To: pml1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [PML1] Classic Centerfold: Debbie Boostrom
From: Mark Tomlonson
Date: Tue, 01 Jul 2003 17:28:47 -0400

No one has a perfect body. As anyone who has suffered under Aunt Bess' 
Instamatic can attest, it's always possible to find an angle or pose or 
light that makes the victim, er, subject of the photograph look far 
worse than they really are. (What sadist developed the Flashcube?) It is 
much more difficult to take a picture that casts the model in the best 
possible light, to bring out all of their greatest qualities while 
downplaying all of the negatives. Mario Casilli has shown that he's no 
stranger to finding that perfect shot. He did it with Linda Gamble, with 
Tonya Crews, with Gwen Wong, and in August of 1981 he did it in the 
Classic Centerfold of Debbie Boostrom.

Debbie is seated on a high stool, the kind we call a "Director's Chair" 
around here. She seems to be in a casual dining area, like a breakfast 
nook or a sun porch, on a brightly lit summer or late spring day. Other 
than that, we can't draw a whole lot of conclusions about the implied 
situation. But it does seem to represent an actual moment in time, as 
opposed to merely props to decorate a pretty girl. Judging from the 
expression on her face she and someone she is familiar with are in the 
middle of a romantic encounter.

The light represents light that is filtered in through the blinds to 
Debbie's left and gives a general soft, warm, even glow to the scene. I 
could have sworn that Debbie had just the slightest hint of sweat in the 
foldout, but a close examination shows there is none. A tribute, I 
think, to how well this centerfold is lit. The brightness of the shade 
on the right hand side balances the somewhat darker tones of Debbie on 
the left. These two roughly rectangular forms are contrasted with the 
legs of the stool and Debbie's legs that make up the bottom half of the 
centerfold.

And how they do! Debbie has elegant, toned legs that seem to go one 
forever. Her right leg is stretched out toward the camera, and accented 
with a red shoe. The angle of the leg to the camera brings out its 
strength and toned muscles. The left leg is bent so that her foot almost 
touches her right knee. The shoe wouldn't work here, so it's placed in 
her right hand on her hip, adding just a splash of color. The left leg 
is bent just enough to bring out the fullness and curves of her legs and 
the softness and tenderness of her thigh. Debbie is twisted slightly in 
the chair so that the pose, which so flatters and delineates her lovely 
legs is echoed and reinforced by the legs of the chair.

Debbie's stomach is just as toned as her legs without the washboard 
hardness of an obsessive bodybuilder. We can tell this because of the 
way Debbie is turned just to the left and the way the lighting is arranged.

That slight left twist allows Debbie to retain a bit of modesty that 
fits her girl next door aura. Even so, it's possible for those of us 
with weak imaginations to imagine several overt sexual encounters that 
could take place without Debbie moving as much as one inch. The 
imaginative among us are doing even better.

My own preferences may be showing through here, but I think I could 
easily write 1,000 words about the way Debbie's breasts are treated 
here. If there's any kind of exaggeration in this picture it all results 
in flattery. Debbie is shown with her headlights on low beam that serves 
to emphasize the softness and caressability of her breasts. Debbie's 
slight twist allows her left breast to be in profile, something that's 
done in so many foldouts it's almost a cliché, but it does help the 
viewer imagine the full three-dimensional shape of her breasts. Debbie's 
tan line serves as a subtle spotlight on her right breast. This draws 
our eye to it, as well as the way her nipple is pointed almost directly 
at the camera. This bit of trickery is paid off as the vertical angle of 
her torso gives her breasts a very rounded and full shape, again 
highlighting their softness.

This centerfold has a greater atmosphere of a documentary than most. 
Debbie isn't a small woman, and there's no effort made to increase her 
apparent bust size or to minimize it. As a result it's Debbie's 
outstanding natural form that plays the starring role. (Hearken and pay 
attention, all ye who have come of age in the 90's. This is what a large 
female breast looks like.) This accent on shape continues as Debbie's 
hair is pulled up off her neck, showing that the curve of her breasts 
start at her collarbone.

And the pulled up hair also flatters and highlights Debbie's face. The 
shape of her hair matches the shape of her face and the light wisps 
circling about give her a more feminine air - as if that was needed!

The only thing I can possible second guess about this Classic Centerfold 
is the smile on Debbie's face. To my eyes the large front teeth give her 
an air of provincialism that contrasts sharply - too sharply I think - 
with the mood and the tone of the rest of the photo. Don't misunderstand 
- she has a lovely smile and a truly lovely face. I think that instead I 
would have picked either a closed mouth smile or one that didn't show 
quite so much teeth. It's a judgement call for sure.

When looking at a foldout like this it's easy to miss the art and craft 
that have gone into it and concentrate on the blindingly pretty young 
woman who is the subject. But if it weren't for the art and craft shown 
by the entire production staff we'd never have Classic Centerfold. We'd 
just have pictures of naked girls.

Mark Tomlonson
Kalamazoo MI