Photography | Christa Meola Pictures Inc.

Tag Archive: Photography

Christmas in NYC!

Hope everyone is enjoying a very merry holiday and getting ready for a beautiful Christmas! Since moving to NY earlier this year, I’m so excited for my first NYC holiday! I have been getting my Christmas geek on early and doing all the awesome cheesy stuff that makes this season my favorite time of year! Whether bundled up outside to enjoy ice-skating, Rockefeller Center, the department store windows down 5th ave, and brisk walks in the park, or snuggled up with a cozy blanket, decadent hot chocolate, and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, we’re in full nerd mode here and loving every minute of it. I bought my first Christmas tree and decorated it with little lights and 4 lovely ornaments (hey, I’m a minimalist – it works 🙂 Gifts have been lovingly been wrapped and given. Here are just a few sights I’ve been enjoying around the city to share with you…

Somehow, Bergdorff Goodman makes EXCESS look elegant…

Kinda creepy if you ask me, but what’s with the bird theme…?

Rockefeller Center and Gucci…

Oooooh something pretty in the window at Tiffany & Co…

My mom arrives in town today to continue the festivities, and I know she has the Rockettes planned for our near future 🙂

And just a quick Christmas heads-up, in case you’re thinking of last minute gift ideas for a loved one or to gift yourself…

We are running out of seats for the ONLINE BOUDOIR WORKSHOP, which starts soon on Jan 2nd! I am so happy with all the wonderful people we’ve got signed-up from all over the world! We are well-represented: Newbies and pro’s, women and men, Canon and Nikon 🙂

And here is some of the AWESOME FREE STUFF we’re giving away to select attendees during the workshop!

A copy of my book “EXPOSED: Redefining Boudoir” signed by me 🙂

A set of The Money Shots™ THE Shots that Sell!

A private one-one-one Coaching Call with me.

Your choice of RadLab, TRA1, TRA2 or Lightroom Presets from Totally Rad Actions.

$100 Gift Card from LensProToGo!

10×10 15-Spread Sequoia Album from Pictage.

20×30 NEW Acrylic Wall Art from Pictage.

20×20 NEW Bamboo Wall Art from Pictage.

Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS and hope to have your beautiful presence in my world very soon!

Lots of love and Christmas cheer,

Christa

ps. Here’s where you can sign-up to reserve a seat to the Online Boudoir Workshop and to get more info 🙂

LensProToGo announces ViewFinders!

I’m so happy and grateful to LensProToGo for choosing me to be in their brand new ViewFinders program! I’m completely humbled to be included in this inspiring group of photographers!

LensProToGo is one of my favorite companies, and I adore their tight-knit staff of smart, generous, and super friendly pro photographers, whose biggest thrill is in helping you decide what gear will best support your needs and artistic vision.

LensProToGo describes the ViewFinders program as “a partnership in which we will bring inspiring photographers and filmmakers to you. Their knowledge, their skill set, their creativity. These artists have been hand picked and have committed to sharing their knowledge to help expand your creative horizons.” Each month LensProToGo will interview a ViewFinder, share with you their recent projects and tips from the field. They will also host contests and Q&A’s with each ViewFinder with awesome giveaways.

Make sure to check it out!

“Go Feed Yourself!”

I recently had the pleasure of photographing the gorgeous, smart and talented Heather Pierce Giannone, who teaches busy entrepreneurs How to Help their Bodies Keep up with their Business.

What I love about Heather is her tell-it-to-ya-straight sassy style. She’s like an Italian grandmother with her amazing home-cooking and nurturing ways, mixed with a bit of Godfather with her slap-ya-in-the-face honesty. Her upcoming product “Go Feed Yourself!” is a perfect example.

Heather teaches deliciously simple cooking classes in Connecticut and provides one-on-one “power sessions” for busy bees like me who want a clear plan of next steps to increase energy and mental focus. Plus, look at how much fun this girl has in the kitchen!

You can catch all the goodness on Heather’s website, where she blogs regularly with useful video demo’s and relevant topics such as Stupid Things that Smart People Eat, and an Easy Strategy for Eating Well without Depriving Yourself.

Smart girl.

Here’s to gorgeous bods and sharp minds!

Christa

Tuscan Spin on a Vespa!

When in Italy, a cruise on a Vespa is required!
(Cute boy also required.)

I just love that face!

A great big THANK YOU to Leo, my little fratello italiano!

…for being such a cutie and letting us use your bike 🙂

zoom zoom,

Christa

A Design Atelier, Paris

This summer, I was so fortunate to spend two beautiful and inspiring weeks in Paris! It became even more fun when gal pal and fellow design-junkie, Natasha, joined me for my birthday week. Natasha is an incredible designer and is the talent behind the look of my blog, The Money Shots™ and other exciting upcoming products in my line. She and I geeked out big-time and had a full on Parisian girl-fest, including lots of museums, shopping, red lipstick, hour-long foot massages, lots of wine, lots of cheese, and lots of fun in the city of light. And of course, we did a photo shoot for her new site – shot in our incredible flat in the heart of the Marais.

These last two are my favorites…
More pics from unforgettable Paris coming soon!

You can check out Natasha’s gorgeous work on my new set of BEST-SELLING Boudoir pics…

The Money Shots™
a very cool resource for boudoir photographers!

Happy Monday 🙂

Christa

PartnerCon 2011 – you coming?!

I am so excited to have been invited back to speak once again at PartnerCon! This year’s conference hosted by Pictage is in San Diego and includes 3 days of speaker sessions, hands-on shooting workshops, leading exhibitor demonstrations, networking and so much fun! I will be teaching alongside some of the best photographers in the industry and very cool people: Joe Buissink, Justine Ungaro, the Youngrens, Jared Bauman, and dozens more. Seriously, this event is a PHENOMENAL value, not to be missed and guaranteed to inspire, elevate and empower you!

Pictage PartnerCon 2011
November 7-9, 2011
The Hard Rock Hotel, San Diego, CA
Register Now!

Here are the details for my talk – it may not seem sexy, but OH HELL YEAH it is! I’ve never revealed this info before and don’t plan to again, so DON’T MISS IT!

Anatomy of a Successful Portrait Business
Tuesday, Nov. 8th 1:30pm
Let’s kick it into high gear as I dissect my portrait business, put it under a microscope, and expose the critical choices I made when building my brand that earned me a six-figure income in less than two years after just getting started and has continued to grow each year. I will uncover my unique strategies that led to being booked solid, continually increasing sales, and creating higher profit margins. And more importantly, my definition of SUCCESSFUL goes waaaay beyond high revenue so we’ll also delve into the strategies that produce creative fulfillment, happy clients, and running a business with ease. So from top to bottom, we’ll take an intimate peek inside my business and identify the mind-set, the systems, the tools, and the business practices that keep me happy, in-demand, well-paid, and loving what I do. Let’s break it all down together and set you up for SUCCESS!

Panel Discussion: Creating a Client-focused Business
Monday, Nov. 7th 3:15pm
Gary Christensen, Kevin Weinstein, Phil Thornton, Rachel LaCour Niesen, Jeff Youngren, Christa Meola
I am thrilled to be on this panel of very cool and varied pro’s who exemplify the client-focused mind-set. Here’s the description from the course guide:
“Photographers often hear that creating a great brand is all about selling yourself and being yourself. Sure, that’s part of branding, but this panel will challenge you to think beyond conventional wisdom! Explore what a truly client-focused business looks like and how these photographers’ business practices are different than what you’d expect. Come ready to ask questions, be challenged, and think outside the box!”

NEW! Boudoir Photography Sessions
Nov 7th-9th, Only 3 spots available!
Since I’ll be in the company of hundreds of gorgeous female photographers at this conference, let’s have some fun and do some sexy shooting for you! Obviously, this isn’t a part of PartnerCon registration, but I believe it’s an absolute MUST-DO for every woman! Give me a shout for all the juicy details 917.737.1009 or christa at christameola.com.

So REGISTER NOW for PartnerCon as seating is limited and will definitely sell out. And wait – there’s even more!…

An AWESOME DISCOUNT just for my loyal blog followers!
Make sure to use the code: ChristaMeola when you REGISTER NOW, and receive $50 OFF!
Hurry, the discount code expires soon! on 10/07/11.

This one is from PartnerCon 2010 in New Orleans. I know my hair is a mess, but the discussion was PHENOMENAL 🙂

See you in San Diego!

Christa

ps. Here’s the FULL SCHEDULE, and make sure to sign up for my talk! Can’t wait to meet you 🙂

pps. The pic at the top is of super cool photographers and my dear friends Lauren Hillary, Justine Ungaro, myself, and taken by our awesome soul sistah Sara France. Ok, it wasn’t taken at PartnerCon but at the LA SupperClub, but these are the types of awesome friendships that are made at ParnterCon and it totally captures the party atmosphere and camaraderie of the event! Come join us!

Apertivo Hour at the Villa

Apertivo hour in the Salon at the Villa. Florence, Italy. Sometimes a Party of One is the most fun 🙂

This was another favorite set from my Workshop in Italy! You can see more all week long 🙂

see ya back here soon – bring wine!

x. Christa

Sultry Sunset, Tuscany-style

Sunset in Tuscany is a breathtaking event every night, even from your bedroom window or porch just peering out at the landscape and enjoying some wine. Now if you happen to score a private castle-like villa and sculpture garden with a fantastic nude model — well all the better!

Here are more of my favorites from my recent Italy Workshop that showcase Italy’s stunning light & landscape and the beautiful female figure…

Ah beauty! Italy, cypress trees, stone sculptures, a sunset, 9 of my girlfriends, a beautiful female form, and a camera to capture it all!

It’s all so divine, I can almost forget the swarms of mosquito’s.

Still itching and scratching,

x. Christa
ps. check back for more deliciousness on the blog all week and next from Italia!

Smoking Hot Summer in Italy!

I’m back from an amazing and memorable summer in Europe. From Florence to Venice, Paris, and back to Tuscany – the trip was INCREDIBLE! Like any good working vacation, it was full of good friends (old and new), lots of photography, inspiring art, divine food, wine, new experiences, a TON of laughter, and just a full-out f’g GREAT time!

The Italy Workshop was beyond my wildest expectations and one of the best times I’ve ever had with some of the most beautiful talented amazing women I’m happy to call friends. It was a full-on women’s dream retreat, and I can’t wait to do it again next year! Here is the first set of pics that I shot during the workshop…

I’ll be blogging all of the Italy Workshop pics over the next two weeks, ending with a DELICIOUS GIVEAWAY with goodies straight from Italia!

So keep your eyes glued to this space 🙂

THANK YOU to the amazing women who enjoyed a wonderful week in Tuscany with me – You made it what it was, and always remember… “It’s ITALY, bitches!”

lots of love,

Christa

Passion at Musee Rodin, Paris!

Just got back from an incredible two-week vacation – 3 beautiful carefree days in Venice and 11 glorious day in PARIS filled with art, fashion, food, wine, photographs, and everywhere – l’amour! My awesome friend Natasha met me there for the most girly-girl trip ever! A blissful indulgent holiday that brought me offline and back to everything I love.

One of the standout experiences for me was the Musee Rodin. The emotion in every sculpture, the gorgeous soft colors and light, the sheer beauty and passion filling up this historical space & garden… it was almost too much to bear. Thank goodness I was allowed to use my camera.

Here are some of my favorite moments, colors, and moods from Musee Rodin.

Here’s a shot my friend took of me looking out at the inspiring garden of Musee Rodin. It’s blurry, but I love it anyway!

I’m back in Florence and getting ready to welcome the gals for our week-long Fine Art Nude Photo Workshop & Retreat starting this Sunday! And even though my bum is seated at my desk in this villa in Italy, my mind keeps wandering back to Paris! Bear with me 🙂

lots of love and inspiration!

x. Christa

The Colors of Capri & Sorrento!

One of the wonderful things about traveling across Italy is all the different colors of each region. Tuscany is all sunshiny yellow, terracotta red, and cypress green. Whereas, Capri, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast have a plethora of gorgeous jewel tones to get lost in… from the colorful tiles, boats & buildings, to the yummy blue/green of the sea & sky and bright citrus colors of the lemon groves and orange trees… all of it delicious!

Yes, Hello!… Two beautiful views from high atop Capri. You have to ride a little lift to get to the top.

Carciufi (artichoke) was in high season when I visited. It’s my favorite dish to cook in Italy! ok, it’s the only dish I cook in Italy 🙂

Poodles and men in newsboy caps are abundant in Sorrento – both are great characters!

Limoni are everywhere along the Amalfi Coast! and there are so many delicious treats made with the local harvests: limoncello, lemon chocolate, lemonade… yummmm!

If you get a chance to visit Italy, make sure to stop on by the Amalfi coast and enjoy the local color and some limoncello.

Salute!

x. Christa

Red Hot Mama

Monique, a mother of two, celebrated her birthday with a sultry-themed photo shoot as part of a sexy weekend getaway with her husband in NYC! Our boudoir shoot was like Carnivale in Venice and Burlesque in Paris all rolled into one tantalizing show!