More Nudes from experimenting with Kim Weston at one of the Weston Workshops… Nature is very inspiring, and the lines of trunks, leaves, rocks, beaches etc. beg for bold composition… not to mention the beautiful lines of a curvaceous female form 🙂
Kim Weston was shooting this model right before me, and as he handed it off to me, he encouraged me to “cut the limbs off!” … so I tried 🙂  Usually, I’m not attracted to bizarre tense cold harsh images  — I tend to be attracted to voluptuous full of life positive happy fun images, but I went with it – and Kim’s suggestion – so I tried cutting off some limbs!…
I’m a Catholic girl, and I can get into images of Christ’s sacrifice…
Ok, enough of chopping limbs off… I’m going for the full body, in nature…
One last installment of Nudes from the Weston Workshop to come… :))
xoxo,
Christa
Family Photo season is in full swing!… And you all know what that means: tantrums over not wearing that sweater, fits of screaming No-no-no-no-NO!, and meltdowns of epic proportions.  LOL!  Every mother at some point during a photo session feels like Mrs. S in the above pic.  So I’m doing this post to show moms and other photographers how I deal with the dreaded Meltdown (as pictured above) and turn it around to capture those beautiful happy smiling faces you adore 🙂
First, allow a bit of the tantrum to take place – don’t resist or threaten.  Take a pic or two for posterity, to remember the good times, and to keep it real 🙂  Then the key word is: Distraction.  Change it up – you’ve got to shift the energy: your tone of voice, your posture, your proximity to the child… and then Engage the little guy/gal in a quick activity that they can really get into – I usually pick something that gives them control (especially over their siblings or parents)… For this little guy it was Head-butting.  That’s right Head-butting.
Who doesn’t looooove to head-butt their brother…
…And the wrestling and head-butting continues… Meanwhile, your primary job is to keep the energy high and the laughter up throughout the whole thing. Â I do this by laughing and egging the little guy on! Â Rooting and cheering for him, doing wrestling blow-by-blow commentary, etc. Â And of course keep clicking so they don’t know when “the real” family photos are taking place…
See?… he’s starting to kind of enjoy himself…
And that’s when I make my big move. Â I dare the little guy to try and head butt ME...
But I’m no chump, and I take him down! 🙂  Tickling and shooting and laughing and teasing the whole time.  I keep it moving fast, so he doesn’t sink back into Meltdown.
…and how about tackling Dad?! Â Look how much FUN this kid is now having… and big brother joins in!…
Ah, here’s what we love… nice big genuine happy faces :)))
Hope this helps 🙂
Whew, I’m exhausted!
xoxo,
Christa
Ah, we’ve all had one of those days. When you just don’t feel like… well… “cooperating.” Â Stay tuned for pics that demonstrate how I turned this little guy around and got him smiling, laughing, running, playing, and – darn it – to take the family photo! Â lol!
xoxo,
Christa
Emotion, passion, vitality… I want to FEEL something when I create a photo, and when I look at a picture.  I strive for that with every shot.  Don’t know if I’m always successful, but if just one person is moved to laugh a little more, cry a little more, love a little more, jump, play, hug, dance, squeeeeeze someone a little more, then I’m happy 🙂
I promise to return to my regularly scheduled family programming soon 😉  just a few more nudes though, lol!  I’m hooked!
xoxo,
Christa
Larva X is a model who looks very art deco, no? Here are a few more nudes for a Friday night 🙂  Posting more soon… xoxo, C
Family. No relationship like it.  And it’s pretty safe to say no one knows how to make you laugh or press your buttons like your siblings.  And I love photographing them!  The bond is unique and special and should be honored and captured at every stage.  Because these two brothers, Oliver and Matthew (Ollie and Matty), may not always giggle like this, hug like this, play like this…  or who knows, maybe they will 🙂
I am just this funny. Â lol!! Â Actually, big brother Ollie is behind my head doing something silly to Matty’s delight.
Yeah, that’s him – that’s the guy causing all the trouble.
I love how you see the roles of “big brother” and “little brother” here…
…and here…
Ugh, this one gets me right here. Â My favorite of the shoot.
I always say you can’t get close enough!!!
Lol!! Â So much for a picture of the kids with Leo…
More family pics, art installments, portraits, nudes, and a HUGE announcement coming soon!… (waiting for it to be 100% solid before jinxing it 🙂
xoxo,
Christa
Ed Weston and his grandson Kim Weston are two of my favorite photographers and a huge inspiration. Â So when Michelle Magdalena (a talented fine art photographer) put together a workshop at the Weston Estate, I jumped right in! Â Even better, it was over the course of a few days on my birthday weekend. Â I had the absolute best time – I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than doing something creative that I love and am passionate about and spend time with fellow artists, muses, great people, and a photography icon. Â I mean, I was walking around in my boots at the Weston estate, Wildcat, shooting nudes, where Ed Weston shot his famous nudes and where Kim shoots now – wow, it was surreal and one of the ultimate experiences of my lifetime, truly.
It was my first time photographing nudes, and inspired by Kim’s instruction, I challenged myself to shoot in new ways: underexposing, using props, and posing models…. as well as challenging myself in post: pushing contrast and no retouching!… glorious no retouching!!… to leave the female form in it’s perfectly imperfect beautiful state.  Here’s a peek at the first of the series… lots more to come 🙂
There are more images from other photographers who were at the workshop on this blog, here.
Let me know what you think of my first attempt… I love reading your comments!
xoxo,
Christa
Books and pictures are two of my favorite things, so give me a good photo book, and I’m in love! Â I’m a freak for good story-telling, cool design, great memories, and beautiful photographs… and my hope is that I can create an album that combines all of those things. Â With every book I make, I’m thinking about what it will be like to crack the book open in fifty years or so… Will it tell a story, recall a memory?… will this 6 year old remember how much she loved that darned stuffed animal, how spirited her personality was, how much joy and hope she had, how she once ran and jumped on the beach with naked enthusiasm!… Â I’m rambling, but I just can’t express how much I love books and how much I love capturing the essence of a person, a family, friends, lovers, etc… so you can retell the story another time, another day… to someone else, or your distant future all grown-up self.
This is a Cypress Album for Batia, a wonderfully silly girl, who I had the pleasure of spending a breezy summer afternoon with…
Here are a few spread designs from her book, lovingly handcrafted by the folks at Cypress.  (The grey area isn’t part of the album, it’s just so you can see the pages 🙂
I hope Batia opens this book one day and looks upon her childhood fondly…
I think that’s one of the best gifts you can give someone 🙂
xoxo,
Christa
Big strong dads just get me. Â Right there. I’m such a sucker for the MVP dad – Fathers who love their family, love their kids, have fun, have a sense of humor, have all the time in the world to spend doing the important things – throwing the kids in the air, carrying the bags, letting them cry on your shoulder, telling their mom that she’s the most amazing woman on earth. Â That’s what it’s all about. Â Period.
Here’s just a little glimpse at one of my favorite dads in action…
This one is my hands-down favorite. “Me too, me too!!!”
To all the great Dads in the world – thank you!  Thank you for playing along and being strong 🙂
xoxo,
Christa
People get addicted to shooting with me – what can I say :))) Â Many of my boudoir women are on their second and third shoots, but none came back as quickly as Madison… who you’ll no doubt remember from last week’s Room Service boudoir sessions Part 1 and 2 at the Biltmore Hotel. Â Those pictures brought my little ol’ blog here to record high traffic numbers… and it has stayed up :)) Â wink wink.
This time we hit the studio and the talented Mr. Jeff Siegel did a phenomenal job with make-up.
Ah, the fun you can have in a chair….
These pics were more about Madison’s love of jewerly and being comfortable in her own skin, relaxed and happy and barely covered. Â Whereas the Room Service pics were more hot hotel mistress and part fashion shoot… Â Which ones do you prefer? Â Anything else you’d like to see… Let me know!
Actually, you will be seeing more – this weekend I’ll be shooting some fine art nudes 🙂  stayed tuned!
xoxo,
Christa
Nothing like hanging with your little brother in the backyard gettin into trouble! After capturing some beautiful moments playing and cuddling in the master bedroom, the Coleman family and I ventured out into their backyard, and boy did we have fun! Â We fed squirrels, played chase, picked flowers, bounced balls, climbed on garden sculptures and toy cars, held hands, hugged, and just plain out exhausted me!…
I love photographing siblings – there’s no other relationship like it. Â Here’s a peek of Part 2 in a series of the Coleman family, who were fabulous hosts of a Photo Party, and received major coverage by me as a big ole Thank You.
This one of the little guy on the right is absolutely my favorite shot I’ve taken recently – I just love how he went to smell the flower and it tickled his face instead! Â Don’t you want to just eat him up?
Families just do not get better looking than this! Â Or easier to shoot…
Hey, this is what big sisters are for!
Cheek to cheek – so beautiful, it hurts.
Pillow fiiiiight! And believe me, the mom did not hold back… lol! Â Here is the first in a series I shot for the beautifully blessed Coleman family. Â They were hosts of a very fun and successful Photo Party in LA – and it was time to give them the deluxe photographic treatment!… So we spent a couple of days together… at home, playing in bed, the backyard, the beach… and we captured tons of gorgeous, fun and meaningful moments… here’s a small peek:
Bedtime should always include a pillow fight, and cuddling…
telling stories…
rubbing feet and touching toes…
tickling…
…and should always start and end with a giggle. :)))
xoxo,
Christa
