My wifes modeling career

[jdviole2]

So here is the final part of our story. We met, in 1973, at a picnic sponsored by the company where she and my father both worked. Three weeks later I asked her to marry me. (Yes that was pretty fast). There are a milliion stories I could tell you about her but this one best shows the qualities she possessed that captured my love forever. The unpredictability, the sense of fun, and the stubborn insistence on getting her own way. From what I've written before you know that she was pretty shy about her body. She NEVER wanted anyone but the doctor or myself to see her naked. No one else. So the idea of her doing anything that could be thought of as exhibitionism was beyond my imagining. In 1990 (making her 39 years old) we were on vacation in San Diego California. Our motel was only a few blocks from the crowded downtown area. It was surrounded by multi story apartment buildings and tall office towers. All with very good views of the motel grounds including the outdoor pool. It was our last day of vacation and we wanted to take one final swim. I took a couple of pictures of her in her bathing suit and then locked the camera in our room. When I got back outside she was already in the pool.....and her swimsuit was outside the pool on a lounge chair. After swimming and playing around for about 45 minutes we were ready to get dressed to go out for dinner. I expected her to ask me to get the suit so she could put it on in the pool. Instead she climbed out retrieved her suit, and walked naked back to our room. When I asked her what in the world she had been thinking of when she did that, all she would say was "Well I couldn't know for SURE that anyone was watching us". For whatever reason she had decided she wanted to swim naked that day and nothing was going to stop her. That was her one and only experience in skinny dipping. Not in some lake deep in the woods away from anyone who could see her but out in the open, in the bright sunlight, in the middle of a city of one and a quarter million people. She made sure that life was never boring. The first two photos are the swimsuit pictures I just mentioned, and the last ones are what I think are her two most seductive photos. We spent over 45 years together, always as deeply in love as the day we married and impossibly happy, up to the day she passed away, Dec 26 2019. She was 68, her name was Helena and she was my best friend. Even though she said she never wanted anyone to see her naked, I wanted people to see how beautiful she was, and how playful she was, and how brave she was. The internet and OCC have given me a chance to showcase her. I want to thank all of you who have stopped by to visit her and for all the kind things you have had to say. She would have been greatly surprised and touched by all the positive and flattering things you had to say about her. Though there will be no new nude photos of her posted, pay a return visit occasionally to see her again. If any of you downloaded some of these pictures for your own collection, enjoy them with our compliments. You know her name now so you can tell your friends about her and point them toward OCC where she lives on, hopefully forever. Thank you all again.

[jdviole2]

I have one final thing to say. I've been asked how Helena would feel about my posting her pictures on OCC. When we first took them she was dead set against anyone ever seeing them. When the internet got itself going I asked her about putting them on the web. She asked if anyone would see her. I told it was possible that everyone in the world would see her. I wasn't too surprised when she again said NO. She repeated that no one was to see her naked. However, in 2016, she had to go into a skilled nursing facility for two years. One day some of the CNA's and nurses asked if we could show them some pictures of her when she was younger. Helena told me to show them some of the photos I had on my IPAD. I reminded her what kind of pictures they were. To my complete surprise she said that it would be OK with her for them to see her like that. I told her she had to select the pictures herself. She chose four including one full frontal shot. Well, the CNA's were blown away. The idea that this "old lady" had done something like that fascinated them. (These were young kids of 18 or 19) The nurses were close to Helena's age and they both admitted that they wouldn't have had the nerve to pose like that. For the rest of her stay the "kids" would bring new CNA's in to see the pictures so they would know how "cool" Helena was. Later I asked her if we could finally put her pictures on the internet. She said that if the day came that she wouldn't have to worry about any of her friends seeing them I could do what I thought best. Thats what I have done. So while she probably wouldn't be exactly happy with me for what I have done, she would understand why I did it. I want to end my postings on a positive note, so here are four pictures taken on some of the many vacations we enjoyed together. On behalf of Helena and myself thank you again for all your attention and interest. We had a lot of fun taking the pictures and I have been glad to get the chance to present them to you.

[jackpiker]

Just to say thank you for posting the photos you have .

We would hope that you will stay part of this forum

[Yiska]

Originally Posted by jdviole2

I made no attempt to "pose" her. I was the camera man. She posed herself. I've been asked to put some dates on these photos. Since 45 years have passed the month and day are lost to time. However all of the photos were taken in 1974 and 1975.

Oh the 70's. The golden age of 35mm photography. Did you develop and print your own film? I really enjoyed working in a photographers lab back then.

[Yiska]

Originally Posted by Yiska

Oh the 70's. The golden age of 35mm photography. Did you develop and print your own film? I really enjoyed working in a photographers lab back then.

Never mind. I finished reading all your posts and I am so sorry for your loss. Helena was a beautiful person and soul.
It is obvious from your story that you two had what millions prey for. Sharing her story with us was brave and, at least by me, appreciated. When I first saw her my first thought was Bettie Page. She had that look. You ability with the camera is great as well.
Thank you again for this amazing story.

[bsanchez21000]

Thank you for sharing your love with us. We grieve and celebrate with you.

[jdviole2]

Hi again. I have a couple of things. First off I neglected to thank whomever it was that set up this thread. My first posts here were in another thread. When I went to post again I found my earlier post had been moved to this special thread. I didn't set this up so whoever did thank you very much. It really made it a more special for me. Second item. In a couple of weeks I'm going to resume scanning most of my slides and pictures to digital files. (I have around 3 to 4 thousand slides alone) The point is that Helena is in a lot of these photos. NOT NUDE but still. I was thinking of posting some of these on OCC. I know there are various threads with non-nude photos. So your opinions please. Should I post in one of those existing threads, should I create a new non-nude thread for Helena or should I continue using this thread. (Or of course the fourth option not posting any additional pictures of her at all just letting the existing ones stand) Let me know please. It will be a month or so before I am ready to post anymore. I will attach one sample of what I am talking about. This is another from our vacations.

[openthe4thseal]

Originally Posted by jdviole2

Should I post in one of those existing threads, should I create a new non-nude thread for Helena or should I continue using this thread.

You keep them all right here, my brother. 'Seal has spoken.

[bsanchez21000]

Originally Posted by jdviole2

Hi again. I have a couple of things. First off I neglected to thank whomever it was that set up this thread. My first posts here were in another thread. When I went to post again I found my earlier post had been moved to this special thread. I didn't set this up so whoever did thank you very much. It really made it a more special for me. Second item. In a couple of weeks I'm going to resume scanning most of my slides and pictures to digital files. (I have around 3 to 4 thousand slides alone) The point is that Helena is in a lot of these photos. NOT NUDE but still. I was thinking of posting some of these on OCC. I know there are various threads with non-nude photos. So your opinions please. Should I post in one of those existing threads, should I create a new non-nude thread for Helena or should I continue using this thread. (Or of course the fourth option not posting any additional pictures of her at all just letting the existing ones stand) Let me know please. It will be a month or so before I am ready to post anymore. I will attach one sample of what I am talking about. This is another from our vacations.

This is so cool! Yes, please do continue to post. Details as to year and circumstance would be great for memorializing this wonderful person.

[jdviole2]

Having received a blessing to continue from Seal and encouragement from others I will follow my plan to post some more about Helena in this thread. As I said it will take a great deal of time to upload and then digitally cleanup the slides/prints but will post from time to time. Note the title change to "in front of the camera" since she really didn't "model" for these pictures. In the first picture uploaded today you will notice that she is removing a camera from its case. She started taking pictures with a Leica camera her dad loaned her. Later, at her request, I bought a Minolta SLR and set of lenses and other equipment for her. She was a very good photographer. In fact when I pick landscapes to paint, more often than not I find that it is one of her photos that I am painting. That particular photo was taken about 1980 somewhere in Colorado. The second picture is taken in Monument Valley around 1987. The last picture (a bit out of focus, there wasn't enough room or light to take a really sharp shot) is taken in Naples Italy in 1974. I was with the navy stationed in Naples and she came over to stay for a month after we got married. The location is a Kentucky Fried Chicken store. I guess they didn't think that Kentucky would mean anything to the Italians so the store was actually called "The Colonel's Special Chicken". It was just a "hole in the wall" store but was the real deal. A very strange feeling eating very familiar food in a totally foreign environment.