Welcome to a new blog series that focuses on having a healthy relationship with your body, being comfortable in your own skin, and enjoying your body and life.
Exactly the way they are.
I’d love for you to join me and begin to shift away from a place of criticism, doubt, and dislike to a place of positive focus, celebration and excitement.
I’m thrilled to kick off this body-and-life-lovin’ with Katherine Roll, a beautiful curvaceous woman and model that I photographed recently, who had never done a boudoir photography shoot before.
During our shoot, Katherine was so confident and comfortable with her body, that afterwards I interviewed her to share the inspiration!
CHRISTA: Describe your body in 5 words…
KATHERINE: Beautiful, classic, feminine, hourglass, voluptuous
How do you feel about your body? My body and I have been through a lot together. I have been a size 10, a size 20, and every size in between. I feel that there are parts that I can work on in order to make it a healthier body, such as working out regularly, sticking to a healthy diet, and steering clear of bad habits. I feel that my body has boosted my career in ways that I never would have expected. Being a size 18 plus-size model, I have had obstacles along the way, but have grown to appreciate, maintain, and love my curves.
What do you love about your body? I love being able to inspire women to be comfortable in their own skin, no matter what shape or size they may be. I believe that my curves are powerful and can change people’s perception of the plus-sized woman and standard plus-size model. I believe I carry my size-18 self well. I dress appropriately and because I believe in myself, I exude confidence in every direction.
How did you feel about being naked in front of the camera? (Those pics not shown here.) As you know, I had never done an implied nude shoot before, and was surprisingly comfortable being nude in front of the camera. You and your team made me feel comfortable, beautiful and at ease, and you gave me great direction to get the perfect shots.
How did you feel after seeing the photos we created? I feel that they are sexy, sensual, and beautiful, without being provocative, inappropriate or too revealing. I love the way you captured the light so perfectly. I had never had a boudoir shoot before, and loved seeing my body in a sexy flattering way.
What’s your go-to item to wear to feel smoking hot? I personally love extremely high heels. High heels give the ultimate confidence boost. Once you find a great pair of high heels that are a perfect fit, you automatically stand up straighter, appear slimmer, and exude confidence.
What’s your best tip for feeling gorgeous? Knowing what fits. Feeling confident is one thing – but looking the part is another. Too often I see plus-sized women wearing clothing that is not the correct size for them – whether it be too large or too small. Trying on multiple sizes in the same dress or pants can show you what is truly comfortable and what looks the best. A great fitting bra can also give you the support you need to feel 10x better than you did before!
How do you feel about the term “plus-sized”? I am content with being called ‘plus-sized.’ I find that the ‘plus’ or ‘+’ means ‘in addition to’ and therefore, simply defines my size as additional sexiness added to the straight sized woman.
What’s the best compliment you ever received? The best compliment I have ever received came from a young girl. She has been following my career since day one, and told me how she was inspired by me to love her curves, accept her body at the size it is, and even pursue modeling. She often messages me with new exciting things happening in her career, and I love knowing that my body and confidence helped get her there.
Thank you, Katherine, for the honesty and inspiration!
(Don’t you just love her point of view on “plus-sized” meaning “additional sexiness!” Now THAT is positive focus.)
Stay tuned for more of Katherine, different body types, lots of inspiration, resources and body-loving on the blog.
Here’s to lovin’ up your bod and life even more today 🙂
xoxo, Christa
ps. this series will be an ongoing open conversation. I’m really excited to hear your thoughts!
What is one thing you love about your body? Lets start there. Leave me a comment below.
Boudoir photography is all about using what you’ve got and focusing on what’s awesome. Remember that post, Working It! Creating Variety, on how to create beauty and variety when you show up on a crappy shoot location? Well here’s another little tip in the same vein. So when you’re low on pretty backdrops and you’ve already shot every wall in the room plus the seamless background paper…
TRY THIS—> Watch this quick 1 minute+ video to see how we created the backdrop in the shot above.
CLICK PLAY
To watch the entire 45-minute behind-the-scenes video of this shoot,
join us for the next Online Boudoir Workshop, coming this fall! Get on the list here—>
And here are some more of my favorite pics from this boudoir photography session with Mrs. X, a thirty-three year old mom in Los Angeles (yes, I travel for shoots!). Her favorite body parts that she loves are her eyes, boobs and bum – so we went ahead and focused on that 🙂
Mrs. X confessed to being super nervous before our shoot, but as you can see, that didn’t stop us from capturing beautiful sensual pictures.
Pretty stunning for a mom who had never posed before and was “soooo nervous” right?
We had a blast on this shoot, and Mrs. X was super fun, open to all ideas, and the sweetest woman you’d ever want to meet. A big THANK YOU to Mrs. X! for being brave and vulnerable, and letting me share your pictures as well as the process in making them.
Hope you loved the tip I shared in the video! Leave a comment and let me know if it’s helpful and if you’d like to see more!
xoxo, Christa
PS. If you’d like to see the BTS vid of this entire shoot plus tons more, join us for the next Online Boudoir Workshop, coming this fall! Get on the list here—>
Last week we talked about creating smoking hot gorgeous light with a two light setup, and this week I wanted to discuss how to create even more of a smoky dramatic look with one of my favorite action secret recipes, using TRA’s Rusty Cage!
This action, Rusty Cage, is the most dramatic difference you’ll see in my before and after’s – it is the only action I use that is not subtle. Of course it can be more subtle if you use less of it (ie. adjust the opacity layers to a lesser percentage). You’ll see that I even set some layers of the action at 0%. I use Rusty Cage when I want to create an even moodier, more dramatic, smokier feel, or a look that resembles a painting.
You can use it with natural light, strobes or any available light – as you see demonstrated here.
When shooting on a shoestring budget with a non-model and no assistants or supplemental lighting (ie. no strobes, or video light, or even a reflector), I am working to shoot fast (usually only 4 to 5 minutes for a quick little set) using just available light to flatter her as best I can. This shot is a perfect example: a dimly lit hotel lobby where we did ask permission to shoot, since it was packed during Fashion Week in NYC. I said we’d take one or two shots and be quick and be done.
EZ Burn @ 68% (and erased on hand and feet).
This is what darkens the appearance of the outer edge of the image.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
When you’re shooting, you strive to create a set-up that’s beautifully lit and flattering to your subject. Using actions in post does not mean that you are trying to correct anything you did “wrong” when you captured it. But you can choose to further your artistry and enhance the vision you had while shooting it.
Share your fav action in the comments – I’d love to hear it. Or tell me what you think of Rusty Cage.
I hope you get an opportunity to test drive my secret recipe and cook up some sexy!
xoxo Christa
ps. you can download Rusty Cage right here.
You’ll find it in the set of 48 actions called “TRA 1: The Original” – have fun!
You guys know I love versatility and variety, as well as a classic look, so of course we changed it up, turned off the backlight and shot these too:
Fun, right?
Lighting doesn’t have to be intimidating or complicated to flatter 🙂
Next up on the blog: my secret recipes!! for luscious light in post…
Have a phenomenal day!
xoxo Christa
ps. If you missed out on the news last week, you can still read all about my business secret weapon and how it changed my life and rocket-launched my business!
Have you ever shown up to a shoot location, and it royally sucked? The light was crappy, the space was small and the decor was orange/brown motel chic? Yup, that happens to all of us – and even in NYC, as it did to me on a recent shoot.
A sweet 30-something grant-writer from Texas flew up to New York for a convention and a boudoir shoot with me. She stayed at the hotel the convention was in, and it looked fairly decent online. Now, if you have been following my blog or reading my book, you know I’m a big fan of shooting to create variety! Sometimes it seems hard to do when the shooting space is, well, limited. BUT, it just takes some extra hustle and creativity (and some must-have items) to create a beautiful set of 35 to 55 shots.
1. Insist on a Dress
This poor shooting location predicament is just one of the reasons why I always insist that my client bring a dress (or two) or other outfit that can be worn outside as one of her wardrobe choices. This way, we can hit the streets! Or the hotel lobby, or the hotel stairway, etc. Anywhere there is good light and an interesting backdrop.
So she put on one of her dresses, we walked outside, picked up a pretzel and shot some sexy fun street shots. She flirted at a hot dog stand, stood amongst traffic in Times Square, sat atop a nearby parked bike… and we had a blast.
2. Bring a black muslin
As I mention in my book, a must-have item in your kit is a black muslin. Affordable, lightweight, portable and invaluable! You can buy one at camera stores for about $150, or save some money and get a 20 dollar tablecloth at Target 🙂 Make sure it’s wrinkle free and the biggest one you can find. Bring gaffer’s tape or A-clamps to set so you can set it up anywhere. Here, we have it taped to the wall right next to a big window for a natural light studio look. Boom! I don’t see ugly wallpaper, do you?
(And of course, you have to add the fan!)
3. Incorporate props An easy way to create variety and add fun to a shoot is props! I love little signs, and Mrs. L and I had discussed some fun ideas prior to her shoot. Her and her hubs have a tradition of giving fortune cookie messages that are meaningful to them. So we did a whole series with the fortune cookie and this custom message she created. To avoid the distracting ugly decor, we shot it backlit in front of a window. This was a fun series that not only added variety to the session, but also made a great opening for her album!
4. Work those basics!
A set of white sheets and pillows can be found in almost every home and hotel in the world. Thank goodness, because they create a beautiful neutral canvas upon which to play! The only decent light in this room was right up against the windows. The rug was dark and ugly and I wouldn’t want anyone rolling around there naked. At first I thought it might look ridiculous to put the sheets and pillows on the floor, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, and I love the results! No one is paying attention to bedding on the floor, when you have a beautiful woman in front of your camera. And it’s not that far-fetched – my bf and I have thrown bedding on the floor (TMI?). The look is beautiful, classic, casual and sexy. Love it!
5. Go the extra mile in the opposite direction
Mrs. L and I already had plenty of variety and gorgeous shots in the camera. Enough to fill a beautiful album with at least 35 photographs. But Mrs. L was still really excited about another dress option she brought – in fact, she rented this dress – plus she had traveled all the way from Texas. So I decided to add an extra 4th set. This quick wardrobe change didn’t take much extra time, and it put this session over the top in terms of variety and client happiness 🙂 We went in search of another little corner of awesomeness and found it in the lobby of a nearby hotel. I love that these shots are totally different then the rest of her shoot – she has a fancy schmancy dress on, hair is styled different, and we’re in a more luxurious setting with moody light.
This is one of my favorites…
Stay tuned for a lot more client sessions and tutorials on the blog!
Next up: the photoshop action recipe I used to create the pic above. You’ll see the SOOC and the exact post-production technique to enhance this beautiful moody lighting.
ALL NEW Behind the Scenes videos and access to Christa’s shoots ALL NEW Video demonstrations ALL NEW Post production tutorials
NEW Projects, contests, and assignments
Updated and expanded content
LIVE Q&A calls every week
Private forum for members only
Ongoing six weeks of one-on-one interaction with Christa
Free resources, downloads, Christa’s sample album, and price lists
Tons of bonuses, giveaways, vendor discounts, client forms, contracts and releases and more!…
Click Play To Learn More
“Worth every penny. This is the workshop for those who want
to stand out in the photography community.” Allie Lindsey, Temecula, CA
UPDATE: Class is in session and registration is closed.
Get on the list to receive early notification of the next one!
Yay, it’s here! I am thrilled to announce the Brand NEW & totally sexy Online Boudoir Workshop! The last course sold out quickly, was such a hit and is back by popular demand! This is a six week course for photographers who want to learn all of the exciting aspects of the booming boudoir market, from home!
Join us in your pj’s and enjoy NEW video demonstrations, behind the scenes shoots, post-production tutorials, personal interaction, a private forum, free downloads, sweet giveaways and much more! Gain support, motivation, inspiration, confidence and A’s to all your Q’s about how to build a successful boudoir business!
HOW IT WORKS
This is a 6 week course, beginning Monday February 4th. Each week, on Monday, we release that week’s content: behind-the-scenes videos, tutorials, notes and projects! The content is available to you 24/7 during the entire course of the workshop, so you can’t miss a thing! You can view all or pieces of it at your leisure – how cool is that?! PLUS, each Thursday or Friday (alternating), we’ll have LIVE CALLS for Q&A’s and discussion. The calls are all recorded and available to download and listen to at your convenience. I will participate in the private member’s area during the entire course, interacting with you personally. We will be learning and playing together; all the information is available to you 24/7, and I’m right by your side as your personal coach! Boudoir Photography is about empowering women – helping them feel amazing and celebrating who they are. So get in on the fun now! Its such a fun and fulfilling career, and I want you to be a success.
THE SCHEDULE OF TOPICS INCLUDES:
WEEK 1 BRANDING + STYLE
Branding and standing out: How to create a distinctive brand that brings you into your business. Creating a consistent look that separates you from the crowd.
Business Models and Studios: Choosing what works for you so you design a business you love.
Websites and Portfolios: How to best showcase what you do and have a presence that book clients.
Building Clientele: Defining and finding your ideal client. Eliminating time, energy and money wasted on clients who aren’t right for you.
Styling: How to style a model and set to create editorial style photographs. Creating an amazing high-end look on a budget both in studio and on location.
WEEK 2 POSING
Working with Women: How to work with nonmodels and nervous clients to bring out their best.
Posing: How to flatter curvy girls and every body type with simple posing principles.
The 5 poses you need to know and master: taking them to the next level and building a set of 35 smoking hot different shots
Flow Posing: How I flow from pose to pose, keeping it fresh and inspired.
Creating emotion and sensuality: Learn how to coach actions, give easy direction and create beautiful moments.
WEEK 3 LIGHTING + EQUIPMENT
Natural light: finding the best and most flattering light and how I work with reflectors
Strobes: working with portable studio strobes, modifiers and simple lighting set-ups
Flattering women with light: how to create or de-emphasize curves to flatter every body type
Lenses: How I use my favorite lenses, and side by side comparisons of portrait lenses at every budget level
WEEK 4 SHOOTING
Storyboards: Using storyboards to build a must-have shot list of 35 shots that sell.
The Money Shots™: Learn how I coach and capture each of my best-selling shots that every client wants and are must-haves for your portfolio.
Fine Art Nudes: Working with nude models, see how I blend Fine Art Nudes and Fashion with Portraiture to create my high-end boudoir look.
Shooting to sell: How to create variety and tell a story easily on every shoot
WEEK 5 POST-PRODUCTION
Editing: How to select your best shots and cut your workflow in half.
Workflow: See my images straight out of camera through final pics to client and blog post.
Lightroom: a 45 minute video tutorial on what I do for every shoot.
Photoshop: a 45 minute video tutorial on retouching
Outsourcing: What and when to send it out.
WEEK 6 MARKETING + SALES
Pricing: Nailing your price list so you’re busy, happy and well-paid.
Sales: How to increase sales effortlessly at every stage of your process.
Proven scripts for several difficult sales situations, such as “Why are you so expensive?” and “Let me think about it.”
Getting Clients: How to attract your Ideal Client and create powerful word of mouth marketing.
Marketing: Using partnership marketing and social media to book clients.
Boudoir Parties: All you need to throw a successful (or your first!) boudoir party.
BONUSES
The Pricing Workshop, Live Call
A Storyboard PDF of 35 Shots that SELL
Christa’s sample price lists
Christa’s sample album PDF
Live After Party Call
Recording of a real sales session with Christa and her client
Several sponsor giveaways, gifts and contests.
GIVEAWAYS!
Two Blowit Fans
2 Copies of Totally Rad’s Pro Retouch 2.0
One annual subscription to AlbumExposure
Five $125 StickyAlbum giftcards
Three $100 LensProToGo giftcards
Two $50 LensProToGo giftcards
Three $100 Colorati giftcards
Six 50% off Leather Craftsmen studio album giftcards
All of the above, plus more, for only $757
“THE best workshop I have ever taken – hands down. Worth every cent (plus some)! Kim Mallory, Chilliwack BC
UPDATE: Class is in session and registration is closed.
Get on the list to receive early notification of the next one!
Got Questions? Not sure if this is right for you? Visit our FAQ’S page or email me at Christa @ ChristaMeola.com
PRAISE FOR CHRISTA AND HER WORKSHOPS
“I more than doubled my income! Attending Christa’s workshop changed my life.” Robin Hultgren, Walnut Creek, CA
“You can’t put a price tag on what Christa teaches.” Hannah Skye, Orange County, CA
“Don’t hesitate, sign up. You won’t regret it! I got way more then I paid for!“ Heather Gill, Scottsdale, AZ
“Best workshop I’ve ever taken!!!!!! Anyone who asks me I tell them it’s SO worth it! Sign up!” Shani Barel, Sherman Oaks, CA
“I had my highest portrait sale ever of $4,700 thanks to Christa!” Lisa Roah, Orange County, CA
“Best money I’ve ever spent on my business. Period. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” Erin Nelson, San Francisco, CA
“The whole workshop was a knockout!” Francesco Belvedere, Venice, CA
“Christa should charge more for her workshops. Her level of teaching is way higher than others who charge more.” Jennifer Robertson, Geneva, IL
“Christa’s workshop changed my life – what she taught really blew my mind!” Tammy Coombs, Tracy, CA
“If you have the opportunity to take Christa’s workshop, do it!” Rafeal Vaszquez, Mira Loma, CA
“My first shoot was a total success thanks to Christa!!!” Sally LeDrew, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
“I have been on fire since Christa’s workshop! It kicked my creativity and inspiration into overdrive!” Jill Amanda, Santa Barbara, CA
“Christa’s workshop was AMAZING!!! I recommend it to anyone starting out or looking for a fresh approach!” Heidi Walter, Manhattan Beach, CA
“Best time and money I’ve spent! My editing time has been cut in half!” Kristen Penza, South Pasadena, CA
“Christa’s workshop is a MUST DO!” Jacqueline O’Neill, San Gabriel, CA
“Christa and her workshops are awesome!” Marc Javier, San Francisco, CA
“Christa is so passionate about her craft and pushes you beyond what you think you’re capable of.” Lori Eng, Vancouver, BC
“THE best money I have ever spent on my business! Do it.” Erin Brannan, Highlands Ranch, CO
“Well worth it – It’s what I needed to move my business to the next level.“ Milisa Smith, Riverside, CA
“I grew leaps and bounds with my business. Highly recommend.” Lesley Stefanski, Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
“It was worth every dime! And was SO much fun!” Lori Eng, Vancouver, Canada
“I highly recommend this workshop! So unlike other workshops I’ve taken.” Christine Haws, Santa Monica, CA
“Best money and time I’ve spent in my 3 year photography career! Her workshop is career changing!” Anna Anacolba
“If you want to go to the next level, this is the workshop. It challenges you to think BIG” Jill Martin, Santa Barbara, CA
“Christa’s workshop is worth way more than it costs.” Maggie Keegan Gross, Valencia, CA
“If you want to learn about boudoir photography, Christa’s workshop is a must!” Karen Wolfe, Lake Tapps,WA
“Christa’s workshop is not-to-be-missed! It’s for those who want to be the BEST!” Melissa Hart Dobbs, Manvel, TX
“It’s the first workshop I walked away from saying how wonderful it was and how it was worth every single penny.” Stephanie Piscitelli, Bridgewater, MA
“EPIC!!!! I have a new outlook.” Melissa Lin Huddlston-Smith, Moreno Valley, CA
“Worth every penny. This is the workshop for those who want to stand out in the photography community.” Allie Lindsey, Temecula, CA
“Christa’s workshop just blew me away!… an amazing experience!” Rita Spevak, Chicago, IL
“OMG!!!! I LOVE this workshop. It’s the best thing that happened to me and my business.” Bethany Grove, Holts Summit, MO
“The BEST workshop I’ve taken by far. I’ve taken several workshops (kind of a workshop junkie), and Christa’s is full of rich content. HIGHLY recommend.” Margie Mobley, Scottsdale, AZ
“CONTENT RICH!!! Incredible!! I’ve never been given this much useful information in one workshop before. Whatever level of photographer you are, you will benefit from this workshop. Guaranteed.” Hannah Skye, Huntington Beach, CA
“THE best workshop I have ever taken – hands down. Worth every cent (plus some)! Really, Christa should be charging double. This workshop is Honest. Real. Packed with tons of valuable information!” Kim Mallory, Chilliwack BC
“Awesome. Invaluable. Incredible. LOVED everything about it. Christa’s workshop is priceless.” Michelle Kidd, Itasca, IL
“Money and time well invested! This was an awesome experience. I am SO glad I made the decision to do it!” Michael T. Sedwick, South Elgin, IL
Just DO IT! Highly Recommended! Amateur or Pro, you’re bound to find out more about your own prowess as a photographer and businessperson! Scott W. Robinson
Worth every penny, definitely recommend, what a treasure trove of information! John P. Dunnigan
This was the best money and time that I have ever spent on pursuing a passion. Regardless of previous experience and genre, if you are interested in shooting portraits, this is the most comprehensive workshop A to Z that you will find. Herb Irvin
This is a great chance to get very personal with a pro. Ole Vangsgaard
I am in love with my work again. Christa’s workshop is an intoxicating mix of awesome experience and practical advice that beautifully fleshes out all the areas that have held us back. Now we can fly! Christopher Medak.
Highly recommend. Christa’s energy & care for her students comes through. Really brilliant tips. I’ve taken a bunch of courses that explore various methods but her’s fit very well with the way I want to work. John Cornicello
UPDATE: Class is in session and registration is closed.
Get on the list to receive early notification of the next one!
***Update: Contest to win a free seat is closed. Winners announced below.***
Your Boudoir Shoot is more than a photography session — it’s transformation and a full-tilt celebration of confidence, silliness, and everything that makes you feel gorgeous — complete with professional makeup & hair styling, skillful art direction, music, laughter, revelry and sexiness at every turn…
Most of my clients are not models. They’re soccer moms, CEOs, curvy gals, cancer survivors…women who’ve “always wanted to” but thought they “never could.”
Even if you think you’re not photogenic, need to lose a few pounds, are nervous, and you live in a pair of sweatpants — we will uncover your inner vixen and you’ll absolutely love your photographs!
Valentine’s Boudoir Shoots!
NYC
Saturday, February 2nd, 8am – 3pm Only 7 spots available!
Pre-session one-on-one consultation
One hour photography session with Christa
Professional Make-up and Hair Styling
Three wardrobe changes
Full artistic enhancements and retouching
Photo Album for his mobile device
CD of 15 of your favorite pictures!
Time slots are filled on a first come, first served basis.
We’ll do your shoot on Saturday Feb 2nd, peek at your shiny new photographs during happy hour on Wednesday or Thursday, and you’ll unwrap your immortalized sexiness very soon after that… in plenty of time for Valentine’s Day!
Want a custom gift he’ll never expect? You got it.
Want a jolt of irrepressible confidence and a lightning bolt of sensual prowess that will blow your hubby away or make your ex drool? Done.
Want a series of photos you’ll happily show off — on your website, book jacket, facebook, or in that forthcoming Vogue profile? Let’s do it.
Each shoot is a celebratory custom-designed experience, with memories that will last you a lifetime. And the photos will last even longer.
Because honestly, many years from now, don’t you want your granddaughter to see what a hot mama you were back in the day?
(I figured.)
Reserve your spot now. Only 7 spots available.
Time slots filled on a first come, first served basis.
Hope you all had a beautiful Thanksgiving. The new book is complete (wooot!), and I’m back after a blissful few weeks holiday.
To put into practice all of the tips and techniques I covered in the first eight chapters of my new book, I thought it would be fun to pull everything together in a single shoot for the last chapter, a step-by-step illustrated guide on how I went from the first conversation with my subject to the final edited photos.
Karen is a 40 year old soccer mom with two kids and is a middle school teacher. She is a typical nonmodel subject who had no experience on a professional photo shoot, was not adept at posing, and was unsure how to move in front of the camera.
She was excited to do a shoot because she thought it would be a blast to let her inner sex goddess out, put on some sexy lingerie (which she did not even own at the time), get pampered, and escape reality for a while. She had never done anything like this before and said she was definitely nervous as the shoot date approached.
Karen mentioned that although she’s playful and silly most of the time, she wanted to show that she can be sexy and provocative, too. She said she felt like she has never really “oozed sexiness” overtly, and that she’d really love to capture the serious sexpot woman she knows is in there in addition to the playful girl.
Damn! I think she nailed it, no?
I included this outtake shot in my selects because not only does she look gorgeous, but it triggers memories of a fun shoot (this was the moment after I had just teased her for gripping the couch for dear life) and shows Karen’s sense of humor about herself. Her playfulness is a key part of her personality.
Karen wanted to use these pillows as props in a shot, and the makeup artist had the cheeky suggestion of placing the “V” between her legs. Saying “yes” to suggestions from people on set fosters the collaborative effort and invariably brings about something unexpected and awesome.
Writing The Art of Boudoir was an incredible journey – thank you for taking the ride with me!
Let’s end with a quote from Karen…
“I think strength in all forms is sexy. It helps us endure and carry on. A strong, confident woman is beautiful.”
Well said. What a perfect ending for the book- may it bring beauty and confidence your way.
Have a beautiful week!
xoxo Christa
ps. For those who have asked – YES! you can have the book delivered by Christmas! Make sure to choose the appropriate shipping method, and order now here.
Mrs. C ditched the blonde wig and we rocked out the rest of her session together as brunettes. If you take a peek at the previous post mentioned above, you’ll see the same sets – the patterned couch, the bed, the balcony – but all with a different look, in terms of styling, pose, mood, and post. No matter what location I’m shooting in, I hustle my butt off to create variety and tell an interesting story.
That last shot is one of my favs- such a fun and sexy session!
Do you have any Q’s or tips on how to create variety? Share them in the comments! I enjoy hearing from you.
Thank you as always for stopping by and contributing!
Lots of love,
Christa
ps. want to see the inspiration for two of the above shots? Follow me on pinterest, check out my boards, and see if you can spot the shots.
I’m loving the beautiful fall weather we’re having in NYC, and I have an extra skip in my step because my new book is nearly complete! Yaaaaay! Which means we’ll all have to celebrate (details on that will be forthcoming), and you’ll see more of me on the blog.
This week, I want to give you a fun glimpse into the posing chapter from The Art of Boudoir, which includes the 8 Biggest Posing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them, Principles of Sensual Posing, My Posing System: Putting It All Together, and more. One section is called:
The 5 Boudoir Poses You Need to Know and Master
Why Five?
When it came time to write about specific poses, I knew I had very limited space. I thought about it for months. (Obsessed about it really.) I kept asking myself: what instruction would give you guys the biggest bang for your buck? I scoured my archives for the critical poses that I couldn’t do a shoot without. After going through every single past boudoir session numerous times, it became quite clear which poses I was using to create stunning, yet varied, results again and again.
I realized that these five poses bring me the greatest amount of success because they fulfill the following criteria:
Most flattering to the widest variety of women
Offer the most variety out of a single pose
Easiest for non-models to perform
Easiest for the photographer to manipulate
So without further ado, here’s one of the five for you…
No. 4 The Serpent
24-70mm, ISO 200, f/2.8, 125 sec
Oh this is such a sexy and slinky pose! It’s a great one to start a session with because even nervous women feel more relaxed and safe in this position. The Serpent will take a bit of coaching and continued reminders for her to hold this extreme posture, so keep encouraging her to push that hip up and arch her back even more than she thinks she can, to create what I call the “triangle of awesomeness” between her hip, upper thigh, and lower abdomen. Ask for the arm facing the camera to be moved out so that we see the side of her breast. This creates gorgeous symmetrical curves and a lot of pleasing triangle shapes.
24-70mm, ISO 320, f/2.5, 125 sec
Note: to really see that “triangle of awesomeness” characteristic of The Serpent, you must be on a surface that has a bit of firmness, whether it’s a bed, couch or the floor. If it’s too soft, her body will sink into it.
There are so many incredible angles for this pose. Shooting from where her feet are produces a saucy point of view, and depending on the position of her legs, the pics can vary from mildly hot to super erotic. You can have her peek over her shoulder at you, and then walk around to the opposite side and capture some gorgeous close-ups, which is what I did to snag the first pic in this post.
Just by changing up your position and/or slight adjustments to the model (such as differing hand gestures, eye-lines and actions), you can create so much variety and every shade of modesty. Add to that a variety of focal lengths from which you photograph her, and we increase variety from the same pose even more! And that’s a whole ‘nother how to section in this book: ways to easily create variety on a shoot, which dramatically increases sales.
Thank you as always for tuning in!
It’s such a pleasure to share how to make women look and feel sexy with you!
Please post a comment to ask any questions about posing, the book, or The Serpent, and I’ll answer them the best I can.
Enjoy using The Serpent this week, and let me know how it goes! (Even if you’re not a photographer, but a woman who wants to look damn sexy 😉
On a recent client shoot, this gorgeous 40 yr old mom and I had a blast in New Orleans! This woman loves wigs and enjoys rocking the blonde as much as the brunette.
The pic above celebrates the naked and energetic vibe of New Orleans, with the Jazz image in the background and the subject’s blurred movement – standard mood for the French Quarter 🙂
For this first set, we were inspired by the 70’s and Michelle Pfieffer’s blonde/gold look in Scarface.
And then, she went brunette!
Classic, chic, and sexy brunette.
Adorned with Chanel, Christian Louboutin, and Agent Provocateur…
I highly recommend wigs as an easy, sexy and fun way to create variety in a session – and in your daily life!
Why decide if blondes or brunettes have more fun?…
It’s been nose to the grindstone time as the deadline for my new book is less than a week away, and I’ve been writing and shooting up a storm. That, in addition to my normal boudoir client work, travel with my man, and a whirlwind week in Mexico for a business retreat (more on that soon), and the summer went by in a flash.
Today, I wanted to share a super fun lighting set up from the chapter on creating beautiful light. The new book shows eight different simple and sexy lighting set-ups I use to flatter women using only one light.
The photo above was shot for the new book this past Saturday, and is a perfect example to show how every shoot has its “make it work” moments when things don’t necessarily go as planned.
(Project Runway fans will recognize the mantra “Make it work.” Don’t you just love Tim Gunn? I repeat his mantra all the time. He lives on my block in NYC, so now I feel pressured to dress up even when walking the dog. But I digress.)
To create the look above, we needed a narrow beam of light. The reflector attachment that goes with this monolight would have helped do the trick , but was not packed in the box. Yikes. We had only this one strobe and two softboxes. Yikes again.
There are a lot of ways to skin a cat, and here’s just one that we chose:
Lighting Equipment used: Elinchrome BXRi 500watt Strobe with 27”x27” Rotalux Softbox
Elinchrome Skyport Speed Transmitter
Impact Multi Boom Lightstand
Two Flats used as Flags
Grey Seamless Backdrop
Shot with: 5D Mark III
50mm 1.2 with Tiffen 77mm Neutral Density .9 Filter and 72-77mm Step-up Ring
Settings: 100 ISO, f/2.8, 100 sec
We decided to use this small softbox with the diffusers removed, exposing the bare bulb and silver lining inside, as well as two large flats to act as flags to block the light from spilling onto the subject and background where we didn’t want it to. We kept the model bright and the background dark without blowing everything out by exposing for her fair skin. I am kneeling down, so I can best lengthen her legs while shooting full body. I used an ND filter to take my exposure down 3 stops without changing my aperture setting. You can create lighting modifiers out of almost anything in a pinch, and those crazy boards we used as flags are large wallpaper flats we lucked out finding in the studio we rented… a total gift.
Here’s the shot SOOC. Notice any adjustments done in post? (…speaking of Tim Gunn 🙂
Thank you to Robert and Kathy from JohnsonSarkissian, my dear friends, for being an enormous help while shooting behind the scenes pics and footage. I couldn’t have finished the day without you, and your enthusiasm, positivity and creativity helped make it a success and so much fun! I am so enormously grateful to you both.
And a huge thank you to each of you as always for stopping by!
Post any questions about this set up or the equipment used in the comments below, and I’ll do my best to answer them.
We’ll have more updates, tips, giveaways and news coming soon!
3. Incorporate props
Karen mentioned that although she’s playful and silly most of the time, she wanted to show that she can be sexy and provocative, too. She said she felt like she has never really “oozed sexiness” overtly, and that she’d really love to capture the serious sexpot woman she knows is in there in addition to the playful girl.
