January 2010 | Christa Meola Pictures Inc.

Monthly Archives: January 2010

The Workshop, Boudoir Demo

Shooting Boudoir is addicting and a total party! I did a 15-minute boudoir demo shoot with my gorgeous friend Ximena at The Workshop this past weekend. Ximena is a regular gal, had never done anything like this before, and was totally nervous… which made her the perfect model! And for most of my 18 workshop attendees, it was their first time shooting boudoir…. ah, I love a good challenge! They each got time in my studio, shooting one of two models, and by the end of the workshop, I believe 18 little boudoir addicts were born!

I started the demo by sharing my philosophy on what’s beautiful and sexy to me: a woman enjoying herself, having fun, being free and open… and expressing all the wonderfully different facets of being feminine. It’s not about what you look like, it’s not about what you’re wearing or not wearing… it’s about letting that feminine energy out! Wooooohooooo….

I talked about creating movement and giving direction (above pic)…

…that laughter is sexy…

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…extreeeeeme poses (and a little help from the liquify tool)….

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…capturing the beautiful “in-between” moments…

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…the importance of sexy little details…

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…and your artistic choices in post…

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…and making sure to be energetic, keep the laughter going, and the camera clicking!…

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I’ll talk more in the coming weeks about shooting Boudoir and being sexy and feminine. In celebration of Valentine’s Day coming up, I’m giving you my Top 5 Things to do on a Boudoir Shoot, as well as my Favorite Things to Bring to a Boudoir Shoot.

On Monday, I’ll be opening registration for The Boudoir Workshop in LA on April 3^rd and 4^th, and The Boudoir Workshop in Paris! in June, details on that coming soon…

Have a sexy weekend :)

xoxo,

Christa

January 29, 2010 | 15 Comments - Leave a comment!

The Workshop, a Heaping Bowl of Thanks

Wow, The Workshop was an amazing experience! It was a total blast and so much fun… but what really stood out to me was the incredible openness of all the attendee’s… their incredible energy, encouragement, experimental spirit, curiosity, and camaraderie – they truly made the weekend what it was, and I couldn’t have dreamed up a better group!

I loved seeing everyone support each other, encourage each other, and most of all… laughing our asses off together. I know we all made some wonderful connections and friendships that will last, and it gave me such joy to see everyone hugging and hating to say goodbye last night. It was an event I’ll never forget – it was my first Workshop for Pro’s, and you all made it meaningful for me in so many ways.

I will be posting pics from The Workshop this upcoming week, as well as pics from today’s Boudoir Workshop.

Then lots more to shoot and blog all week – valentine boudoir session, a newborn session, an afternoon tea party, a bachelor party scotch tasting (!!), and a wedding… Whew!… how much fun and variety is that?!

Thank you to all The Workshop attendee’s – you hold a deep and special place in my heart for making my first time a fulfilling experience that took my whole job and art to a deeper level…. Love you guys and looking forward to participating even further in your growth!

xoxo,

Christa

January 25, 2010 | 18 Comments - Leave a comment!

Man About Town, The German

Ok, I have a confession to make… this man, this gorgeous German, is the reason I have been such a neglectful blogger lately. Gunnar and I met in December at the Tony Robbins event, Date with Destiny…. and well… it sure was! He just flat out rocked my world…

Last week, we spent about 20 minutes in my studio taking some shots for his business, but I gotta say… I was taking shots for me! I wanted to capture all the parts I love… handsome, hot, and masculine… thoughtful, sexy, and fun.

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Ok, I admit it – I asked him to take it all off…

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…and I’ll end it on that note :)

I had a blast switching it up and photographing a man, my man in particular this time. I hope to make “Man About Town” a regular feature on the blog to balance out all the boudoir shoots with some masculine energy!

Amen to that :)

Christa

January 18, 2010 | 12 Comments - Leave a comment!

Capturing Authentic Joy

How to take photos “as awe inspiring as your kid’s world-class cuteness!” The awesome new resource for moms and photographers has launched!.. Check out TheMomtographers.com – the place to go for inspiration, easy lessons, geeking out with other momtogs, and bringing your snaps to a whole new level!

The Momtographers, Krista Njapa and Adrienne Gray, launched their beautiful site with an interview of me and the best advice I could offer momtogs on how to capture what The Momtogs call my specialty… “Authentic Joy!” So without further ado, here it is:

“We couldn’t be prouder in our premier edition of ”Help A Momtographer Out!” to introduce you to Los Angeles Photographer, Christa Meola. In fact, left on it’s surface, describing Christa with just the term photographer is a little misleading. Treat yourself to a few minutes going through her portfolio, and you’ll understand what we mean. She’s an artist that truly captures the spirit of family with her unique voice – life, sung in the key of happy. Every image radiates a joy and warmth, clearly infused with her sunny perspective.

So before we go trying to change her business cards to something like “Purveyor of Photographic Sunshine”, let’s ask her a few questions….”

Read more of the Interview here: “How to Capture Authentic Joy, with Christa Meola”

Congratulations to TheMomtographers!… It’s a beautiful and fun site that will help thousands of moms everywhere capture the meaningful moments of everyday life :)

xoxo,

Christa

January 10, 2010 | 7 Comments - Leave a comment!

Secret Rendezvous

I had a very secret rendezvous recently… Mrs. C and I planned this surprise shoot as a Christmas gift for her husband, and I just heard from her today letting me know that he was beyond thrilled! And even better, Mrs. C mentioned how good she felt during the shoot and how she loves the pictures and feels amazing! Now that is what’s deeply fulfilling to me… giving women the gift of feeling good about themselves.

It all started in The Biltmore Hotel lobby with la belle femme…

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Did someone ring for Maid Service?

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My #1 absolute favorite photo set-up: a hotel bed, white sheets, big window, and nothing but nakedness…

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I love this shot… it reminds me of being a girl, being in love, and being in Paris. Mrs. C is wearing the La Perla lingerie that her husband gave her on their honeymoon about 8 years earlier, and I asked her to think back to the first time she had it on…

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With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I’ll be shooting lots and lots of beautiful women coming up…

But you don’t need a holiday to give your man or yourself the amazing gift of feeling good and feeling sexy :) It just takes a simple decision to be that way.

Wishing you lots of moments overflowing with feeling good!

xoxo,

Christa

ps. You can see more of Mrs. C in the post “Private Dancer.”

January 6, 2010 | 12 Comments - Leave a comment!