Nothing like a cutie in blazer offering me a flower! This is my third shoot for this family, and I am completely charmed by this little guy every time. Just look at those eyes!
Pouting because he couldn’t get the flower to stay in his lapel… ugh, so cute!
This little songbird stole my heart. How can you resist?
I’ll post more pics of this gorgeous sweetheart and his family soon….
Once I recover from heartbreak 🙂
xo,
Christa
It’s holiday picture time!… and I am busy busy shooting family photos all during the fall. Here is quick peek from a shoot this past weekend – a photo party in the park with the beautifully blonde, all-American, sweet Benson family.
Love a good close-up…
One of my recent favorites… It just says DAD to me…
And let’s not forget how all this craziness started…
These pics make me feel good. They are a reminder for what’s important in life… being silly, loving, playful, comforting, and connected to the ones you truly truly love.
xoxo – I’ll try to blog more soon!
Christa
Ashli Marino is one cool girl. She is super sweet, easy going, affectionate with her parents, loving with her friends, and has a way with animals. So it’s only natural that she celebrated her Sweet Sixteen birthday on Friday with family, over 200 friends, and a few furry beasts: an African Lion, a Mountain Lion, an African Monkey, and a Wolf.
Pre-party, getting ready…
Peeking out of the dressing room as her friends arrive…
Ashli makes a grand entrance with a wolf, and the paparazzi swarm!
This African Lion is named Romeo, and we weren’t allowed to get too close. Romeo’s trainer told me to stand back up when I had crouched down for a shot, warning me that Romeo may try to fire pee at us. Seriously? Yes.
The African Monkey is also “very dangerous” according to the trainers, and no stranger is allowed to hold, pet, or interact with him… Until he met Ashli and was completely won over by her. Look at him – he’s practically coo’ing in her lap. (Do monkeys coo?) And yes, even though he’s wearing a diaper, he still looks scary to me.
The dance floor was packed the entire time…
The party was held outside at Mountain Gate Country Club. My second shooter for the evening was the amazing Shani Barel – who’s presence on Friday night was a Godsend. I recommend her highly! I am so grateful for her enthusiasm, positive attitude, and generosity. Here are a couple of Shani’s shots…
It’s all about the shoes, until —
Cupcakes and a cocktail of milk – perfect.
Happy Sweet Sixteen, Ashli!
Thank you for a memorable evening, and I’m looking forward to geeking out with our camera’s together soon 🙂
xoxo,
Christa
I’ve known 4 yr. old twins Sarah and Aaron since they were born, and I’ve been lucky to photograph them every year of their young lives since. I’m crazy about these two kids! – they have such personality, are so loving and energetic, and are hands down the most cooperative and up-for-anything toddlers I’ve ever met.
What a great job I have, to spend an afternoon with these two little packages of happiness at Santa Monica Pier…
Gazing out at the sea…
Sarah is definitely the “me first!” type of girl, independent and fearless, quick to laugh and easy to smile. While Aaron is laid back, super sweet and very silly. This picture says it all…
Running after pigeons, running after each other, or just running wild – these two ran almost the entire time.
Snack faces.
Putting a penny in for luck…
Celebrating his win with “woofie” and “swish!”
This girl’s got sass… she doesn’t walk, she struts!
Whew! – a moment of rest…
…and that was all before lunchtime!
Stayed tuned for more 🙂
xoxo,
Christa
Busy Busy!… I’m so fortunate to be booked solid every holiday season with family portrait sessions, and this year is my busiest. I’ll catch up with postings this week. In the meantime, here’s a quick sneak peek of one of the most fun shoots this year.
Little 4 yr. old twins, Sarah and Aaron at Santa Monica Pier yesterday. It does not get any more adorable and sweet than these two…
More tasty cuteness on the blog tomorrow!
xoxo,
Christa
Billy Elliot is one of my top favorite movies of all time… and I’m not ashamed to say so is Rocky and Flashdance! I’m a sucker for the underdog story and any movie that’s about heart, courage, and pursuing your dream. You really can be anything you want to be. You just need to decide! – which can sometimes be tough when there are so many exciting, wonderful, interesting, and amazing things to be 🙂
You can be a silly black cat…
…or a freaky witch in a hat…
You can be a a really good dancer – a prima ballerina…
…or a top model and fashionista…
…and these are just a few things that this little girl wants to be. I’m sure for this Halloween coming up, she’ll have another half dozen costumes for me to shoot. And I love that!… a girl after my own heart – why choose just one? You can be anything, and you can be everything! 🙂
xoxo,
Christa
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
Intimate, honest, casual, loving, contemplative, everyday and real… That’s why your bed is my favorite shooting location. Hands down. So much of our lives are spent in bed, and how a family hangs out, plays around, cuddles, and sleeps together tells us so much. Shooting bed portraits has become my thing, and I encourage my clients to get in to bed together wearing just their PJ’s and let’s see what happens… 🙂
This is a sneak peek from my latest shoot, and we’ll see more of this beautiful blonde family soon, as well as more bed portraits!
Have a fun weekend – sleep in! and take pictures!
xoxo,
Christa
