North American Vampire Council & Past Calling (Hypernaturals 12 & 13)

Test Shots

"Can we step back to the studio?" Bob requested. "I would like to take a few headshots. Put various groups together for some geometry and lighting, so I can think through how to approach this? All the skin tones and eye colors. I keep feeling like I need to do something with the Ice and Cobalt blues... Need to look through the lens! I want to be ready for the day of the shoot."

"Lead on." Morgan said.

As the group moved by the desk, we paused, did proper introductions to Miriam. That took a while, as Miriam knew by reputation who Morgan is in Bob's life.

"Thank you for arresting him." Miriam said to Morgan.

There is something you do not hear every day.

Miriam continued: "Making him pay. He would not be the man he is now if you had not done that. I think it being you that found him out also made a difference. He always talks about you in such glowing terms. I used to think you were his other long-lost love, but I later realized you are different for him. It is nice to finally meet you." Miriam was quite sincere. After Cherlynn, it was good to not have someone from Morgan's past angry or jealous of her.

Morgan was very uncomfortable with that whole thing.

"Doing my job is all." Morgan demurred.

"The way I hear it, one of the few. You and Sam." Miriam said. "I have Dancer friends that talk about you to this day. How you are a Cop that protected people like us just trying to make a living. Took down your own Vice people that were on the take. That is not nothing."

"Again: Just doing my job." Morgan looked distinctly uncomfortable. To me. Probably Jessica and Angel saw it too. To Miriam, I am sure it was Morgan being suave.

Morgan did not want to engage further because that 'just doing her job' thing is part of how she ended up in Austin and a Vampire.

Miriam has shoulder-length medium brown hair, shot with highlights. Full-bodied with a lot of sway in it. Her body is a dancer's body. One that worked the pole. Fit. Female. Sexy. Oddly, I have not seen her picture anywhere in here. I am guessing those are private.

We trooped on behind the desk, and through a door into the studio area. Miriam closed the gallery, locked up, flipped the door sign, and joined us.

The studio is not one room. There is a standard photo studio for family shots. Preset with benches, chairs, and stools, all arrayed to be able to place a family, no matter how many members or their relative sizes, into the right geometry. Green screen background so that any background can be digitally inserted. They posted some example shots around the studio but out of sight of the camera on the left and right walls. Happy families: Dogs and cats included. All sorts of backgrounds. No one would believe they took some of them in Houston as they looked like they were at lakes or in the mountains or whatever.

The next studio had a black background all around and had one obvious item. A stripper pole. Looking up, I saw a trapeze tied off up in the rafters. I thought about teasing Denise but didn't. There is a flat black painted bench up against the flat black painted wall. There were other things in here, but the focus is the models. "This is where I do the shots for the clubs, mostly. I can go to the club if need be, but I prefer here because we have all the makeup in the model prep area, and Miriam can get them all set up. My lighting is all in place and ready, and so we can get them in and out without it taking too long. First-timers are usually nervous about the whole thing, so we can put them at ease. Give them that big fluffy robe between shots so they know we are not trying to do anything other than take pictures." Bob pointed at a coat rack, with a couple of robes hanging off it. "We can roll a foldaway bed in here if need be, but starting with it in the room sends the wrong message."