Photography 304

While the rest of the world's photographers had gone digital the School of Journalism's department head thought we should have a sense of history and designed Photo 304 to give it to us. It wasn't a required course but it was highly recommended if you wanted favorable graduate reviews. Instead of using contemporary cameras and digital imaging software the course required 4x5 inch view cameras and processing black and white film and prints by hand. If lugging the forty pounds if camera into the field wasn't bad enough the film had to be loaded, unloaded and developed in total darkness. Adding to the hassle factor there was only one film lab and it was small, about eight feet wide by six deep. Along the back wall was a stainless steel counter with various built-ins. At the left was a flat staging area. To the right of that was a constant temperature water bath that held the various chemical tanks and to the far right was a sink and the light switch on the right hand wall. The only concession to comfort was a bar stool in the corner.

Students usually worked in pairs because time in the only lab was at a premium. When he signed up for the last time-slot of the day he didn't recognize the name next to his on the sign-in sheet so he just waited outside the darkroom door.

"Are you waiting for the photo lab?"

"Uh, yeah," he said, turning to see a young woman with film holders in hand. She was about his height, maybe a little shorter, hair in a ponytail, wearing jeans, a scoop neck tee shirt and sandals. "I always use the last time slot because nobody rushes you. Ever done this before?"

"Nope, I'm a newbie. I've thought it through lots of times and made a checklist so I think I'm ready enough."

"It's pretty easy really. All the work flows from left to right. Here's where you take the film from the holders and put it in these stainless steel hangers. Next is the developing tank, a water rinse and the fixer tank. All this has to take place in total darkness. Over at the end is the timer. It's pre-set for the developing and fix times, all you have to do is slap the start button at each stage. It beeps at 30 second intervals to remind you to agitate the film and buzzes at the end of each step."

"Sounds simple enough. How're we gonna' do this?"

"Why don't you load the film into the developing hangers, pass them to me and I'll do the developing. When the hangers are all loaded into the developing rack you move over to my right and work the timer. Ready?"

"Let's do this thing," she said and he turned off the light. It took a minute for the darkness to sink in. It was really, really dark. Not like a starless night or her dorm room with the drapes drawn and a pillow over head, it was DARK. She could almost feel the darkness against her skin.

She transferred a sheet of film into a hanger and moved to the right until her forearm brushed his. His right hand crossed over to her arm, his fingers slid up the inside of her wrist to her palm and took the hanger out of her hand. One down and nineteen to go.

After about five sheets of film were loaded she said, "Wow, my eyes hurt."

"Yeah, it's because you're trying to see. Close your eyes or your eyelids will get cramps," he advised with a half chuckle. Her arm brushed his again. By now their movements were so coordinated that only the lightest touch passed between them. He could reach directly to her hand. The feel of her skin was awfully nice but he didn't want to come across as a pervert so he tried to find the film without stroking her arm.

Her arm against his brought his hand directly to hers for the film. She sort of missed the feel of his fingers along her arm; it felt nice. It was oddly intimate but the darkness made it okay to feel that way.

A faint scent gently found it's way into his consciousness. Soft, not quite floral; the scent of clean skin and makeup. Her arm touched his and he ran his fingers lightly along the inside of her arm before taking the film from her. She didn't react and he thought she probably didn't notice. Along with the clink of the metal film holders he began to notice her breathing. It was a subtle sound that without the darkness he wouldn't have noticed.

Ah, there was that light touch again. Nice. She wondered if it was purposeful or if he just needed to re-orient himself to her. It didn't matter; she rather liked the contact. It was non-committal; a necessity of close work in a confined area and it was comforting in the darkness. It made her breathe a little deeper, a bit more slowly.

"Okay, that's it. You've got all the film. What next?" It was almost a whisper, her voice more breathy than she intended.

"Move behind me to my right. Find the timer switch and when I tell you, start it."

She reached out in the darkness to find him. With her hands on his waist she slipped past him. She knew the wall was a few feet behind her but she didn't know exactly where so she stayed close to him. Her breasts lightly brushed his back as she moved to her new place against the stainless steel countertop. Damn, she didn't mean to do that. Maybe he wouldn't notice. She was glad it was dark because the touch made her nipples perk up. They would be embarrassingly noticeable through her shirt. Finding the timer with her right hand she kept her left on the small of his back just to maintain her position. He was fit and firm beneath his shirt. She liked that. A lot. Her breathing became a little less deep but faster. She wondered if he might notice and wasn't sure if she cared.

What was that, he wondered to himself, did she just rub her breasts against me? He had spent a lot of hours in the darkroom, but none like this. The smell of her skin had his head swimming and the warmth of her hand was burning into his back. A growing tension settled into his crotch. As discretely as possible he reached inside his jeans and adjusted his growing erection. "Okay, start the timer." The words came out more husky than usual.

The darkness and silence created a sense of anonymity. She was floating in nothingness with someone she didn't know and couldn't see. A bit of movement and the sound of clothing rustling caught her attention. What was that? Was he . . . did he just . . .? The thought of him touching it brought a small thrill and a warm flush flowed through her.

Every thirty seconds the timer chimed, giving him five seconds to agitate the film and 25 seconds to remember that she was standing next to him touching his back. Ding, stir, think about her; ding stir think. It was making him crazy.

It was her turn to notice his breathing. It was faster than normal and shallow as if he were breathing through his mouth. In the dark everything seemed exaggerated; sounds louder, the coolness of the stainless steel contrasting the warmth of his skin under her hand. She imagined she could hear his heart beat, she knew she could hear her own.

The timer buzzed for the last time. "Okay, I'll just put these in the water rinse and we can turn the light on." He reached out to find her and move to her right. His hands found her sides just above the waist. He could feel her ribs beneath soft skin and shirt. As he moved behind her his face brushed her ponytail filling his nose with the smell of her. Almost against his will he bent forward and brushed his lips against the base of her neck. In a moment of realization of what he'd done he froze, waiting for what happened next.

A chill ran through her body. She could feel every hair stand on end as a spark flowed from the warmth of his lips over every inch of her skin. Her breath drained away in a sigh and she relaxed against his chest leaning her head back, opening her neck to his lips. He moved along her shoulder, kissing and breathing warmth against her skin. Reaching the neckline of her shirt he reversed the movement, kissing and licking gently back to just below her ear. Had it not been for the countertop her legs might have buckled.

Her scent, the softness of her skin and the feel of her body relaxing into him told him all he needed to know. He kissed her shoulder, her neck, her ear and back to her shoulder tracing his tongue along her skin feeling her body react. His hands left her sides and rose to the curve of her breasts. Gently caressing them, feeling their softness he moaned softly into her ear. Her nipples stiffened against his fingers.

She was floating in space. Eyes open and staring into complete blackness, her body giving itself over to his touch, his kiss, his breath. She felt his hands cup her breasts, his mouth gently suck her earlobe, the soft vibration of a moan against her skin. His right hand left her breast and slid slowly over her stomach to the top of her jeans gliding over them to caress her mound. Her breath escaped in a soft moan as her hips pushed against the palm of his hand.

He felt her hips move against his hand, pressing against him. His other hand moved to her jeans and unbuttoned the top, holding it as he slid the zipper down. Sliding his hand inside he felt the heat of her excitement, only a thin layer of nylon between them. Small sounds were coming from deep in her throat; almost words, the unformed song of passion. He began to kiss down the center of her back, slowly lowering himself to his knees, breathing hot breath against her spine through the thin cloth. Pulling the shirt from her jeans he kissed the small of her back, tasting her with his tongue and breathing warmth against her. He turned her to face him. A new scent found its way into his senses: the smell of a woman: a heavy musky odor of sex and want and need.

She had never felt like this before. Everything was heightened by the darkness, every touch electric. His hands moved over her leaving trails of sensation, his lips and breath making fire along her skin. She felt him open her pants, felt his hand against her and felt the need for more. His kisses down her back were electric and on the small of her back like nothing she'd ever felt. As she turned into him his lips and tongue traced fire and ice around her hip and across her stomach until she faced him. Her hand drifted down to caress the back of his head, pulling it close, forcing his hot breath into the center of her need.

Hooking his fingers into the top of her jeans he pulled them down, taking her panties with them. She rocked her hips to one side then the other helping him and rubbing against his face at the same time. He inhaled deeply and ran his tongue along the crease of her leg. He felt her shudder, her hand tighten on the back of his head. His lips and tongue were searching, exploring every fold, every part of her he could reach. He needed more room, to spread her legs, to open her to his mouth. One hand teased her foot from her clothes then dragged the barstool from the corner. Lifting her foot he found a place for it on the rungs of the stool, exposing the smooth softness of her thigh to his touch and his kiss.

His fingers, lips and tongue ran along the inside of her thigh, ever nearer to her center, to the place of heat and longing. His mouth found her, sucking her softly, his tongue gently opening her. She pulled him closer, guiding his movements, taking him where she needed him to be. She felt his tongue teasing at her opening, sliding along the slickness of her inner lips, his hands on her round soft ass pulling her against his ever-moving mouth. Her other hand moved to his head, holding him against her. She could feel him move as he ran his tongue along her cleft. It added to the fire she was feeling in the depths of her hips. She pulled him gently upward just enough to place her clit in the center of his lips. They closed around it as he gently sucked it in against his tongue. She couldn't control herself as her hips began to move against him in a rhythm matching his movements, beginning the eternal dance of lust.

She tasted of heat and passion. The slippery juices of love filled his mouth and coated his face. He sucked first one lip into his mouth then the other, forcing his tongue between them searching for the opening to her core. Her hips rocked forward, offering more of her to him, feeding him with her passion, her need. She was guiding him, her hands holding his head where she needed it, placing his lips against her sex. He felt the little hardness at the top of her lips and sucked it into his mouth, fucking it between his lips. His tongue slid along the underside of her clit almost to her opening as his gentle suction held her firmly to his mouth. With every breath her moans were a little louder, the mysterious sounds of sex urging him on. Her movements were growing faster, her hands pulling him against her so tight it was hard to breathe. She was getting close and he could feel her body tensing.

Oh God, yes, there, right there! His tongue fucked her while her clit rubbed his lips. She was so close, so near ecstasy every nerve in her being ached to cum. Her hips rocked against him shoving her clit harder and harder into his mouth. She began to spasm, shuddering as the first wave of orgasm swept over her and sounds of the little death escaped her lips. Contractions ran up and down her vagina and stars danced in the darkness all around her. Another wave shook her and then another as her body exploded in the release it so desperately needed.

He felt it. The tension and then the sudden stiffening of her body. Her breath made strange sounds deep in her throat as she ground her pussy into his face. Then her back arched and her breath caught as she lost all control, giving herself over to it. She stayed that way for moments of eternity as his mouth and tongue drained the need from her. Finally he felt the climax subside and she gently urged him to stop, holding him still against her.

It was all she could do to stand. She was trembling from the intensity of release, her breath slowly returning as her heartbeat subsided. She pulled him up, her hands on his face gently lifting him. As he slowly rose to his feet his hands guided him up her body until he stood holding her in his arms, feeling her heart beat, her breathing deep and regular against his chest. They stood sharing the warmth of afterglow; the darkness nestled against them, holding them in a state of perfect intimacy for a single moment outside of time.