Yay! I’m psyched to launch my new website for photographers! And this is just the beginning! Lots of exciting projects are well underway, and I am so pleased with the quality and uniqueness of what will soon be available to photographers everywhere!  Fabulous resources will soon be added to the site and a new membership group is on the horizon for all Christa Meola Workshop graduates :)

Swing by the new site when you get a minute, check out the new workshop schedule, read the raves, and see a very dorky picture of me :)

Thank you to all of the amazing folks who made this site possible…
*My awesome Workshop attendees who were very generous and enthusiastic with giving feedback
*My incredible partner in crime on all upcoming projects, phenomenal new photographer, supermom and all around amazing woman… Jayne Jewell
*The best web support system a girl could ask for… Max at King Creations, Mac Sokulski, and Anthony Cunningham - y’all keep me sane, thank you :)

xoxo,

Christa

Boudoir & Fashion, Family & Baby Boudoir & Fashion, christa, Family & Kids, kids, meola, Photography, workshop, workshops

I know it’s only mid-March and I’m rushing Springtime… but recent days in LA have been gorgeous breezy and sunny - just like Spring!  These shots from a recent kid’s shoot remind me of growing up in NJ and all the awesomeness of the different seasons… when glorious Spring arrived, there was nothing better than being outside on a windy day and playing in your backyard.

Here are a few of my favorite childhood moments in Springtime…  scootin’ around and sporting your favorite boots!…

Laying in the grass… just happy to be outside…

Smelling flowers…

Oh, the excitement and anticipation of getting ready to climb a tree!…

And the fear and the thrill of it!…

Pausing for a snack of raisins…

The wind blowing…

…and being young enough to sport polka dot underwear and a ponytail…

I hope Springtime hurries to your neighborhood soon :) and you take time to bask in the wonderful everyday moments even if you’re a big old grown-up.

xo,

Christa

Family & Baby childhood, christa, Family & Kids, kids, lifestyle, meola, Photography, portrait, portraits

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

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

I love nakedness! Skin is so beautiful and a joy to photograph whether it’s boudoir, babies, or fine art nudes…  it’s luminous, timeless, and my preferred wardrobe option.  Here are the top ten pics from a recent newborn shoot…

Big brother and baby sis… Rolls and rolls of the good stuff!…

Too cute.

Lest you think baby shoots are sweetness and light, here’s a little dose of reality for you….

This was a fun follow-up to the mom’s pregnancy shoot, which you can view HERE.

More Photographer FAQ’s coming up tomorrow!  You can see the last edition HERE.

xoxo,

Christa

Family & Baby baby, christa, Family & Kids, kids, lifestyle, meola, Photography, portrait

I’ve been MIA on the blogging for a bit… the holiday crush for pictures has overwhelmed me this year, in a good way :)  I feel so fortunate to have shared in the lives of so many families, artists, models, moms, shoe-shiners, street musicians, and people from all walks of life.  Creating a portrait of someone or someone’s family is an honor and gives me such a unique and intimate glimpse into their lives, and I couldn’t be more thankful this holiday season.

This is a quick peek from yesterday’s shoot at Disneyland.  Thank you Juliette, David and little David for such a memorable day!  ps. you may remember this guy as Yummy Empanada Feet… from this post HERE.

Be back soon!

xo,

Christa

Family & Baby christa, Family & Kids, kids, lifestyle, meola, Photography, portrait

Photographers everywhere love the Golden Hour… that last hour before sunset, when the light is golden and makes everything look magical.  This savvy mom requested the Golden Hour… and I was happy to oblige last weekend.  The Kennedy family is very near and dear to me… 5 years ago, they were my very 1^st paid shoot as a professional photographer!  And I’ve shot for their family every year since… birthdays, Mother’s day, Christmas cards, new babies… and I couldn’t be happier.  This mom, Monica Kennedy, is responsible for a great deal of my success… I have never advertised because her referral is trusted and carries far and wide.  I’ve nicknamed her my MVP-VIP, and she has free sessions for a lifetime.

So make sure to stay tuned for tomorrow’s post!… a highlight of my favorite moments from that very first professional shoot with the Kennedy family.

Here’s how it all began… Monica and Joe - can’t you just feel the love?

Here is my favorite threesome: Ryan, Coco, and Stella… Playing in the park… throwing leaves and getting giggly on the park bench…

The boys…

The girls…

One of my signature shots… The Secret..

Aw, shucks mom - stop embarrassing me!

I adore the Kennedy family… they are sweet, fun, thoughtful, generous, and gorgeous! They are my number one fans, and I’m their’s!

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post of my very 1st professional shoot 5 years ago with the Kennedy family.

xoxo,

Christa

Family & Baby christa, Family & Kids, lifestyle, meola, Photography, portraiture

It’s always a good time at Santa Monica Pier, with lots of adventures, activity and emotion!  Take Miss Sticky Miller here… she’s my good friend’s daughter and my favorite 4 yr old on the planet.  I adore her little voice and her phenomenal personality — she’s such a ray of positive energy, friendly to everyone, and quite the cutie :)

She was so excited to take a day off of school yesterday and go to the Pier… where she knows you can cradle exotic animals…

…Act like a true NYC cab driver…

…chase some pigeons along the boardwalk… and have a really good time!  Until….

…you have to share your bag of sweeties with your mum…

…it’s okay - you can wipe it on there…

…but I know something that will cheer you up!

…and pretty soon you’ll be swinging that bag around, pointing fingers at people, and earning the name “Sticky Miller” …

…you’ll even start dancing to a beat belted out by plastic buckets… lol! and you’ll dance like no-one’s watching :)

I adore this little girl!… and all her up/down/silly/around moments between this…

…and this!

Stay tuned for Sticky Miller’s second half of the day, involving red balloons and a red dress - two of my favorite things!

xoxo,

Christa

Family & Baby child, christa, Family & Kids, lifestyle, meola, Photography, portraiture

Simple Happiness… “Zen Family Habits” is a fabulous new blog co-created by Sherri Kruger, wife and mom, and Leo Babauta, writer of the super popular “Zen Habits” (one of my favorite blogs) and best-selling author of “The Power of Less.”

I am thrilled that Zen Family Habits will be posting my photographs(!) along with their wonderful articles… some of my recent favorites include: “The Secret Life of High-Energy Parents;” “31 Simple Family Pleasures;” and “Your Ideal Family: How to Make it a Reality.”

Here’s how the writers describe the essence of Zen Family Habits…

“Zen Family Habits is a celebration of all things family. It’s about living simply and with presence of mind. It’s about cultivating healthy, meaningful, relationships with loved ones… having fun and enjoying life’s simple pleasures.  Zen Family Habits is a place where we can all find inspiration and get different perspectives for improving and enjoying our families.”

I hope you get a chance to visit their site to bring a little more love and inspiration to your family… Here’s to simple pleasures! and photographs, of course :)

xoxo,

Christa

Family & Baby christa, Family & Kids, habits, meola, Photography, zen