January 2011 | Christa Meola Pictures Inc.

Monthly Archives: January 2011

A Very Sexy Boudoir Workshop

I’m coming back to LA for a One-Day Boudoir Intensive on February 27th! I am taking a quick break from living la dolce vita in Italy for a few jobs I couldn’t resist in Los Angeles, so I thought I’d throw a workshop into the mix for the people who’ve been emailing me with requests (thank you!). This kick ass workshop will be held at a luxury hotel in Los Angeles and is limited to a very small group so you get plenty of one-on-one instruction and hands on learning. You will be on your feet shooting alongside me during model sessions, will get personal coaching while you shoot, and will be granted use of the images for your blog and portfolio. We will have a mix of pro models and real girl-next-door clients. Since I LOVE blending fine art nudes with fashion & boudoir portraiture, please expect partial nudity. The main focus of this boudoir workshop is to build a totally kick-ass smoking hot portfolio!

Here are a few favorite shots taken at the Last LA Boudoir Workshop… this was a demo of finding the best natural light as well as how to style a shoot…

Miss L is one of my favorite models to work with! She is incredible and has worked with many amazing photographers, including one of my favs Annie Liebovitz. I love what a chameleon L is – she looks very Blade Runner here no?

Yes, we have film shooters 🙂 Also, there is no paparazzi-style shooting at my workshops – only one person at a time is the lead director of a shoot – the other photographers can shoot from the periphery if they are so inclined, but do not interfere with the main shooter 🙂 I make sure of that!

A Very Sexy Boudoir Workshop!
with Christa Meola

Sunday February 27th 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
SOLD OUT!

A One-Day Boudoir Intensive
Focused on building a smoking hot portfolio,
standing out from the crowd, creating a high-end look,
and answering all your burning questions about going pro!

Topics covered:

Live Boudoir Shoots and Model Releases!
Live Boudoir shoots will be on location at a luxury hotel. Christa will do a demo, working with three different models. You will each get plenty of one-on-one time with the models and full model releases to use your images.

Side-by-Side Personal Coaching & Posing
Christa will be by your side, available for personal coaching, while you shoot. Learn on your feet how to relax a nervous client, bring out the best in each girl, create sensual moments, push yourself creatively, and find flattering “poses” for every body type.

Lighting & Equipment
What’s necessary and what’s not. Learn three different lighting set-ups: how to work with the challenge and beauty of natural light, working with studio strobes, and the ease of video lights. There will be a variety of Christa’s favorite lenses for you to borrow so you can see which ones you love the most!

Top 10 Boudoir Money Shots™
Christa will make sure you capture these all-time Bestsellers for your portfolio. These are the pics every client wants and will hire you for!

Sexy Post Production
A Workflow that’s easy, fast and effective. My Top Tips in Lightroom and Photoshop which create smoking images!

Creating a High-End Look
How to stand out from the crowd with a distinct look, and how to develop a high-end signature style on a budget.

Sets & Styling
How to style a set and a model to create pictures that look like they should be in a magazine. This is key!

Pricing & FAQ’s
Nailing your price list so you’re busy, happy and well-paid. Let’s get all your most frequently asked questions answered about permits, contracts, releases and other business practices.

A few Raves about Christa’s Workshops:

“Best money I’ve ever spent on my business. Period. I’d do the workshop again in a heartbeat.”
Erin N.

“The workshop was so AMAZING!!! I would recommend it to anyone starting out or looking for a fresh approach to their photos! It was worth every penny and I can’t believe how much I got out of it.
Heidi W.

“Best workshop I’ve ever taken!!!!!! I learned more about the art and business of portrait photography in two days than I did in four years of college (and it cost much less 🙂 sign up!”
Shani B.

“Totally inspiring and empowering. Thank you for being so open with everything that has made you a success and passing that on to us!”
Robin H.

“You are effing awesome. I learned so much watching you interact with your subjects and how you gave them really good direction. Also, learning the way you handle your pricing was gold to me. The whole workshop was a knockout.”
Francesco B.

“I have taken a few workshops and this one by far was my favorite. You have juiced up my creative level and showed me how to apply my style to my work and so much more! I feel like when I got to a photo shoot now, I have an action plan, instead of clicking away. Thank you!”
Tammy C.

“I highly recommend this workshop! Unlike other workshops I’ve taken, Christa actually gives you time to DO what she’s teaching – and I loved her attitude throughout the weekend. She truly wants to help other photographers shoot better and be more successful as business people. It wasn’t a “look at how fabulous I am” workshop, it was a “look how fabulous YOU can be” workshop!! Thanks Christa!!!”
Christine H.

“THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I HAD AN AMAZING TIME! I got so much out of the workshop but I think the best thing was confidence, and the fact someone really cared enough to show other artists how to get paid for what they do! You have changed the way I look at myself, by showing how I too can be successful. Thanks Again!”
Shannon J.

“You and your workshop were awesome. I really loved learning the psychology behind what you shoot, show, sell, etc. You gave every attendee individual attention, and your personality, enthusiasm and energy kept us all going and inspired. I had a blast.”
Marc J.

Workshop Fee: $900
SOLD OUT!
To Register: call 310.909.8957 or email christa (at) christameola.com.

****UPDATED TO ADD: this workshop sold out quickly.
Please check the updated schedule at the top of this page for current availability in upcoming workshops!

Looking forward to shooting with you! and if you’d like to see other pics shot at this workshop, take a peek at these “Me-Oooow!” pics.

xoxo, Christa

ps. Space is extremely limited, so register now! If you’re new to my blog, feel free to look around – you’ll find plenty of my boudoir photos, fine art nudes, and tips for photographers.

Me-ooow

I’m a dog person, but my inner-photographer is all feline… Some of my favorite props are masks. I picked up this sexy little cat mask recently in New Orleans, and I freakin LOVE it! I’ve thrown it on every girl since, just for a minute or two at the tail end of the shoot. It’s fun to see how each girl behaves with it on.

Here are a couple of my favorites from The Last LA Boudoir Workshop I taught.

**Updated to add: The lighting used was one main light, my Photogenic 1250, with Medium Softbox placed about 45 degrees to the right and turned slightly away from the model so just the edge of the light hits her – a technique called “feathering”. This is a really gorgeous look and especially flattering to girls who are body conscious since the edges of your bod will drop off into shadow. AWESOME right? so now go eat that second slice of pizza 🙂

I must confess to putting this sexy little mask on a number of times myself – can’t help myself! Once you start working with props and especially masks, you’ll see how sexy, silly, fun and addicting they are.

Try one on for yourself…

Me-ooow!

Christa

ps. My 2011 Workshop schedule is almost ready! I’ll be releasing the dates very soon.
First up: coming back to LA for an Intensive One-Day Workshop on Sun 2/27 – save the date!

A Villa in Firenze

With less than 24 hours before my big move from Los Angeles to Italy earlier this month, I still did not have an Italian home, hotel, hostel or any sort of accommodations booked. I was the only person in my life not deeply concerned about this. I had booked my flight, sold most of my stuff, suspended my iphone account and packed all I need in life into two bags. I just knew deep in my soul that everything was going to click. And boy did it ever. I went online the night before my flight to do a search. When I clicked on the listing for this Villa – I felt in my gut This was it.

Every moment since arriving at the Villa has confirmed that this beautiful home in the Florence hills is everything I wanted and more. I craved restoration after an overbooked year and wanted to dive into pleasure. The villa is such a special place, and after only one week here, I feel at home, relaxed, centered, feminine, creative, sexy and inspired.

The Villa is filled with beauty, character, history and art. I picked up my camera yesterday afternoon totally inspired and enjoyed capturing what I love about the villa. But my number one favorite thing about this place you won’t see a picture of: the owners/hosts, Frederica and her family, who have given me such warmth and generous hospitality. She’s responsible for the villa being in the beautiful state that it’s in, and so much more importantly, she makes this space feel like home. My dad used to say, “The people make the place.” And I am eternally grateful to Frederica and the other wonderful guests here for making this place the truly amazing and memorable experience that it is.

So allow me to show you around!… This is the view from my bedroom window… phenomenal, right?!

The villa is brimming with beauty both inside and out, and the building is full of art – you seriously can feel it in the air and in the stones. This is the front patio and side garden. And that’s the dresser in my bedroom. I love having this painting in my daily view.

The foundation of the villa dates back to 1400. I love the unique location – so close to the city, yet a complete quiet oasis. We are situated on a huge hillside, just below the famous Fiesole hills in Florence, about a ten minute walk down a beautiful stone-walled street to where you can easily walk, bike or bus into the city center.

There are hundreds of paintings within the Villa, and an original fresco dating back to the early 1400’s! These breathtaking panels were painted by Frederica’s grandfather.

I’m in love with this green natural patina (and the Chianti candle).

The villa consists of 3 independent apartments. On the right, one of many gates and doors that I enter through to get into my home. I think my villa key ring has 5 front gate/door keys. I kinda like that. There seems to be hundreds of doors in the Villa, and I am always amazed when I discover that what I thought was a painting or a closet is an actual doorway leading into an entirely new area of the villa.

The rooms are authentically furnished, simple, gorgeous, and totally soothing.

The pic above is the view outside my bedroom window to the southwest. I feel incredibly blessed daily to live fully amongst such beautiful surroundings and the fact that this was Michelangelo’s and Leonardo daVinci’s stomping ground is just a fun bonus.

In addition to mother nature’s finest work on the surrounding Tuscan hillside, I’m sure the villa’s long artistic and literary history have a lot to do with the inspiring energy of this place. Quick history lesson before I run off to have my third lunch today: there’s a plaque on the villa’s wall dedicated to famous author and resident from 1889-1935, Violet Paget. Known by her male pseudonym Vernon Lee, Violet received visits from literary greats: Henry James, Aldous Huxley, Edith Wharton, among others, and part of the plaque reads:

“she loved Italy… and spent her long life in the passionate search for beauty…”

I can relate soul sister.

ciao!

Christa