Tag Archive: Women

One Size Does Not Fit All

This shoot was a fun study in making it work!

A self-described “plus-sized lingerie boutique” sent us a few fun things to photograph. So we booked a model represented by a “plus-sized agency.”

But when our lovely model showed up for the shoot, she was smaller than me! Hahaa! My first reaction was to think Oh my goodness she’s not big enough. But I caught myself super quick and thought Who the heck is to say who is plus size, minus size, regular size, right size. She’s perfect.

So I hustled. I found this mannequin in a back closet of the studio, grabbed it and had some fun.

CHRISTA_MEOLA_REAL_IS_BEAUTIFUL_PHOTOGRAPHER_NYC_001

I also gave her my #realisbeautiful t-shirt. She is unretouched in all of these pictures.

CHRISTA-MEOLA-REAL-IS-BEAUTIFUL-PHOTOGRAPHER-NYC-005

The lingerie boutique and the model agency both have different ideas on what plus-sized is. We will, of course, have to book someone who actually fits the clothing we want to photograph.

In the meantime, I hope you find this story and pics inspirational.

When life surprises you, make meaningful photographs!

Love, Christa

ps. we just had a couple seats open up for our upcoming live workshop! Click here for more details and snag your spot.

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

christa_meola_photographer_new_york_boudoir_nude_98

christa_meola_new_york_boudoir_nude_photographer_01

christa_meola_photographer_new_york_nude_boudoir_96

christa-meola-nudes-boudoir-workshop-photographer-00

Morning Light

There’s nothing like beautiful morning light streaming in through the windows…

christa_meola_photographer_new_york_nude_boudoir_005christa_meola_photographer_new_york_nude_boudoir_001christa_meola_photographer_new_york_nude_boudoir_002christa_meola_photographer_new_york_nude_boudoir_006christa_meola_photographer_new_york_nude_boudoir_004
This little series was shot for Laura Corn, sex expert, radio personality, and author of nine bestselling books for her exciting new mobile app. We’ll post details on the blog when it launches.

Plenty more sensual moments from this photo shoot coming up!

Lots of 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…

christa_meola_photographer_photography_nude_new_york_liz_dialto_010

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”…

christa_meola_photographer_photography_nude_new_york_liz_dialto_90christa_meola_photography_photographer_boudoir_nude_new_york_liz_dialto_99

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

christa_meola_photographer_photography_nude_new_york_liz_dialto_6

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…

christa_meola_photographer_photography_boudoir_nudes_new_york_workshop_liz_dialto_0001christa_meola_photographer_photography_nude_new_york_liz_dialto_77christa_meola_photographer_photography_nude_new_york_liz_dialto_08

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…

christa_meola_photographer_photography_nude_new_york_liz_dialto_01christa_meola_photographer_photography_nude_new_york_liz_dialto_012christa_meola_photographer_photography_nude_new_york_liz_dialto_02christa_meola_photographer_photography_nude_new_york_liz_dialto_013christa_meola_photographer_photography_boudoir_nude_new_york_liz_dialto-09

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

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!”

christa_meola_photography_photographer_new_york_004 christa_meola_photography_photographer_new_york_001

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.

 

Spotlight on: Regena Thomashauer

Introducing a new recurring feature on the blog, “Spotlight!” – an intimate look at the distinctive personalities, award-winning athletes, best-selling authors, musicians and entrepreneurs whom I’ve photographed and interviewed.

First up is Regena Thomashauer, who you may know as Mama Gena, the best-selling author of Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts and Mama Gena’s Owner’s and Operator’s Guide to Men.

Regena has built an incredible community of women as Founder of and Head Goddess at The School of Womanly Arts. Her weekly blog posts are one of the few I subscribe to and are always super inspiring!

A fascinating woman of high energy and a powerhouse of feminity, Regena’s shoot included multiple looks and various locations around NYC, which we will unfold in three parts.

christa_meola_regena_thomashauer_photographer_mama_gena_008

Mama Gena is like one of your best girl friends, who’ll tell it to you straight sister and will laugh, cajole and cry with you…

christa_meola_regena_thomashauer_photographer_mama_gena_004

christa_meola_regena_thomashauer_photographer_mama_gena_005

Her teaching focuses on following your desires and leading a life of pleasure…

christa_meola_regena_thomashauer_photographer_mama_gena_007

…and whoa, can she dance her ass off!…

christa_meola_regena_thomashauer_photographer_mama_gena_011

christa_meola_regena_thomashauer_photographer_mama_gena_006

christa_meola_regena_thomashauer_photographer_mama_gena_013 christa_meola_regena_thomashauer_photographer_mama_gena_009

This first set was classic Mama Gena, reminiscent of Tina Turner, but 100% Mama!

Stay tuned for the second set, involving a construction site and sequins 🙂

Lots of love,

Christa

Chic Brunette, No. 2

Picking up where we left off with Racy Blonde & Chic Brunette, No. 1

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.

How to Look Great Naked, No. 2

This week, I’ve got my sleeves rolled up and am diving even deeper into writing the new book

I am loving the challenge of pulling forth and putting down all I’ve discovered and learned about how to create stunning photographs of women. The book I’m writing goes beyond photography , to also include how to help women look and feel great by cultivating their sex appeal and coaching a bit of sensuality in their movements in addition to using your photography skills to capture it all.

As we discussed last week in How to Look Great Naked, cultivating sex appeal and looking great naked is not about crash dieting or Photoshop, but rather is about a woman’s attitude, confidence, playful personality, and feeling good in her own skin.

Honestly, that’s 98% of looking and feeling great naked.

So today’s post contains the other 2% to put you over the top with practical and immediately actionable tips to make you look great naked and boost your confidence for when you want to feel simply amazing in your birthday suit. 

How to Look Great Naked, No. 2!

1. Smile and Make Eye Contact
These are two of the most immediate, simple and powerful things you can do (at any given time really). There is nothing quite like the irresistible sex appeal of a confident woman smiling and making eye contact. Nothing else needed. But feel free to read on… 

2. Strap on Your High Heels
Want to add a bit more muscle definition to your legs and instantly feel sexier? Strap on a smoking hot pair of high heels! Obviously, heels make you appear taller (and therefore slimmer, if that’s your goal), but shoes with a slender heel that’s at least 2” high also make the calves appear muscular and much more defined. Nude shoes that match your skin tone are a fantastic choice to make your legs look even longer. However, avoid shoes with ankle straps, a square toe, and chunky shoes which all make legs look wider. Note: of course, this effect only applies when you’re standing. But if you ask me, high heels are the perfect accessory for looking great naked, in any position. 

3. Style Up A Great ‘Do
Everyone knows a good hair day makes a woman feel amazing, so don’t underestimate what a good ‘do can do. When prancing around naked, it’s the one thing you can wear styled, so invest time or money in making it great. Most men love hair that looks shiny, soft and touchable. No time for a polished style? Go for the sex appeal of bedhead. Run fingers through your roots with a scrubbing motion, use a spray wax, spritz all over hair, and then twirl random sections around your fingers. Naughtiness. (ps. I’m loving big hair. The bigger the hair, the sassier and slimmer my body appears.)

4. Get Glowing Skin
When you’re sporting nothing but your birthday suit, you want to make sure your skin feels and looks great. Moisturizing is key. I love Neutrogena Sesame Oil. Not only do I love how it makes my body glow and feel soft and silky, but I’m crazy about the seductive scent as well. A tip: put it on in the shower so it’s absorbed nicely and you don’t end up greasy. Use a moisturizing lotion on your face, and add a bit of  gel stain on your cheeks to get a gorgeous flushed look. Longer term, make sure you’re drinking your 8 glasses a day, exfoliating and moisturizing daily.

Beyond moisturizing, try a tinted moisturizer, self-tanner, or body make-up, which can all hide a multitude of sins, make your bod appear slimmer and give you a healthy glow. Restraint here is a good thing – just enough to give you a healthy glow and make you feel more confident.

5. Find Your Best Light
You can’t underestimate the power of light to flatter a figure. Two things to consider when choosing which light makes you look and feel great naked: the light’s quality and the direction of the source. The most flattering quality of light for your nudeness comes from soft glowing sources, such as a candle, the moon, and pink-tinted bulbs. The least flattering (and frankly, horrifying) light is fluorescent. Yikes.

Ways to create flattering quality of light:

  • Install dimmers. So you can adjust the lights to a level that’s most flattering to your skin and that suits your comfort level.
  • Try candlelight or firelight. The warm glow makes skin look amazing and casts beautiful shadows, not to mention the inherent romantic appeal. Light as many candles to make the room as dim or bright as would please you. 
  • Swap out regular light bulbs for pink-tinted bulbs. Pink-tinted light is the most becoming to skin and casts the most flattering shadows.
  • Place colored plastic gels (pink or orange) over a lamp. You can purchase gels at photography and art stores, or you can use a sheer fabric.
  • Get naked by moonlight. This soft light is another flattering choice with romantic appeal.
  • Go au naturale in early morning light. This scenario is a bit brighter for those who are bolder, but still a soft and flattering even light source.

Ways to position light that flatters:

  • Avoid overhead light. In terms of placement, a light source from behind you, to the side of you, or in front of you are vastly more flattering than the distorting hideousness of overhead light of any kind. Avoid that at all costs.
  • Side light – enhances curves and throws teasing shadows onto other areas. Illuminates less of your body, so it’s great if you’re a bit body conscious and want to have parts of your body “disappear” into darkness. Place lamp to the side of you.
  • Back light – is the least illuminating, throwing your bod into silhouette. Place lamp behind you. 

6. Practice Great Posture
Good posture can take you a long way and is another instant fix to looking great naked. Poor posture sends the wrong message. Excellent posture not only makes you look taller and leaner, it makes you feel and appear more confident. So when we talked about faking confidence until you have it (Tip #2 from last week’s post), this is a great way to do it – through great posture.

Ways to achieve great posture that flatters:

  • Great posture is easy to achieve, but difficult to sustain without constant reminders. Unfortunately most of us go through the day with poor unappealing posture. So practice the following tips while standing in front of the mirror and see how incredibly dramatic the difference is!
  • Stand up straight, pull your shoulders back and down, elongate your neck, tilt your head and chin slightly out and down, pull your stomach in and up and let your back settle into a natural but a bit of an extended arch that pushes out (and plays up) both the butt and chest.
  • Sit on a diagonal, with a slight twist at the waist instead of facing someone head-on. This will naturally cinch in your waist.
  • Place your hands where you want attention to go. If you like your hips, décolletage, or face, put your hands there.
  • When standing, turn a bit sideways, shift your weight to the back leg, and put the other leg out in front of the other, knee slightly bent, and toe pointed, lifting your heel.
  • If you don’t love your arms, position them so that they are away from your body. For example, placing a hand on your hip immediately thins out your arm.

7. Pay Attention to Details

  • Give your hands and feet loving attention. A mani/pedi is a must for good grooming.
  • Style up your nether regions – whatever style (or lack thereof) suits you. 
  • Feel free to accessorize a tiny bit which may make you feel a little less naked, such as a gorgeous statement piece of jewelry on your wrist or around your neck. 
  • A slightly chill room or glass of ice water will do wonders to keep you, um, standing at attention.
  • Lastly, choose make-up to suit your style: minimalism keeps your look au naturale, or you can go bold with smokey smoldering eyes or simply just red hot lips. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below… What’s your single best tip for feeling great in your own skin?

Lots of love and nakedness,

Christa

ps. If ya missed it, here are more great tips on How to Look and Feel GREAT Naked!

pps. If you’d like to get your copy of my book The Art of Boudoir, it’s now available for pre-order!

Smoking and Swinging, No. 2

A swing in Tuscany…







…and if you missed Smoking and Swinging, No. 1, you most definitely want to check it out – it’s been a very popular post.

Two quick bits of news for your Monday…

MODEL CASTING CALL
We’re looking for models and non-models of all ages, body types and sizes for my creativeLIVE workshop in Seattle on Feb 10-12! If you’re in the area and want to be photographed by your’s truly, send a quick note about yourself and a few pics to kate @ creativeLIVE.

PINTEREST
Oh I’ve avoided adding another online addiction like the plague, but I caved and recently started pinning photos to Pinterest. So if you’d like to check out Lighting I Love, Props I Covet, Rocking Pose Ideas, and other fine art boudoir photography inspiration, come check it out and follow me on Pinterest!

Happy Swinging,

Christa

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

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