Sightseeing in Jordaan

Jessica leaned back in the wrought iron cafe seat and sighed. The sun was already all the way up to its zenith. She had to pop her sunglasses on to protect her eyes. The tourist pamphlets were spread out on the small round table in front of her and she was no closer to a decision on what to do today than she was when she had left the hotel. She took a slow sip of her coffee as the waitress reappeared.

“Would you like a refill?” the girl offered.

Jessica smiled and nodded, setting her cup on the table to be replenished.

“Looking to take in the sights, I see!” the waitress noted in a jovial and casual manner as she nodded her head at the tourist brochures on display.

Jessica leaned into her armrest and looked over to the young brunette. “You wouldn’t happen to have a suggestion on that, would you?” she asked inquisitively.

“Oh!” the girl answered. She gave the brochures a closer look, “I’ve been to the saunas. A spa day is always a great thing to do on a vacation! If you’re looking to do some sightseeing, you could try a boat tour! The canals are very scenic and tours are always being run up and down them. They have some with meals included or with entertainment on board...”

Jessica frowned, “Maybe if there was someone to go with…” she sighed dismissively. She didn’t really want to go on one of those touristy boats by herself; she didn’t want to look like she was alone, neither for her own self esteem, nor to attract the wrong sort of people. She shrugged and added with a smirk, “I left the boyfriend back at home.”

The waitress laughed at her joke and suggested an alternative. “You could take a tour on bike, if you’re okay with a little exercise!” She motioned over to her right, looking into the distance. “I could point you to a spot where you can rent a bike out for the day! It’s not very expensive. Even the locals rent bikes from there, to run errands around town.”

Jessica thought about her still-sore backside, which didn’t feel like it could take a day of bicycling. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and laughed nervously. “I don’t think I’m in the best condition for exercise today,” she admitted without going into more detail. “Are there any tours within walking distance?”

The young woman smiled and looked around as if noticing the neighborhood for the first time. She rubbed her chin as she thought to herself for a moment, running through the options she knew about. “I know!” she announced before she turned her head down the road, opposite to the bike rentals. “If you just follow the path down there, you’ll come into the part of the city called Jordaan. It’s full of contemporary art, music and food! You can go shopping, take in some of the local culture and try out some of the food and drinks!”

Jessica’s eyes lit up. Contemporary art might be just the thing she was looking for. Libertating, expressive and sensual… that’s what she was in the mood for at the moment. She smiled at her waitress and replied, “I think I might check that out!”

Her server smiled, pleased with herself that she could help out. “Let me mark it down on your map here… we are about here and if you head along this road, it’ll be a short walk to get there,” she said as she highlighted the general location on one of the small maps on the brochure.

In the end, Jordaan wasn’t hard to find. Jessica could recognize the bohemian atmosphere as she entered it. The narrow street had the canal to one side, while the other became lined with brightly colored shops and restaurants already populated by customers. On one corner a musician played his guitar. At another one, a vendor displayed various small pastries that would have tempted her had she not already eaten.

She passed by a group of attractive locals drinking on the patio of a cafe. They spoke Dutch among themselves and wore light tops and shorts. Jessica smiled at them, but they were too deep in discussion to notice. Jessica felt her stomach drop, but she continued to walk as if nothing had happened. She had found the neighborhood, but that wasn’t an automatic hookup. She didn’t know anybody here. The hollywood starlet was beginning to feel the pangs of solitude and she dreaded the idea of starting up a conversation with strangers. This wasn’t her sort of thing; usually she would have someone, who knew someone, to help with introductions. What would she talk about? How could she break the ice with people? It was all starting to feel awkward for her, to the point of her potentially retreating back to the hotel room. She calmed her nerves as she continued to stroll and thought back to the night before at the club. How did things go back then? For some reason, picking up men in a dark club environment felt totally different from approaching them in the middle of the day. Jessica was feeling self conscious about why she was here now, so she decided to revert back to tourist mode and just take in the sights for now.

It wasn’t hard for her to switch over, since the sights were worth seeing. Boats slowly puttered by in the canal below, filled with groups of onlookers snapping photos through the glass walls of the vehicles. They were large flat boats, built to carry busloads of passengers. Jessica started to feel vindicated in her decision to waive that opportunity. It would be hard enough meeting someone, let alone getting some privacy with them on a crowded boat.

The street hustled with its own community of pedestrians. It was just enough people to feel busy, while not enough to crowd the road. Jessica’s attention turned to the storefronts. She peered inside some of the shops. One was a thrift store cluttered with colorful shirts and skirts. Bangles and belts hung inside the display window which was centered by a mannequin in beachwear. Next to that was a magazine and smoke shop. It carried various publications in Dutch but Jessica could spot a few American magazines as well. Past that was a building with paintings. They showcased nature drawings and stills. They looked well done but not interesting enough for her to go in and peruse.

A few stores down and something caught Jessica’s eye. It was a familiar photograph that she had seen before in an old magazine. The model in question was very recognizable with her long, curly blonde hair, pouty lips and generous bust. It was Claudia Schiffer in a classic pose atop a bright red 60’s era hot rod with crested fins jutted out from either side. The German model leaned slightly forward as she perched between the fins. She wore a frilly white top and matching skirt, both barely capable of hiding her picturesque assets. Jessica peered inside the gallery to find similar shots of other girls in pin up poses and various states of undress. It looked to be a display of a photographer’s work.

It was enough to get her inside to look. The writing on the wall identified the photographer as Ellen Von Unwerth, a German fashion photographer that had done work for Vogue and Vanity Fair among other notable prints. Jessica had seen this woman’s works before and was a fan. She chastised herself for not recognizing it earlier. As she could confirm by looking around, the photographer’s motif was a playful erotic style that captured the energy and spirit of her models.

There were plenty of images of Schiffer, whom Von Unwerth had apparently discovered, skyrocketing both of their respective professional careers. One picture was with the blonde, hair bundled up, looking off into the distance with parted lips. She wore a lace black camisole with bare shoulders that hugged forward, creating an illusion of inviting you to approach. Another had the model laying in a tub, with her shoulders poking out from the soap-bubbled water. She had her hair up, held with a bandana, while she looked off camera giving a devilish grin. Jessica found another Schiffer; this time standing with her back to the camera, covering her topless body with her hands as she turned to look back from behind a parasol. Von Unwerth had certainly drawn out a level of ease with the supermodel to attain so many intimate shots.

Claudia wasn’t the only subject that was on display in the gallery however. There were various other models and pictures also worthy of attention. Of the more racy pieces being shown, Jessica found one outside on a lawn, of a maid spraying an entirely nude girl with a hose. There was a quote underneath that read:

“I think that the obsession with technique is a male thing. Boy’s toys. They love playing... I would rather search for a new model or location.”

An image of David Bowie and Kate Moss laid back in a high end condo living room. David was on the couch, staring up, while Kate was on her back on the shag carpet with her leg lifted in the air:

“I like to photograph anyone before they know what their best angles are.”

A portrait shot of Naomi Campbell on the phone in a snake skinned bra, wearing empty pop cans as hair curlers:

"I love beautiful women. I love to show their personality, their sexuality. There's a fashion side to my erotic pictures. I love beautiful shoes and jewellery. But the erotic work I do is too daring and provocative for a fashion magazine. It's more fun, and if you have the right girl who likes it, more exciting too. It's fashion photography, but with fewer clothes."

A picture of Drew Barrymore sucking on a popsicle:

“A sexy picture can come from anyone who forms an intimacy with their subject. You can take a sexy picture of your cat if you want to.”

A black and white image of a blonde in white lingerie on her hands and knees, being lead on all fours by another lady with latex heels and a riding crop.

“I love all the old pictures—of spanking and Bettie Page and corsets. But you can’t do spanking in fashion, so I wanted to do a project where I could really let go and get girls who also love those things.”

Jessica held her breath as she pondered to herself what it’d be like to be in that picture, or any of the other equally provocative ones around it. The thought gave her a thrill of excitement. Van Unwerth had shot plenty of celebrities, including Britney Spears, Victoria Beckham and Penelope Cruz.

“Like what you see?” A woman’s voice murmured next to Jessica.

Jessica turned to see a slender blonde in sharp dress pants and a vest. She was smiling back warmly, causing well-worn creases in her weathered, yet still smooth skin. Jessica recognized the woman immediately. “Ellen Von Unwerth!” she exclaimed in surprise.

“Jessica Alba!” Ellen shot back with a jovial shocked expression. “You didn’t come all the way out to Amsterdam just to see my work, did you? If so, I’m flattered!”

Jessica smiled and blushed, shaking her head. “I’m on vacation, but I had to stop in when I saw all the beautiful pictures from the street. You do amazing stuff! I’ve been a fan for a while now!”

Ellen bowed slightly and waved it off, “I’m only trying to capture what is already there! I’m a fan of you as well!”

“Thank you!” Jessica replied, looking about some more at the walls mounted with tantalizing images. “These really are great pieces. I could see one of them hanging in my house. Are the prints for sale?”

“Of course!” Ellen said, then paused to look at Jessica. “But then again.. Have you considered having your own pictures done?”

Jessica took a step back. “Oh, I couldn’t…” she started, instantly blushing and reverting back to her self conscious self. She never saw herself as a sex symbol the way these models were depicted, and whenever it was brought up she would get insecure about it. Then she realized that this major fashion photographer, of whom she was a fan, was offering to take her picture. It would be, at the very least, impolite to refuse. She felt a nervous pang in her stomach but her heart began to race as she said, “I mean…I wouldn’t know what to do…”

Ellen seemed to take Jessica’s awkward humility with a bemused smile. She waved her hand dismissively and said, “I’ll help ease you into it, dahling! It will be fun, not stressful! Hahaha!” Ellen’s laugh was disarming and put Jessica at ease. “I always give my models something to do so they don’t have to think about what they should be doing. It helps take the tension away from trying to look nice. That’s my job! You’re an actor, you know what it’s like to immerse yourself into a scene, right?” It was as if she was a friend convincing Jessica to join her for a party. It was no big deal.

Jessica nodded with a smile, “Oh, yeah, I can do that!”

“Great! How about we do a shoot today?”

“Right now?” Jessica asked with some shock.

“That is, if you’re not busy…” Ellen answered.

Jessica could feel her face flush up from the fast pace with which things had escalated. She looked at the photographer and shrugged her shoulders, giving a nervous giggle as she decided, “Sure, why not?”

Ellen joined in the laughter, noting, “Oh, I like that attitude!”

Jessica looked around sheepishly. “So… where do we do this? Is there a studio in the back or something?”

“Hah!” Ellen laughed again, as if Jessica had told a joke with a surprising punchline. “Oh no, dear! I’m not going to take you to some drab studio to have your portrait taken!” She put a hand on Jessica’s shoulder and leaned in to confide in her. “I was a model for years before I even took my first picture. I know how it can be with men telling you how to sit, where to look, etcetera… I don’t do things like that! You’re going to laugh and smile because you want to! If you don’t? That’s alright too! As long as it’s real.” She gripped her hands on Jessica’s shoulders then relaxed them. “If you relax, enjoy the moment, then this will turn out to be a wonderful experience! The idea is to have fun!”

Jessica turned her gaze back at the image of the woman in heels walking the other woman, and gave Ellen a sidelong glance and a wry grin. “Just how much fun are we talking here?”

Ellen returned the mischievous grin and replied, “With that spirit, we’re going to have a marvellous time!”

Jessica’s heart was pounding at the promise of something naughty, while her stomach churned at the prospect of doing something she’d never done before. She had a nervous energy that seemed to intrigue the famous photographer. It may not be the hookup she had intended, but Jessica was set up for an interesting experience. The question was; where will Ellen take her for the photoshoot?