Yearly Archives: 2011

Boudie Call!

That’s right – it’s almost that time again!

Time for a Boudie Call! wooohoooo! The calls are pretty rad, get kinda wild, spark some delicious debates, and are always PACKED with valuable information, insight, and FUN!

My Boudie Calls are free live Q&A calls for newbies and pro photographers who have some burning questions and want to join a hot conversation. There is no topic off-limit, and I’ve got some provocative issues in mind for the next BOUDIE CALL coming up in mid-November…

You do not want to miss it!

So GET ON MY BOUDIE CALL LIST, and you’ll receive early notification of my next Live Q&A with the dial-in instructions.

Looking forward to chatting with ya soon! and make sure to BYOB 🙂

Christa

***This Boudie Call recording is now available to all – you can listen in right now!

Smoking and Swinging, No. 1

I love a juicy booty!

This week, between Rich Happy & Hot Live (an entrepreneur’s bad ass mega-event), several shoots, Photo Plus Expo in NYC, and friends visiting from out of town – it’s been a whirlwind of inspiration, art, riches, and fun! But I wanted to pause briefly, to share a tantalizing teaser with you from one very lazy sexy cool shoot from Italy.

And if ya missed it, we had such a lively discussion and hot debate on the blog about my recent selection for Pose of the Month!  Hurry on over and check it out!

All of the smoking hot pics from this shoot coming later in the week 🙂

Stay tuned!

Christa

ps. I’ve chosen the winner of The Money Shots™ and a complimentary bottle of Grappa from Italy! Check out the Pose of the Month to see the winner!

Pose of the Month & a Giveaway!

I’m such an Art Addict, and if you’re reading my blog, I suspect you are one too 🙂 I love to share inspiring art from across all media, so let’s kick off this recurring blog feature with a sculpture I think is utterly sublime. While in Paris this summer, I came upon this sculpture at the Musee D’Orsay, which stopped me in my tracks, and I think I actually gasped.

I could have photographed this woman all day long – perfection from all angles. Unfortunately, taking pics at Musee D’Orsay is not allowed, and I typically respect that policy. Til now. I just had to snap this pic to share this pose with you, and I did so swiftly and from my hip, praying it was in focus. And then I ran, hahahaa. Not graceful, but I got the shot for you to see.

I am in love with this salute to a woman’s hips! To make the hip bone the pinnacle of the artwork is such a feat, and while making the woman look relaxed and seductive is even more impressive. Her left hand is so erotic, and I love all the details from her single braid, delicate armband of her robe, and her bigger second toe! Part of me actually wants to coach her a bit more… “take your right hand up and brush it through your hair and turn your head to the left…” or is it just me?

I’d love to hear what you love/don’t-love about this pose. Do you think she looks relaxed and seductive or awkward? Would you change anything, like that right arm?

And to inspire you even further, I’m doing a GIVEAWAY!.. a GORGEOUS glass bottle of yummy Grappa straight from my summer in Italy! PLUS my latest extra hot product: THE MONEY SHOTS™ – a set of my Top Ten Bestselling and super inspiring poses and ideas for you to capture with enormous success every single time!

To win, LEAVE A COMMENT by Monday Oct. 24th 12pm EST with your thoughts regarding this pose!

***UPDATE: The Winner of THE MONEY SHOTS™ and a bottle of Grappa is… Kyle Vincent Thomas – Congrats! Our Studio Manager will email you details on how to collect 🙂

Bonne chance!

Christa
ps. winner chosen using random.org and selected Monday Oct. 24th 12pm EST.
pps. you know I’m totally going to do this pose on my next shoot! Stay tuned… 🙂

 

“Go Feed Yourself!”

I recently had the pleasure of photographing the gorgeous, smart and talented Heather Pierce Giannone, who teaches busy entrepreneurs How to Help their Bodies Keep up with their Business.

What I love about Heather is her tell-it-to-ya-straight sassy style. She’s like an Italian grandmother with her amazing home-cooking and nurturing ways, mixed with a bit of Godfather with her slap-ya-in-the-face honesty. Her upcoming product “Go Feed Yourself!” is a perfect example.

Heather teaches deliciously simple cooking classes in Connecticut and provides one-on-one “power sessions” for busy bees like me who want a clear plan of next steps to increase energy and mental focus. Plus, look at how much fun this girl has in the kitchen!

You can catch all the goodness on Heather’s website, where she blogs regularly with useful video demo’s and relevant topics such as Stupid Things that Smart People Eat, and an Easy Strategy for Eating Well without Depriving Yourself.

Smart girl.

Here’s to gorgeous bods and sharp minds!

Christa

Bringing out the Best in your Boudoir Client, Part 2 Planning = Success!

I am currently featured on The Photo Life, Pictage’s Pro Photography blog, with my latest article for boudoir photographers.

Here’s an exerpt:

Last edition was of Bringing out the Best in Your Boudoir Client was Part 1: Overcoming Fears and Doubts, and we talked about letting your client know what to expect and making sure she feels you understand her fears and doubts even better then she does.

Now on to the juicy stuff!

Bringing out the best in a non-model, ie. an everyday woman (who is most likely nervous to do a boudoir shoot) entails setting up your shoot for success during the planning stage. Let’s take a peek at how to plan a successful shoot so it runs smooth like buttah.

Make it a Collaboration From The Beginning
Invite your client’s full participation in this experience, which makes it much more meaningful than just a photo shoot and gets her fully invested in the event and the final result. During the initial contact with my client, I like to set us up for success. I make sure to do all of what’s described here for each client – it takes minimal effort truly, and really goes a long way in bringing out the best in each woman as well as juicing up my sales.

Keep reading for ALL MY JUICY TIPS on this topic!

Thanks for stopping by!

Christa

Tuscan Spin on a Vespa!

When in Italy, a cruise on a Vespa is required!
(Cute boy also required.)





I just love that face!

A great big THANK YOU to Leo, my little fratello italiano!

…for being such a cutie and letting us use your bike 🙂

zoom zoom,

Christa

A Private Picnic

Autumn is the perfect time to host a lazy afternoon picnic. Find a private spot outdoors, grab your favorite wine & yummies, dress up or down, and soak up all the delicious moments life offers.




And this one is my favorite. My ode to the olive branch 🙂
Thank you to everyone who’s been following the blog and all the fabulous shoots from my Italy Workshop & Retreat. It’s kind of blown up around here, so hello to all the new people too!

I’m so psyched that everyone is downloading and enjoying my latest Boudoir Photography resource –

The Money Shots™

– thank you for checking it out, and I love hearing your success stories, so keep ’em coming!

More saucy pics on the blog all week. Now off to picnic in the park!

xo, Christa

A Design Atelier, Paris

This summer, I was so fortunate to spend two beautiful and inspiring weeks in Paris! It became even more fun when gal pal and fellow design-junkie, Natasha, joined me for my birthday week. Natasha is an incredible designer and is the talent behind the look of my blog, The Money Shots™ and other exciting upcoming products in my line. She and I geeked out big-time and had a full on Parisian girl-fest, including lots of museums, shopping, red lipstick, hour-long foot massages, lots of wine, lots of cheese, and lots of fun in the city of light. And of course, we did a photo shoot for her new site – shot in our incredible flat in the heart of the Marais.


These last two are my favorites…
More pics from unforgettable Paris coming soon!

You can check out Natasha’s gorgeous work on my new set of BEST-SELLING Boudoir pics…

The Money Shots™
a very cool resource for boudoir photographers!

Happy Monday 🙂

Christa

Luxe

Elegant. Rich. Italian. These shots make me want to get a Missoni bikini! That, an Italian villa and a slicked back ‘do, and I’m all set.








I”m tellin ya – it was a smoking hot summer in Italy this year! Did you miss it?!

Well GET ON THIS LIST so next time we can count you in!

ps. you will also get a free copy of the Pro Photographer Manifesto. BONUS 🙂

See you there!

Christa

Opulent Nude

Opulence isn’t normally my style. But when in an over-the-top private estate in Florence, you work it.






The last one is my favorite… printing it for the walls!  What do you think?

More from Paris, Italy, and NYC soon!

Christa

PartnerCon 2011 – you coming?!

I am so excited to have been invited back to speak once again at PartnerCon!  This year’s conference hosted by Pictage is in San Diego and includes 3 days of speaker sessions, hands-on shooting workshops, leading exhibitor demonstrations, networking and so much fun!  I will be teaching alongside some of the best photographers in the industry and very cool people: Joe Buissink, Justine Ungaro, the Youngrens, Jared Bauman, and dozens more. Seriously, this event is a PHENOMENAL value, not to be missed and guaranteed to inspire, elevate and empower you!

Pictage PartnerCon 2011
November 7-9, 2011
The Hard Rock Hotel, San Diego, CA
Register Now! 

Here are the details for my talk – it may not seem sexy, but OH HELL YEAH it is! I’ve never revealed this info before and don’t plan to again, so DON’T MISS IT!

Anatomy of a Successful Portrait Business
Tuesday, Nov. 8th 1:30pm

Let’s kick it into high gear as I dissect my portrait business, put it under a microscope, and expose the critical choices I made when building my brand that earned me a six-figure income in less than two years after just getting started and has continued to grow each year. I will uncover my unique strategies that led to being booked solid, continually increasing sales, and creating higher profit margins. And more importantly, my definition of SUCCESSFUL goes waaaay beyond high revenue so we’ll also delve into the strategies that produce creative fulfillment, happy clients, and running a business with ease. So from top to bottom, we’ll take an intimate peek inside my business and identify the mind-set, the systems, the tools, and the business practices that keep me happy, in-demand, well-paid, and loving what I do. Let’s break it all down together and set you up for SUCCESS! 

Panel Discussion: Creating a Client-focused Business
Monday, Nov. 7th 3:15pm
Gary Christensen, Kevin Weinstein, Phil Thornton, Rachel LaCour Niesen, Jeff Youngren, Christa Meola
I am thrilled to be on this panel of very cool and varied pro’s who exemplify the client-focused mind-set. Here’s the description from the course guide:
“Photographers often hear that creating a great brand is all about selling yourself and being yourself. Sure, that’s part of branding, but this panel will challenge you to think beyond conventional wisdom! Explore what a truly client-focused business looks like and how these photographers’ business practices are different than what you’d expect. Come ready to ask questions, be challenged, and think outside the box!”

NEW! Boudoir Photography Sessions
Nov 7th-9th, Only 3 spots available!

Since I’ll be in the company of hundreds of gorgeous female photographers at this conference, let’s have some fun and do some sexy shooting for you! Obviously, this isn’t a part of PartnerCon registration, but I believe it’s an absolute MUST-DO for every woman! Give me a shout for all the juicy details 917.737.1009 or christa at christameola.com.

So REGISTER NOW for PartnerCon as seating is limited and will definitely sell out. And wait – there’s even more!…

An AWESOME DISCOUNT just for my loyal blog followers!
Make sure to use the code: ChristaMeola when you REGISTER NOW, and receive $50 OFF!
Hurry, the discount code expires soon! on 10/07/11.


This one is from PartnerCon 2010 in New Orleans. I know my hair is a mess, but the discussion was PHENOMENAL 🙂

See you in San Diego!

Christa

ps. Here’s the FULL SCHEDULE, and make sure to sign up for my talk! Can’t wait to meet you 🙂

pps. The pic at the top is of super cool photographers and my dear friends Lauren Hillary, Justine Ungaro, myself, and taken by our awesome soul sistah Sara France. Ok, it wasn’t taken at PartnerCon but at the LA SupperClub, but these are the types of awesome friendships that are made at ParnterCon and it totally captures the party atmosphere and camaraderie of the event! Come join us!

Happy Tuesday!

The perfect antidote from Italy for a rainy day in NYC…
a pretty dress, sunflowers, and lazing about in the sun



More sensual goodness on the blog all week…

Keep warm today 🙂

x. Christa