Sometimes you trust people and aren't disappointed
On Saturday, when we were returning from our nature walk, EPI's daughter [a.k.a. Barbie the beautiful] called. She's working at one of the finer hotels in the city and had been approached by a foreign couple who wanted to take some fashion shots with a girl aged 16-20 and some Icelandic scenery in the background and wondered if she would be interested. She wasn't, but thought of referring them to AAH and wanted my permission.
Now, you're probably thinking what I thought: Foreign couple approaches young girl with designs on taking photos somewhere out in Icelandic nature... doesn't exactly sound reassuring. But BB assured me that these people had been exceptionally nice and seemed very honest, had offered payment, and appeared quite professional. So I thought I'd at least hear them out.
The woman called a short while later and I had to concede that, on the phone at least, she made a good impression. She was very frank, said 'this probably sounds very strange, but...', assured me that she had beautiful clothes 'nothing sexy or anything' and that of course AAH was welcome to bring a chaperone or a friend. She was a freelance stylist who was here with her husband for the weekend, she had heard this was a beautiful country with beautiful people and so had taken some clothes along in the hopes of being able to shoot some photos. She couldn't pay very much but there would be nominal remuneration, and of course she would send AAH the photos printed out in a folder.
At that point I concluded it was safe to proceed, so yesterday AAH and I went and met them at their hotel. There I got even more details: her husband was an avid photographer, albeit not a professional, but she herself was a professional stylist who worked for many of Holland's top fashion magazines. I needed no proof: she had piles of new clothes and accessories with her, most of which were utterly to die for. The two of them were supremely nice; asked for advice on good places to go to shoot the photos [are you surprised I chose the Seltjarnarnes peninsula by the lighthouse?] and were generally so warm and enthusiastic about the whole project that it was quite infectious.
They'd hired a modern van with darkened windows for AAH to change outfits in and were quite concerned about getting the correct light [between 5 and 7 apparently]. To make a long story short, we went out there and had a great time [despite the freezing wind]. I had to leave just before they finished [went to the theatah to see a Japanese guest company do a very strange production of Ibsen's A Doll's House] but they paid AAH just what they'd promised, dropped her off at home, and promised they'd send the pictures soon.
Which I thought would probably be in, oh, a few weeks' time. But today I got a lovely e-mail thanking us for spending those few hours with them yesterday, telling us how happy they are with the photos, and reiterating that they'd send all the pics on a CD-ROM, plus the folder. And 'in the meantime' here was 'a nice picture' of all of them together:
Just when you need your faith in people restored - and sure makes a change from stupid old Eskimo. Isn't life great?
AND THE WEATHER TODAY WAS:
Overcast, rainy, drizzly, gray. That wind yesterday really did me neck in [whiplash, you know] and it was stiff as a board this morning, so at noon I headed out to my local pool and went for the full treatment: water massage, hot pot soak [38-40°C water and 42-44°C water - that's 111.2°F] and steam bath. Which meant that by the time I got home I was completely drained and could barely keep my eyes open. Currently 10°C and sunrise was at 06.18 and sunset at 20.34.
Now, you're probably thinking what I thought: Foreign couple approaches young girl with designs on taking photos somewhere out in Icelandic nature... doesn't exactly sound reassuring. But BB assured me that these people had been exceptionally nice and seemed very honest, had offered payment, and appeared quite professional. So I thought I'd at least hear them out.
The woman called a short while later and I had to concede that, on the phone at least, she made a good impression. She was very frank, said 'this probably sounds very strange, but...', assured me that she had beautiful clothes 'nothing sexy or anything' and that of course AAH was welcome to bring a chaperone or a friend. She was a freelance stylist who was here with her husband for the weekend, she had heard this was a beautiful country with beautiful people and so had taken some clothes along in the hopes of being able to shoot some photos. She couldn't pay very much but there would be nominal remuneration, and of course she would send AAH the photos printed out in a folder.
At that point I concluded it was safe to proceed, so yesterday AAH and I went and met them at their hotel. There I got even more details: her husband was an avid photographer, albeit not a professional, but she herself was a professional stylist who worked for many of Holland's top fashion magazines. I needed no proof: she had piles of new clothes and accessories with her, most of which were utterly to die for. The two of them were supremely nice; asked for advice on good places to go to shoot the photos [are you surprised I chose the Seltjarnarnes peninsula by the lighthouse?] and were generally so warm and enthusiastic about the whole project that it was quite infectious.
They'd hired a modern van with darkened windows for AAH to change outfits in and were quite concerned about getting the correct light [between 5 and 7 apparently]. To make a long story short, we went out there and had a great time [despite the freezing wind]. I had to leave just before they finished [went to the theatah to see a Japanese guest company do a very strange production of Ibsen's A Doll's House] but they paid AAH just what they'd promised, dropped her off at home, and promised they'd send the pictures soon.
Which I thought would probably be in, oh, a few weeks' time. But today I got a lovely e-mail thanking us for spending those few hours with them yesterday, telling us how happy they are with the photos, and reiterating that they'd send all the pics on a CD-ROM, plus the folder. And 'in the meantime' here was 'a nice picture' of all of them together:
Just when you need your faith in people restored - and sure makes a change from stupid old Eskimo. Isn't life great?
AND THE WEATHER TODAY WAS:
Overcast, rainy, drizzly, gray. That wind yesterday really did me neck in [whiplash, you know] and it was stiff as a board this morning, so at noon I headed out to my local pool and went for the full treatment: water massage, hot pot soak [38-40°C water and 42-44°C water - that's 111.2°F] and steam bath. Which meant that by the time I got home I was completely drained and could barely keep my eyes open. Currently 10°C and sunrise was at 06.18 and sunset at 20.34.
posted by Alda at 10:15 PM
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