May, 2017.  Becky 

For the first time I had invited my wife to a photoshoot.  Up until then I had always spent the night in a B&B alone, but that had turned out to be rather wasteful.  There is almost always a double bed available, right?

We rang the doorbell expectantly at the terraced house in the Carmersstraat in Bruges, a stepped gable house from 1673.  Bed & Breakfast Lady Jane.

A buzzer sound opened the door: spacious, high staircase — yes — but no owner in sight.

Hugo was in no hurry but took us to the first floor at his own pace.  The spacious bedroom on the street side was decorated in an oriental style.  No idea whether it was Japanese or Chinese, but the kimonos on display reminded me of the Land of the Rising Sun.

There was also a spacious breakfast room, a bathroom to match and a sort of office with a well-stocked library cabinet.  Blissful: Hugo is a reader!

At the appointed time, model Becky arrived.  She had just finished a shoot in Hasselt, but Bruges was her home base.  

Was that why she acted so relaxed ?

Especially for the shoot I bought a foldable ladder that you could also transform into a low scaffolding.  That way I could photograph the lying poses.

Becky wore, among other things, tight-fitting lingerie that wasn't too provocative.  I took the pictures that I had more or less in mind beforehand; that went faster than expected.  Finally I said: "I think that's enough.  There's still some time left, but I have all the poses I needed".

So I started cleaning up.

She hurried to the bathroom, but she was back quite quickly.  "Would you like to take a picture of me lying here?" she asked.  She pointed to a brown-striped, rust-colored cowhide on the landing.  

"Oh yes, of course!" 

She promptly removed her dressing gown and stood there completely naked.

I acted like it was my daily routine.  So I unfolded my ladder again, positioned it above her voluptuous body and … did my first nude shoot !  Thanks to Becky, this was a pivotal moment in my photo craze.

Until then I had called myself a 'boudoir photographer', for fear of being pointed at  if I presented young ladies in eva costumes.

Boudoir comes from the French 'bouder', which means 'to sulk'.  The lady-in-waiting in the eighteenth century could retreat to the opulent boudoir to wash, dress and rest.  She slept in the adjoining bedroom.  Later, the wealthy bourgeoisie followed this example.

In boudoir, the scanty clothing is meant to accentuate the naked body.  As a result, boudoir acquired an erotic charge over time.

But, with a covering of the lust-arousing parts it seems as if the lady in question wants to say : 'I have something delicious for you below !'   In this way, nudity is a bit less erotic and still beautiful.

It didn't stop with just the cowhide: I also photographed Becky in the common areas of the B&B : the stairwell and the bathroom.

At any moment another resident could appear, heading up the stairs to the bathroom. Exciting! But it didn't happen.