Monthly Archives: October 2010

Stepping Out

 

I wouldn’t call myself camera shy, but I have to confess to not having many pictures taken of myself.  As a photographer, I’m more comfortable observing a subject than being observed.  So for my birthday recently, I decided to walk the walk, be a woman not a photographer, break out of my comfort zone and go for it.  It was a beautiful hot Monday, my 25th (that’s right) birthday, and my last day in my photography studio in LA before moving out and ending my lease. With my sights set for moving to Italy in December, I could think of no better time for my own boudoir birthday-suit photography session to celebrate!

The photographer… Michael Chylinski, a long-time dear friend and professional drummer, who usually shoots landscapes and basketball hoops!  Hahaaa, he was more nervous for our shoot than I was!  Despite not being used to shooting with strobes, he was game to shoot for me while I gave him a tiny bit of coaching 🙂

Here are a few of my favorite Rated-PG pics.  This logo tank was a gift from a friend at the Grand Opening of my studio – seemed appropriate….

christa-meola-boudoir-nude-photography-workshops-00091

Kinda shy at first…

christa-meola-pictures-boudoir-nude-photography-workshops-0002

…but it didn’t take long til things heated up 🙂

christa-meola-boudoir-nude-photography-workshops-0005

Seriously, it was literally hot as hell in my studio, and yes that’s sweat on my face – I decided not to retouch it.

christa-meola-boudoir-nude-photography-workshops-0004

A behind-the-scenes shot reflected through the mirror in my studio – this cracks me up!  I’m not in a flattering pose by any means, but I love the moment Michael captured of me getting undressed, plus I love that you can see my tiny studio set-up: one main light and small fan – it’s simple and it works.  All pictures from this shoot were with this set-up.

christa-meola-pictures-boudoir-nude-photography-workshops-0001

In honor of my new book coming out, “Exposed: Redefining Boudoir”

christa-meola-boudoir-nude-photography-workshops-00081

And this is my absolute favorite.  I’m having fun, Mike’s cracking up, we see my studio for the last time and it’s just a great moment I’ll always want to remember. Plus, I love Mike’s socks – hahaaa!  Thanks Michael, for capturing my life authentically here. I won’t give you a hard time for taking your shirt off since it was sweltering that day.  I had a total blast and I’m forever grateful for this shoot and your friendship.

christa-meola-boudoir-nude-photography-workshops-00062

Thanks also to my wonderful talented friend and make-up artist Shannon Jankula, who is such a pro at making women look and feel beautiful.

Quick announcement: PartnerCon just opened registration today for my shooting workshop in New Orleans on Thursday, Nov. 11th.  Limited to only 15 participants… so hurry here to register.  Also, they sold out the first 500 seats to PartnerCon (where I am one of the line-up of awesome speakers), but they just added more seats… so you can still register for that here.

Thanks all for visiting and don’t forget to leave a comment!

Lots of love and nudity,

Christa xoxo

 

Vintage Inspired

Madison is back for more boudoir! Do you all remember this gorgeous woman from last year – well it seems I created a boudoir shoot addict!  She wanted to create a very vintage-inspired shoot, channeling Vogue circa 1940’s and Rita Hayworth.

All photographs created at Christa Meola Pictures Studio, Los Angeles, CA copyright 2010 by Christa Meola

christa-meola-nude-boudoir-photography-workshop-0004

christa-meola-nude-boudoir-photography-workshop-0001

Madison is a breast cancer survivor, and one thing I love and want to celebrate about her is her hair, which has grown back in all it’s glory and then some 🙂  So we took a quick break from the Vintage action, so I could grab some more natural photographs of one of my favorite women who has become a very dear friend.

christa-meola-nude-boudoir-photography-workshop-0002

Can’t you just feel it?  I love Madison here.

christa-meola-nude-boudoir-photography-workshop-0005

Madison is a creative gal, and she created this set up completely on her own… I was just along for the ride and to push the shutter.  I adore the little scar evident on her chest, and chose to leave it unretouched.  It feels sacred, proud, and beautiful.

christa-meola-nude-boudoir-photography-workshop-0003

To see more of Madison, take a peek at the shoots that started it all… Room Service and More Madison Madness.  Hair & Make-up for this shoot by Shannon Jankula.

Next up on the blog: my birthday boudoir shoot – yikes!  I am in front of the camera this time 🙂

Stay tuned!

xoxo,

Christa

New Wildcat Nude Workshop

Fashion & Fine Art coming up!… Exciting news: Mr. Kim Weston and I will be co-teaching a new Wildcat Nude Photography Workshop due to popular demand 🙂  This workshop on October 16th and 17th will focus on photographing the nude figure combining fashion and fine art sensibilities – my favorite combo!  So watch out, we’re going to style it up with inspiration from Italian Vogue. Wooohoo!  Details below. Seats are already mostly sold out, so register quickly by calling the studio line 310.909.8957.

Here is the last series of nudes from my demo at the Wildcat Nude Workshop in August (click to see No. 1 and No. 2).  Sarah is a favorite muse of mine and will be at the new Workshop coming up.  She has such sensuality and elegance, is soft yet strong, knows how to move every inch of her body, and I LOVE working with her.  This entire series was shot in an outdoor tub, natural light only, on the Weston estate.

christa-meola-nude-boudoir-photography-workshops-0006

 

christa-meola-nude-boudoir-photography-workshops-0003

 

christa-meola-nude-boudoir-photography-workshops-0005

christa-meola-nude-boudoir-photography-workshops-0004

 

Wildcat Nude Photography Workshop
with Kim Weston & Christa Meola
Wildcat Hill, Big Sur, CA
October 16th & 17th
Optional gathering on Friday night the 15th

Tradition at Wildcat
This special Wildcat Nude offers a unique opportunity for students to explore nude photography
alongside Kim Weston and Christa Meola. Participate in a weekend-long discussion about
shooting for both the fine art market and private commissions while learning about the
Weston family’s historic contributions to fine art photography.

Two Photographers, Two Approaches
Kim Weston and Christa Meola.

Two Full Evenings of Discussion
Meet and greet on Friday evening at Wildcat Hill will include an introduction to Christa and Kim’s
work and the Weston legacy.  On Saturday, guests will enjoy a family-style dinner in the Weston
home and a fireside discussion of photography as well as a Q&A.

Two Full Days Photographing Models
Participants will get the opportunity to photograph the nude figure for 2 consecutive days. This
allows plenty of time to get comfortable working with the figure models and gives you the
opportunity to photograph what you might have missed on the first day.

Topics Covered
Telling a story with your photographs
Working with models
Composition
Lighting
Showcasing your work
Getting started in the business
And more…

Models
We will have 3 models present and the class size is kept small, so we have an excellent model
to student ratio. Working in this way we have a maximum of time, space and privacy. If time
permits one-on-one time with models may be arranged.

Locations & Lighting
We will be shooting in multiple locations on the premises. The Weston estate offers
several areas indoors and outdoors, including Kim’s private studio.
All set-ups will be natural light.

What to bring
Participants are encouraged to bring a portfolio of their work for viewing. 5 to 7 finished prints
presented for easy viewing. Laptop – For those participants that are interested we like to view
the work from Saturday on Sunday morning so please bring a jump drive.

All Levels Welcome
This workshop is open to all levels of experience and any size camera, film or digital is great.
Students should bring their own film and equipment and know how to operate their cameras.

Workshop Fee
$695 per person
Lodging not included.

To Register
Contact christa@christameola.com or call 310.383.6494
Space is limited to just 9 students.

Hope to see you there!

Christa 🙂