her with bewilderment and did not understand what she wanted to tell me.

4.

October 2010, St. Petersburg

Autumn has come. Beautiful St. Petersburg yellow autumn. Life went on as usual. Aiyana entered the journalism department, lived in a dormitory, she had her own social circle and we did not see each other often, although she did not forget, often called, told her in a ringing voice about successes, impressions, sometimes asked for advice.

I plunged into work, took several projects at once, plus participation in the annual photo exhibition, but, to tell the truth, all this is to load my head and think less about my young guest, because I changed my mind too much thoughts and thoughts. Naturally, I didn’t say a word about this to her and in our rare meetings I kept dry, businesslike, or instructive. I did not want to show my true feelings to the girl, because the consequences could be unpredictable, but I didn’t want to, and I couldn’t afford it! Aiyana, on the contrary, did not seem to notice my supposed estrangement and stretched towards me like a northern flower toward the meager rays of the sun. She was always cheerful, easy-going, and very often her ringing laughter filled my living room, where we were chasing tea and discussing photographs. In the direction of photography, the girl also made progress, and in certain circles her pictures were popular, and some I offered for publication in periodicals, for which the girl received a modest fee.

In the middle of October, on a surprisingly sunny autumn afternoon, we sat in a cafe nearby and drank latte with croissants.

- Nikolay, can I ask you about one favor?

I just stared at her in anticipation of raising my eyebrows.

- Remember when I first came to St. Petersburg (she always called the city with her full name), you advised me to try myself as a model. It seems I am ready for this!

Summer spun us: first, my business trips, then Ayyanino's arrival and we did not return to talking about her photo session.

- It's great! I can agree with Vasnetsov, a very famous photo artist in our circles or Lydia Violinist, a young but very talented girl, I think she, too, will not refuse my request.

“It's all great, but I want to ask you to shoot.”

- I?! Of course, I remember our last conversation, but you know, I do not do portrait shooting, my horse is a report, and what was in my youth, so those times are long gone. I am sure other photographers will give a much more interesting result.

Aiyana silently listened to me, barely smiling and bristling with embers of her pupils, and when I finished she just uttered.

- And yet I would like to roll with you!

She was able to convince, while applying the most simple and unpretentious phrases.

I frowned my brow and looked at her sternly, and she only laughed in response! Well, how could she refuse her? Moreover, frankly speaking, I wanted to try it myself as hell.

- Good! Persuaded!

- Hooray! - the girl shouted, raising her fists up, and I slid over her figure and turned away to the window, again cursing myself for free-thinking.

A week later we discussed the options for a photo shoot and of all the options we decided to dwell on two. One was decided to be among the shabby St. Petersburg houses, the other in the photo studio, while Ayana somehow mysteriously smiled and said that she also had one of her own ideas, which she was not yet ready to reveal.

5.

November 2010, St. Petersburg

It is a day of studio shooting. Ayana came to the studio in a dark blue bolonevoy jacket and a long white scarf with a large sports bag with props.And undressed, she remained in tight-fitting blue jeans and a beige sweater, on which the small mounds of her breasts looked very organic.

“Let's start,” I asked dryly, adjusting the camera and the light.

Ayana walked through the studio looking at the props with interest. I took a few pictures, shooting and adjusting the settings.

- Ready?

She stopped in the middle of the studio and looked straight into my eyes. Smiled. I immediately caught it in the frame and clicked.

- What is the date today? She asked absently.

- 20 November. And why ... - then I thought for a moment and clutched at his head. - Heck! Today is your birthday. And I completely twist with these preparations and forgot. Here I am an old fool! Listen! I congratulate you, of course, and ...

“C'mon,” interrupted my crushing Aiyan’s tirade and laughed loudly. I just wanted to say that I was eighteen.

- So. AND? - I wondered, looking at her, not understanding what she was driving at.

- And now I can do a lot. - And seeing that I am still perplexed she added. - Well, the right to get a car to drive, for example, to vote in elections.

- BUT! - I said I did not understand anything, and the girl was already involved in the work.

- Getting started, I'm ready! - She commanded, theatrically thrown back her hands behind her head and slowly scattering flowing hair to the sides.

We shot a few dozen test shots, after which Ayyana went to change clothes.

- I have a few ideas and costumes, maybe we’re not going to finish, but the first three should try, okay? - the girl shouted to me because of the screen, because of which the rustling of the fabric and some kind of jingle could also be heard.

- I agree! - I automatically replied, looking at the footage taken on the display of the camera and noting for myself some technical points, for further shooting.

- Here, how am I?

I looked away from the camera and seemed to open my mouth in surprise.

- This is a national Yakut costume. Do you like?

The girl had a long dress with sleeves embroidered with various ornaments with leather and fur inserts. On the head was an intricate national headdress, and on the legs are beautiful boots made of soft leather. Everything was done in a single sky blue color and Ayyan looked very organic in this costume.

We started shooting, and at the beginning Ayana was quite squeezed. And then suddenly she began to fool around, ape, laugh, from which her cheeks on her pale skin blush, and nicely complemented the image of a young Yakut. After each series of shots, Ayyana approached me and asked to look into the camera to see what had happened. The display in the camera is small, a little more than a matchbox, so when we look, we touch our heads, her hair tickled my ear, and from her intimacy, the young heat and the delicate juniper smell I was dizzy and my heart jumped out. Of course, I scolded myself and tried to appeal to self-control, but everything was in vain, how can you go against the nature of desires and love?

When the girl went to the next change of costumes, I went out into the corridor, take a breath and drink strong coffee from the vending machine. And when he returned, he saw her in a more modern way: she was wearing ripped jeans and a white shirt, reaching mid-thigh, as well as red patent leather shoes with high heels. The girl’s lips were brightly colored to match the shoes.

- What kind of image? Woman vamp?

- Something like that. Do you look like? - while Aiyana, like a big cat, slowly clawed through the air and clapped her fangs.

I smiled, nodding my head, and we continued shooting. I didn’t believe myself that this was her first photo shoot, so professional was her approach to poses, light and facial expressions. She was so energetic, multifaceted, charismatic, that at some point (and maybe right away, at the very beginning) we just switched places and it was not me (the photographer) who was in charge of the process, but she, speaking how, where did I need take off.

She replaced images, emotions, poses. For a minute, it could be an innocent touch and a seducer, a sad romantic followed a carefree merry ... Read more →