Tag Archive: new york

Shades of Grey

Sunset hour at the studio is one of my favorite times of day, and I love keeping it simple…

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This woman chose to remain unretouched in all the photos above. #RealisBeautiful.

xo, Christa

ps. We show all clients their pictures without retouching, and it’s each woman’s choice whether to keep them that way.

The Perfect Accessory…

Coco Chanel and Jackie Kennedy (two brilliant icons of style) know that a classic accessory can be paired with anything – or nothing! – and never goes out of style…

“A woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls.” -Coco Chanel

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Spotlight on Jolene Smith Garcia

Ever meet someone who you know will impact your life in important and positive ways?

That’s how I felt when I met Jolene Smith Garcia.

Jolene is former co-founder of Free the Slaves and a Life Strategist who contacted me to shoot photos and video for her new website.

Her work is about bringing “all the soul-satisfying energy of ancient spiritual traditions, with none of the musty smell.” She wants you to have a repertoire of short, easy, free things you can do to make yourself feel like your SELF again.

Despite the briskness of the NYC winter, her recent photo and video shoot contained all the warmth that Jolene exudes. (My fav photos below, video to premiere in tomorrow’s blog post!)

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We started at the studio and then turned to the magic of NYC streets for the perfect backdrop of spiritual magic with an edge…

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Jolene believes that asking a simple question such as “Would you like a glass of water?” can be the beginning of envisioning a new future for yourself.

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She’s spunky and spiritual, transcendent yet grounded, with a bit of ‘tude. I fell in love immediately and had to know more! Here are Jolene’s engaging A’s to my Q’s…

What do you do?
I help people access magic in their lives because when we do, we tend to do the most good in the world.

Can you tell us a favorite inspirational story of someone you’ve helped?
Suraj Kali was enslaved in Uttar Pradesh, India, and forced to pound gravel into sand with a hammer and paid nothing. Her five children and husband were also enslaved, as was their entire village.

With our support, Suraj worked with other women in her village to convince everyone to band together and stand up to their slaveholder. They literally joined arms and refused to move. The slaveholder sent his thugs to beat them up, and yet they still stood strong.

Finally the slaveholder gave up, and they were free. Almost immediately they began to do their own quarrying, sell sand for themselves, and eventually sent their children to school.

Now Suraj has a job as a caretaker at a guesthouse, where she is earning many times what she did selling sand. She’s still an inspirational leader, coordinating a women’s microcredit group and spearheading village healthcare efforts. She says, “I have come out of slavery. Now I will never go back into it, neither will I let anybody from my village be a slave.”

What are you most proud of?
The people we helped to freedom are still free. They haven’t fallen back into slavery. Many have helped other people to freedom, started businesses, and are employing other people.

What is your greatest gift?
Spotting the sacred and basking in it, bathing in it, and making it easy for others to join in.

How do you keep inspired?
Reminding myself that there is Divine within each of us, including me. Which means we can act like it.

What’s your favorite book?
“Let Your Life Speak” by Parker Palmer

Favorite quote?
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” –Mary Oliver

Favorite object in your home?
A painting by Paula Barragán that my husband gave me.

Favorite hangout?
With a babysitter: Seseribó in Quito, Ecuador. With the kids: Our street, which has a lot of block parties.

Favorite can’t-live-without item?
85% dark chocolate, French roast coffee, red wine, an occasional night of gin tonics.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome as an entrepreneur?
When I was 25, I was deciding whether to go all-in to work against slavery. It would mean quitting my job, and being seen as a kook, or even worse (at that time): irrelevant. Not many people knew about modern slavery yet. Even most of my mentors in the human rights field told me I was throwing away my career. It took every drop of courage I could muster to decide: I don’t know whether I’ll make a difference, or be successful at this, but I do know that I want to be the type of person who tries. And I did.

What is your craziest goal?
It would be amazing to serve as an intern to one of the survivor business owners for a week, if she’d have me, and then go on to intern for another. Mining, shop-keeping, farming, bead-making, whatever. After our daughters are grown, I’d love to do that for a year-long trek through villages in India, Nepal, Haiti, Ghana, Brazil, and DRC where we worked (and where Free the Slaves still works). I think I would cry every day at the poignancy of it all.

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To say this beautifully spirited woman inspires me is an understatement.

Check back on the blog tomorrow for the premiere of the little film we shot for Jolene.

It contains the incredibly easy and powerful tool you can use to change how you’re feeling instantly, and feel more like your SELF.

Love,

Christa

Spotlight on Liz Dialto & Wild Soul Movement

Meet Liz DiAlto, founder of Wild Soul Movement.

Liz is one of my favorite people on the planet and a dear friend. You’ve gotta know her if you don’t already. Her outrageous laugh, deliciously inappropriate statements, and heart-centered full-gusto approach to life make me want to put her in my pocket…

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The first time I met Liz was for a 22-woman photo shoot I did for Marie Forleo and her mastermind ladies. Liz went way outside her comfort zone and posed for a picture wearing nothing but her hands over her heart. Which is so her. (Liz wrote beautifully about the experience in a popular post on The Daily Love.)

Our second shoot was for her now-discontinued Tighter in Ten fitness program, which was about working out, building muscle and weight loss. She was a personal fitness trainer and wanted to look cut in that shoot. You can take a peek at that photo shoot in my archives.

And not too long after that photo shoot she began a dramatic transformation…

In the two years since then, she’s let go of wanting abs of steel and softened her body and embraced her natural curves. She also softened her heart and approached her body with acceptance, trust and love. She embraced her feminine energy and let go of the masculine “work out”…

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She began practicing sensual movement, inviting more pleasure into her life, doing what felt good, and meditating…

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She practiced accepting her body and lovin’ on it…

In fact, there is NO PHOTOSHOP on these photos. She and I were in full-hearted agreement on that…

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So when I met up with Liz recently in Los Angeles for our third photo shoot for her new Wild Soul Movement program – I had never seen her so vital, alive, and absolutely shining with positivity, love and joy. Not to mention the confidence and body love she had was totally alluring and positively magnetic!

I’ll have whatever she’s having please. Well lucky for us, we can…

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Liz didn’t diet. But rather, she spent the last couple of years going inward to find complete acceptance of herself as she is and pouring all she’s learned into developing this new program for women. Wild Soul Movement is a 12-week video-based practice that combines soul-soothing movement, mantra and meditation…

Liz created it for women who want to feel confident, turned on, magnetic, worthy, and free.

As photographers who specialize in portraits for women, we want the same for our clients.

As women, we want the same for ourselves.

Join me and our special guest, Liz DiAlto, for a no-holds barred discussion…

“Body-Love and Self-Acceptance”
TOMORROW, Thursday June 5th at 1pm Eastern

Get the call-in details here.

She and I will discuss how we can help our clients and ourselves feel comfortable in our bodies and release what’s holding us back, and more…

See you on the call tomorrow!

With lots of body love,

Christa

ps. I’m also super excited to chat with Liz about the decision to go No Photoshop! with this shoot and the new policy my company has regarding retouching. So join us on the call tomorrow –  you don’t want to miss this!

Spotlight on: Alejandra Ramos, Part 2

Back on the blog for Part 2, Alejandra Ramos is our resident saucy chef who we love and adore. She not only emodies the real natural woman, but also shares her tips on sexy and effortless entertaining to help you create your next happy successful affair. (You can also check out Alejandra baking up some more sexy and a cherry chocolate cake in Part 1, here.) christa_meola_photography_nude_new_york_boudoir christa_meola_boudoir_nude_photographer_new_york_1 christa_meola_boudoir_nude_new_york_photographer_0002 christa_meola_photographer_new_york_boudoir_nude christa_meola_photographer_new_york_boudoir_nude_003 christa_meola_nude_boudoir_photographer_0000 christa_meola_photographer_new_york_boudoir_nude_009

 Alejandra’s Top 5 Tips for Sexy & Effortless Entertaining

Schedule Time for Yourself
It’s important that you feel confident and beautiful when hosting a party, but that can be tough to do when your hair is still dripping wet or you’re covered in splatters because you didn’t have time to change. I always set a hard stop time for myself a couple hours before the party starts. When it hits, I stop whatever I’m doing, and go shower, get dressed, and do everything I need to do to feel amazing before the guests arrive.

Be Daring with Your Guest List
That guy you have a crush on, or the girl from your yoga class you would love to be friends with? Take a chance and invite them! I think there is no better way to get to know someone, or for them get to know how fabulous YOU are. (This is actually how my husband and I started dating. So you never know!)

Set the Mood
Remember that parties aren’t just about the food and drinks–think about other ways you can make the event feel a little extra special.  A weekend brunch calls for fresh flowers and wide open windows, while a sexy cocktail party practically begs for dimmed lamps and lots of candlelight.  Music also plays a big role. Try to create a custom playlist ahead of time or use a streaming app like Pandora or Songza to match the music to your food or theme.

Keep a Few Secrets
I never reveal my menu or any of my party plans before the fact. It creates an element of surprise, and gives me freedom to change things without worrying about disappointing anyone. It also means that if something didn’t work out how you planned–say a broken cake or burned side dish–you can just toss it and nobody will know!

Accept Help
You may be the host, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it all alone. Have a friend who loves to mix drinks? Let him play bartender! Not crazy about baking? Ask a friend to bring a pie from that bakery near her house. Taking a few of your not-so-favorite things off your plate, will allow you to shine and create the best experience for everyone (yourself included!).

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Thank you Alejandra! I’m looking forward to putting those tips into action soon, especially No. 4 – how did I never think of that?

More gorgeous pics of you-never-know-what’s-coming-next soon…

xoxo, Christa

Spotlight on: Alejandra Ramos

Such a pleasure to photograph the gorgeous and lovely Alejandra Ramos of Always Order Dessert fame.

Among her many TV appearances, Alejandra has been featured alongside the likes of Emeril and on Dr. Oz. Her thoughts and feelings on cooking, hosting and eating are exactly aligned with our philosophy here at Christa Meola Pictures:

“To me, cooking is about pleasure, comfort, and seduction. I love to create and serve food that’s decadent, abundant, and just a little bit messy. I love long meals with lots of great conversation and very few rules. 

I don’t have the patience for perfection, and much prefer when things are just a little bit wild…it keeps guests from feeling intimidated, and encourages them to dig in and get lost in the flavors and just enjoy the moment. There’s absolutely no room for guilt or inhibitions at my table!”

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Even more of Alejandra’s sauciness on the blog soon.

Lots of love and yummies in your life,

xoxo Christa

ps. Alejandra was sweet to share her secret recipe with us for her Seriously Sexy Cherry Chocolate Cake featured in this series.

 

Interview with TWIP

While I was up and gettin’ married this past December, the interview I did with This Week in Photography was posted.

It’s 45 minutes and PACKED with no-holds-barred info, so I didn’t want you to miss it.

The show’s gracious host, Frederick, said it was one of the most educational interviews he’s ever done. Gosh, what a compliment.

We discussed how I got started photographing women, my entire process, making women feel comfortable, how I work with my assistant, pricing, gear, what I do at the sales session, what’s next for us in 2014, and so much more…

So grab a cup of coffee, and I hope you enjoy!

xoxo Christa

CLICK PLAY BELOW TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW

Nude, with Goosebumps & Gold Leaf

A recent session in NYC with a Chicago mom of three. She was inspired by an Esquire cover of Rhianna covered with leaves, but we opted to play with gold leaf…

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I love naked simplicity…

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More simply natural fine art nudes in the archives, and coming to the blog soon, from California to NYC to Spain!…

Stay tuned,

x Christa

One Hot Mama… Sexy at Sixty-one!

In honor of Mother’s Day coming up on the 12th, I’m thrilled to be featuring… my mom!

My mom, Sandina, was my first symbol of femininity and sensuality. I remember, as a little girl, sitting on my parents’ bed in my soccer uniform, watching fascinated as my mom artfully put on make-up and got dressed up to go out for the evening. Curious why she chose one pair of stockings over another. Putting on heels, sexy slacks (it was the 70’s), a partly sheer top or revealing neckline… to me, it was all so risque´!

Well now many years later, she and I recently celebrated her 61st birthday with a photo shoot. And this time, I helped her choose which outfits, pampered her with a professional make-up and hair stylist, and captured her the way I see her… playful, elegant, hysterical, sassy… beautiful.

My mom also makes the perfect subject for the 2nd installation of our new blog series focusing on having a healthy relationship with your body, being comfortable in your own skin, and enjoying your body and life. So I took this opportunity to interview her to share her inspiration:

Christa: Describe your body in 5 words.
Sandina: Curvy, strong, comfortable, mature, balanced.

How do you feel about your body?
I look in the mirror and start to see the wear and aging starting to set in, and it is frightening! Most days, I feel good about my body, especially when I’m on track with exercising, and I’m wearing the perfect outfit.  When I start to get down about my body, I do something to make me feel better about myself, such as go for a massage, facial, a spa day, and last but by no means the least, shop for that killer outfit.

What do you love about your body?
It’s unique, mine, and one of a kind. There really is not one specific part that I love and always want to show off.  If I have to pick because you’re making me (Christa: Yes, I am), I would say my ass.  It still has a pretty good shape.  And my breasts – I know many women would kill for full breasts – I was lucky and was born with them.

How did you feel about being half-naked in front of the camera?
Well, at first I felt shy and stupid, trying to be model-like, but then I started to open up and get into the zone. Then it was fun and felt glamorous.

How did you feel after seeing the photos we created?
Pretty, sexy and wonderful. When I’m looking at them, I see the playful side of myself again.  And I think: hey, I look pretty damn good, especially for my age.

What’s your go-to item to wear to feel smoking hot?
Silk.

What’s your best tip for feeling gorgeous?
Pamper yourself in every way. (Christa: Really? You do this?)  Absolutely, even if it’s just a quick massage, pedicure, hair color change, or new haircut. It works for me.

How do you feel about your age?
Love it and not afraid to show it.

You used to never want people to know your age. Can I mention on the blog that you’re 61?  
Honestly, I used to be that way when I was 50! But now, I have finally accepted my age. So you’re right – I’ve changed. And yes, I welcome you to show my age.

Do you feel like your age affects how sexy you truly are?
Not at all!

What gets better with age?
Confidence. Accepting who you are. I also think you begin to look at your body differently. I know when I was younger, before being married, I hated my body and tried so hard to be pretty and look good like everyone else.  But now, I accept myself and am okay with the way I look. I have a certain body type that will never, never be skinny, and now with age, I get it!! I no longer worry about pleasing others or how I compare. I’m my own person, and I’m happy.

What’s the best compliment you ever received?
“You’re how old?!”  Just kidding. Any compliment I get from my children is good. The compliment I hear the most is from my girl friends. They say I have nice skin. It’s so nice to hear that. I can be so critical of myself sometimes. So hearing these positive compliments keeps me thinking, “It’s not so bad that I’m getting older.”

And without further ado, here are a few pics from our photo shoot…
My mama loves her hats!

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You gotta love her…

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Thanks Mom! I feel very fortunate to have a fabulous role model for loving life, having a sense of humor about yourself, and enjoying what it is to be a woman.

Lots of love and inspiration to every woman, and Happy Mother’s Day to every mama out there in advance!

xoxo, Christa

Working it! Creating Variety, No 2.

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—>

 
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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 🙂

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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.

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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—>

Secret Photoshop Recipe: Rusty Cage!

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.

Available Light, AFTER

(Pic above)

Available Light, BEFORE:

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MY SECRET RECIPE

Rusty Cage, by Totally Rad Actions

Rusty Cage Light @ 41%
Warm Up @ 100%
Levels Tweak @ 0%
Desaturate @ 100%
Duplicate Desaturate layer @ 24%
Rusty Cage Dark @ 64%

Plus a dollop of EZ Burn, by Totally Rad Actions

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!

 

Creating Gorgeous Light: 2 Strobe Set-up

Man, I’ve been loving this lighting set-up lately! It’s gorgeous and super easy to do.

I wanted to create moody, flattering, dramatic backlighting that evoked a feeling of being on stage.

Here’s how to do it:

All images shot with Dove Grey 9 ft seamless backdrop, Elinchrome BX-Ri 500 set at the lowest power with a 53″ Octabank as the main light. The backlight is a Speedotron 805 lowered to about 75 watts with a #10 grid attached.

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Here’s a diagram of the set-up:

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 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:

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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!