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
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
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
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. I do this by laughing and egging the little guy on! Rooting and cheering for him, doing wrestling blow-by-blow commentary, etc. 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. 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?! 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.” 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! lol!
xoxo,
Christa
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. lol!! 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. My favorite of the shoot.
I always say you can’t get close enough!!!
Lol!! 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
Books and pictures are two of my favorite things, so give me a good photo book, and I’m in love! 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. 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!… 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. 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. That’s what it’s all about. 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
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! 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. 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! Don’t you want to just eat him up?
Families just do not get better looking than this! 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! Here is the first in a series I shot for the beautifully blessed Coleman family. 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
Well not just yet!… Mr. & Mrs. G are expecting this new little guy or gal to make his/her debut on September 1st! I spent last Friday afternoon at their beautiful home in Beverly Hills and photographed the lovely Mrs. G while she patiently waits for the arrival of their first child.
Here are a few of my favorites….
…and I even got to feel the baby kicking!
A pregnancy photography session is included in the Brand-Spanking Newborn package – call me up for details!
xoxo,
Christa
