There is nothing like a good close-up. And nothing like a great face. I can gaze into this little guy’s eyes for days, and I can giggle at his laugh every time I take a peek at his pics. I LOVE faces. If you’re 80 weeks young or 80 years old… Give me a face and I’ll give you a good close-up :)
And here are a quick couple of sneak peek pics of Mr. Blonde & Blue-Eye’d with his mom, who had a baby the very next day after our shoot! Pics of the new family to come soon…
Have a fabulous day, and I hope you get a chance to get in closer with the next great face you run into :)
xoxo,
Christa
“Women are Crazy, Men are Stupid” by Howard J. Morris and Jenny Lee has just hit the bookstores, and I couldn’t be more excited. The couple had commissioned me back in April to shoot their author photographs for the book jacket… The shoot was a blast and the pics are meant to look like a photo booth strip (take a peek at their session here.)
The couple and the book are already receiving positive reviews and have been featured on “Good Morning America” and in The NY Times. So run to the bookstore and buy this hysterical and honest account of how stupid and crazy clash and accomodate each other.
Then flip allllll the way to the back….
…and scan way waaaaaaaay down… Let me zoom in for you…
Lol! Published! Kind of.
This past weekend, I brought my mom into the bookstore to surprise her, and when I opened the book to the back flap – she just said “Wait, I have to get my glasses.” lol!
xoxo,
Christa
Friday Night Nudes… These are a few of the final shots I took on the Weston Estate and a nearby forest in Big Sur, during a workshop with Ed Weston’s grandson, Kim. I highly recommend the experience to everyone – pro and amateur, male and female, film and digital :)
I had so much fun shooting this whole series of Weston-inspired Nudes! And I hope you enjoyed them too…
Here’s an opportunity to win a free print – for all of my awesome blog readers who continue to come back and leave some love :) I’d love to hear which picture is your favorite from this series – Nudes No. 1, Nudes No. 2, Nudes No. 3, Nudes No. 4, and Nudes No. 5.
Let me know in the comments below by next Friday, Oct. 2nd, and I will select someone at random for a free 8×10 print of your favorite image :)
xoxo,
Christa
**Updated to add** The snake is REAL, and it’s a 9 foot Albino Burmese Python weighing 25 pounds. It feels like it’s way heavier though – I held it (albeit not while I was naked!). Find out more info about Eugene the snake by clicking here.
Jack and Samantha are two of the sweetest siblings I’ve ever met. These two are thick as thieves! They have a unique bond, which is apparent the moment you meet them… They adore one another, and I don’t say that lightly. Just look at the sepia pic above – how their hands are gripped tight, Sam’s foot on Jack’s foot, her hand on his arm, his arm around her - it’s my favorite shot, it speaks so much of their relationship. Sam looks up to her big brother with total love and abandon, trusting him to take her into the water, hold her up high, hug her tight, and follow her when she shouts “Jack, come with me!” And in return, Jack absolutely worships Samantha – can’t get enough of her! – he’ll even jump on the bed listening to a Katy Perry song, even though he hates it, just because it’s Sam’s favorite.
Here’s just a glimpse of this brother and sister in action…
Oh my goodness – how cute is this?!
Protective eye :)
Late summer sun… Popsicles… Playhouse rooftop… Childhood!
Wow, this session makes you feel so happy and nostalgic right?! Well that’s the beauty of my job, photographs, and kids :)
xoxo,
Christa
Driving by, you just might miss “Jack’s Polished Act”… a tiny shack floating in the middle of a busy and enormous car wash parking lot on Pico and Beverly Glen in Los Angeles. The shop consists of just two chairs on top of a big drawer full of tools, and the owner ain’t Jack… his name’s Billy.
Billy started shining shoes at 9 years old on a street corner in Oklahoma. Billy knew exactly what Boot Black was when I mentioned my Boot Black project to him, and he agreed that it’s an interesting profession rich in history that would make for a great photo book. Then Billy educated me a bit: he said you can call him a Boot Black or a Shine Man, but if he were still shining shoes at a barbershop, then you’d call him a Porter. Sometimes he’s also referred to as a Dye Man.
Two customers came for a shine the few minutes I was there. Billy works fast, and he used old socks for shine cloths.
Apparently a shoe shine today at Jack’s Polished Act will set you back six bucks.
After his last shine, we sat down to take a break and share some shoe-shining stories. He told me about his family of 7 kids and 14 grandkids – one son was a photographer but sadly passed away. We talked about the old days, the hot weather, the kindness of people, and staying active into your older years. All the while, the nearby car wash employee’s are watching us and yelling at him: “don’t break the camera!”
As I was leaving, Billy said “you’re very kind.” I said that I would be back, wearing my boots…
…and expecting a great shine and good stories :)
xoxo,
Christa
