Fall in love with this little yummy baby, Lila… it doesn’t get any easier than this recent family shoot.  Their photo session was a breeze - the parents are loving, gorgeous and kind - and totally trusting (ie. up for any idea I came up with!).  Baby Lila was so expressive, curious, cranky and giggly… which made for a wonderfully real shoot.

Some of my favorites…

A baby’s wonder at her own hand… beautiful moment.

Love.

Dad was nervous before the shoot, but he came around once he saw this smiling face!

This mother / daughter shot was inspired by one of my pics from the mom’s pregnancy session - part of my Brand-Spanking Newborn package…

Sweet and Silly faces…

Love these moments and how the baby is holding her mom’s hair…

First official family photograph :)

Switching it up on the blog this week - posting pics from my Downtown LA project and an exciting announcement… come back soon!

xoxo,

Christa

Family & Kids, Nudes Add new tag, christa, Family & Kids, kids, lifestyle, meola, Photography, workshop

The sweet chaos of a family photo session… That’s what I was going for during my recent Workshop demo - I wanted all the Workshop attendee’s to see how I negotiate challenges, work with kids and parents, and manage to capture my signature pictures.  So we got out of the studio and on our feet to a nearby home for some family photo fun…

…focusing on the necessity of play, creating action, capturing emotion, the beauty in details, the awesomeness of props, and much more…   and sweet chaos ensued, as we ran around a tiny yard looking for great light, trying not to step in dog poo, and still capture great images.

…such as, the personality and sass of each child…

…kids being kids, and Rocking Out!..

…the beauty of everyday details…

…of course yummy happy close-ups!

…and how much fun, value and variety that simple props can add to a shoot…

Seriously, my Workshops are this fun :)

Family & Kids, Personal, Photography christa, Family & Kids, kids, meola, Photography, portrait, workshop, workshops

I’m thrilled to announce details for my next Workshop! for pro’s and those that want to go pro… including topics from branding to sales and everything in between!  The Workshop in January was a huge success and tons of fun, and I’m looking to top it with this new one!… The workshop will be held at my Studio + Gallery and is limited to a small group so you get plenty of one-on-one instruction and hands on learning.  You will be on your feet shooting alongside me during model sessions and will be granted use of the images for your blog and portfolio.  The last workshop sold out quickly, so register soon.  More info below…

The Workshop, with Christa Meola

Revolutionize your brand.
Create meaningful photographs with impact.
Take your photography and business to the next level!

Saturday March 20th 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sunday March 21st 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Held at…

Christa Meola Pictures Studio + Gallery
860 Via de la Paz, Pacific Palisades CA 90272

Topics include:

Branding…
Personality and developing your unique style.  How to stand out from the crowd.  Selecting an in-demand product line, getting booked solid, communicating with clients, and selling emotion not images.

Pricing…
Nailing your price list so you’re busy, happy and well-paid :)  Best business practices including, contracts, release forms, and other good habits.

Shooting…
Family, Baby, and Boudoir shoots on location and in the studio.  Christa will do demos and you will get time with the models and rights to your images.  Learn how to capture honest moments and turnaround a kid’s meltdown, engage a reluctant dad, and relax a nervous mom or boudoir model.  Plus, my Top Ten Money Shots and how to get them!

Equipment…
What’s necessary and what’s not.  Lighting techniques - how to work with the challenge and beauty of natural light, a simple studio lighting set-up that works for any subject matter, and the convenience of hand-held video lights.

Workflow…
A Workflow that’s easy, fast and effective.  Top 10 Tweaks I use in LR.  Top 10 Tips for PS… how to take off 20 lbs in 20 seconds, retouching, working with actions, and more.

Photo Parties…
How I made $25,000+ in one weekend with Photo Parties.  I breakdown the whole process for you and what I’ve learned that works best.

Plus!…
One-on-one time, individual portfolio review, Q&A session, awesome discounts from all of my vendors/sponsors, and a fabulous gift bag of my favorite things that make me happy :)

Workshop Fee: $950.00
To register, call 310.383.6494 or email christa (at) christameola.com.

The last Workshop sold out quickly, so register soon, and I can’t wait to meet you!

xoxo,

Christa

Family & Kids, Personal, Photography Canon, christa, lifestyle, meola, Photographers, Photography, portrait, workshop, workshops

Wow, The Workshop was an amazing experience! It was a total blast and so much fun… but what really stood out to me was the incredible openness of all the attendee’s… their incredible energy, encouragement, experimental spirit, curiosity, and camaraderie - they truly made the weekend what it was, and I couldn’t have dreamed up a better group!

I loved seeing everyone support each other, encourage each other, and most of all… laughing our asses off together.  I know we all made some wonderful connections and friendships that will last, and it gave me such joy to see everyone hugging and hating to say goodbye last night.  It was an event I’ll never forget - it was my first Workshop for Pro’s, and you all made it meaningful for me in so many ways.

I will be posting pics from The Workshop this upcoming week, as well as pics from today’s Boudoir Workshop.

Then lots more to shoot and blog all week - valentine boudoir session, a newborn session, an afternoon tea party, a bachelor party scotch tasting (!!), and a wedding… Whew!… how much fun and variety is that?!

Thank you to all The Workshop attendee’s - you hold a deep and special place in my heart for making my first time a fulfilling experience that took my whole job and art to a deeper level…. Love you guys and looking forward to participating even further in your growth!

xoxo,

Christa

Boudoir & Fashion, Family & Kids, Personal, Photography Boudoir & Fashion, christa, Family & Kids, meola, portrait, workshop

How to take photos “as awe inspiring as your kid’s world-class cuteness!” The awesome new resource for moms and photographers has launched!.. Check out TheMomtographers.com - the place to go for inspiration, easy lessons, geeking out with other momtogs, and bringing your snaps to a whole new level!

The Momtographers, Krista Njapa and Adrienne Gray, launched their beautiful site with an interview of me and the best advice I could offer momtogs on how to capture what The Momtogs call my specialty… “Authentic Joy!”  So without further ado, here it is:

“We couldn’t be prouder in our premier edition of  ”Help A Momtographer Out!” to introduce you to Los Angeles Photographer, Christa Meola. In fact, left on it’s surface, describing Christa with just the term photographer is a little misleading. Treat yourself to a few minutes going through her portfolio, and you’ll understand what we mean. She’s an artist that truly captures the spirit of family with her unique voice - life, sung in the key of happy.  Every image radiates a joy and warmth, clearly infused with her sunny perspective.

So before we go trying to change her business cards to something like “Purveyor of Photographic Sunshine”, let’s ask her a few questions….”

Read more of the Interview here:  “How to Capture Authentic Joy, with Christa Meola”

Congratulations to TheMomtographers!… It’s a beautiful and fun site that will help thousands of moms everywhere capture the meaningful moments of everyday life :)

xoxo,

Christa

Family & Kids, Personal, Photography christa, lessons, mentoring, meola, momtographers, Photography, workshop

My last shoot of the year!... couldn’t have been more fun and full with feelings of sisterhood.  I spent yesterday afternoon with the awesome energetic smart and sassy Rodriguez girls, four sisters who are visiting from Colorado and spending the holidays with their Dad here in LA.  They wanted plenty of sun and fun for their shoot, so of course we went to the beach and Santa Monica Pier.

All-American girls… ages 15, 12, 17, and 9.

Here comes the sun!…

Their dad, John, is a firefighter, a hero, a big kid, and the girls’ biggest fan…

See what I mean?

Once we hit the beach, their competitive streaks really came out!…

It was so great to take a few moments in the midst of the holidays and get our feet wet, get a bit sandy, salty and sweaty… let loose and laugh together.

I had the best time with these girls!… They made me feel like their nutty 5th sister, and I have to say - I kinda liked that :)

Hope you have a beautiful and free-spirited end to 2009!

xoxo,

Christa

Family & Kids christa, kids, lifestyle, meola, Photography, portraits

I was thrilled to be asked to be the first interviewee for the launch of the new photography website themomtographers.com, a collaboration between two moms and photographers extraordinaire Adrienne Gray and Krista Njapa.  Their wonderful new site is focused on being a community and resource for moms and photo-enthusiasts of all levels.

I had such fun doing the interview with Krista and Adrienne, two girls with heart and talent!  Here are just a few of the questions from the interview….

“When did it become apparent that photography is something you wanted to do for a living?”

“How did you find your style, and any tips for moms on how to capture your signature “authentic joy” in their own shots?”

“How do you find the best natural light?”

“What’s your #1 transformational tip?”

…and you’ll have to wait for the launch for my answers!  The launch is set for end of December, and I will keep you posted!

xoxo,

Christa

Family & Kids, Personal, Photography christa, meola, moms, momtographers, Photography, themomtographers

I’m beyond excited to announce details on my upcoming workshop for pro’s and those that want to go pro… including topics from branding to sales and everything in between!  The workshop will be held at my Studio + Gallery and is limited to a small group so you get plenty of one-on-one instruction and hands on learning.  You will be on your feet shooting alongside me during model sessions and will be granted use of the images for your blog and portfolio.  More info below…

The Workshop, with Christa Meola

Revolutionize your brand.
Create meaningful photographs with impact.
Take your photography and business to the next level!

Saturday January 23rd 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sunday January 24th 9:00 am - 7:00 pm

Held at…

Christa Meola Pictures Studio + Gallery
860 Via de la Paz, Pacific Palisades CA 90272

Topics include:

Branding…
Personality and developing your unique style.  How to stand out from the crowd.  Selecting an in-demand product line, getting booked solid, communicating with clients, and selling emotion not images.

Pricing…
Nailing your price list so you’re busy, happy and well-paid :)  Best business practices including, contracts, release forms, and other good habits.

Shooting…
Family, Baby, and Boudoir shoots on location and in the studio.  Christa will do demos and you will get time with the models and rights to your images.  Learn how to capture honest moments and turnaround a kid’s meltdown, engage a reluctant dad, and relax a nervous mom or boudoir model.  Plus, my Top Ten Money Shots and how to get them!

Equipment…
What’s necessary and what’s not.  Lighting techniques - how to work with the challenge and beauty of natural light, a simple studio lighting set-up that works for any subject matter, and the convenience of hand-held video lights.

Workflow…
A Workflow that’s easy, fast and effective.  Top 10 Tweaks I use in LR.  Top 10 Tips for PS… how to take off 20 lbs in 20 seconds, retouching, working with actions, and more.

Photo Parties…
How I made $25,000+ in one weekend with Photo Parties.  I breakdown the whole process for you and what I’ve learned that works best.

Plus!…
One-on-one time, individual portfolio review, Q&A session, awesome discounts from all of my vendors/sponsors, and a fabulous gift bag of my favorite things that make me happy :)

To register, call 310.383.6494 or email christa (at) christameola.com.

Space is limited and I’ve already signed up some amazing photographers, so register soon, and I can’t wait to meet you!

xoxo,

Christa

Boudoir & Fashion, Family & Kids, Personal, Photography christa, lifestyle, meola, Photography, portraiture, workshop

There’s nothing like morning snuggling… staying in bed for hours, breakfast in bed, playing, laughing, falling asleep again, telling stories, hugging… Loving.  I could go on and on about how I love spending time in bed and doing shoots in the bedroom… a place we spend a third of our lives.  And if you’re lucky… you’re spending it with the ones you love :)

Rocking out!

The baby’s sleepy smile here is such a crack up!

There is so much I love about this series…  The little girl was telling her mom a story, stroking her hair, kissing, hugging… totally cute!  and look at her little feet and hands… so freaking adorable it hurts.

My favorite.  Look at the love and adoration on that little face!  Love, love, love it.

Then this happened - Dad is teaching his daughter “that is not a toy.” Lol!

You can find more of my Bed Portaits, HERE, HERE and HERE.  And there will be many more in the future!

Hope you get some morning lovin’ today :)

xoxo,

Christa

Family & Kids christa, Family & Kids, lifestyle, meola, Photography, portraits

I love Tony Robbins! and I feel so fortunate and grateful to be here in Arizona at his best event, Date with Destiny.  The event is about to start, but I wanted to quickly give you a peek from a shoot this last weekend…  I love this picture!… this little girl is touching a picture from our last shoot “Summer Summer Summertime!” which you can see HERE.

Be back to blogging next week… hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season!

**Updated to add: having a phenomenal time at Date with Destiny - going strong all day long - this is the first break in 10 hours!!  and we are going back for another 5 hours straight.

xoxo,

Christa

Family & Kids, Personal