{ Prologue }
Everything seemed to be surreal in my first day of learning photography. In a refreshing place surrounded by nothing else but tall trees covered with crawling vines, feather reedgrasses stretching up in different lengths, and dried leaves piled up after one another, I met a girl named Maxine; her curled long black hair, ornamented by a crumpled-and-almost-dried-leaves-headband, bounces up and down as she takes a step. Her almond-shaped hazel brown eyes are lightly shaded with green and her eyelashes are perfectly curled up that compliments her high held eyebrows. She has the fairest skin that blends within the pure nature that envelopes her. She keeps on fixing her thigh-length white dress that is intact by her brown belt designed with crystals. She elegantly walked with her two slightly-dusted bare feet on the curvy pathway.
I was aware that my eyes are pinned to the sight of her and she noticed that fact but I can't get enough of looking at the fairy-like image ahead of me. She frequently wipes off the sweat that persistently appears on the surface of her thin pointed nose. Whenever she moves her hand gracefully, it seems like glitters are being produced, slowly fluttering around her and then dropping to the ground to disappear. Every time our eyes meet, her eyes seem to be scanning every thought inside my head.
Completely indulged, my friend Huns pats me off of my day dream. "Hey, it's your turn to take a picture. Just remember what I told you, okay?"He didn't wait for my reply and started to run off beside the fairy-like beauty. They probably talked about me having her picture taken and that I was just a newbie. Done talking, her apple-red lips cracked a smile, making her cheeks puffy and eyes squinty. Huns jogged wearily towards me looking at the ground as if he was running for a long distance. He stopped in front of me and dropped his heavy hand on my shoulder that I felt the other one rising for an inch or two. "Since I'll be busy later, you should use your time wisely and have her pictures taken. I'll teach you again some other time." He started to wave goodbye as he was walking out of the scene. He gestured saying that he'll wait for us outside.
My heart beats crazily to the thought of having a lone time with her. Huns is a dense person so he probably didn't notice that I have a great interest with Ms. Fairy. My back facing her, I closed my eyes to calm myself. I probably lost track of time because, as I turned to face Ms. Fairy, she looked at me with her eyebrows knitted together yet keeping that elegant look on her face.
I cleared my throat by swallowing my saliva and started the conversation; acting cool. I put one hand on the Nikon camera and the other at the base of it then said, "Well, you heard the boss. Let's not waste our time and do our best having your pictures taken."I tilted my head trying to tell her where we'll shoot in a cool way. Her face becomes calmer and she slightly smiled at me, not uttering a word. She calmly walked towards the shabbiest tree I've ever seen. I wasn't sure whether it was a good thing to use that tree in the picture.
As if she isn't notice my worried face, she started testing different poses and body angles. Finally, she puts her right hand on her left shoulder, her left hand below her right elbow, and her head lifted in a tilted position that made her jaw line visible. She leaned against a tree; her body slouched a little that made her curves more attractive. I signaled 'ready' then she stretched her lips towards opposite direction. Her lips formed a heart-shaped hole. I stared at her for who-knows-how-much-time-I-spent. Having eye contact, I did the ugliest alibi a man could ever do; I pretended to check whether her pose is good or not. "Ah! If you could only slouch a little more, it'll make you look like... like... uhm.. something better. And if you could only look at some far away object then place your sight there then it'll make the picture more...um.. DRAMATIC!" After spouting nonsense, I cleared my throat and then put the camera in my most professional angle. I counted to three as I clicked the camera and a second later the flash ate the whole scene in front of me.
I quickly looked at the picture gallery, worrying if the flash was too bright and or if Maxine was closing her eyes. I guess I worried over nothing. No one would ever guess that a newbie like me captured an amazing picture. I stared at the picture for forever. It was mesmerizing how the rays from the sun seems to fight its way against the leaves of the tree she is leaning on just to shine proudly. The shade covering the goddess in the picture makes her shine even more brightly. The leaves being blown up coincidently add a special touch on everything. The setting being a beauty itself is already jaw-dropper yet to add a goddess in it makes it more like a dream that you can't ever live on.
I felt my lips slowly drifting apart and my face growing hot. Probably, my pupils dilate as my eyes keeps on staring at the picture. My brain felt like bursting as I entertained the thought 'Is it even possible to trap so much magnificence that is out of the world in a rectangular paper?'It was a good thing that Huns picked us up at the right time. If he came a little later my brain and heart might have seriously blown up from all of my inner thoughts and feelings.
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