Shoot: Sister Kate
Christa Meola
Lessons
Introduction
07:36 2Let’s Get this Party Started Right!
20:35 3Redefining Boudoir: YOUR Brand & Style
29:59 4Working with Women
20:01 5Creating Relaxed Clients
17:49 6Posing and Anti-Posing
12:05 7Flattering All Body Types
21:13Providing an Amazing Experience
09:00 9Shoot: Simple Set, Natural Light
21:06 10Shoot: Students' Turn
10:09 11Shoot: Budget Hotel Room
20:43 12Sexy Styling
18:12 13Sets and Props
07:13 14Styling Q&A
19:09 15Shoot: Bedroom Set, Soccer Mom
30:52 16Shoot: Students' Turn
10:52 17Shoot: Bedroom Set, Model
18:26 18Shooting Q&A
06:52 19Reviewing Previous Images
05:11 20Shooting to Sell
16:21 21Lighting & Equipment
32:02 22Vintage Car Shoot
23:15 23Shoot: Grey Seamless with Samantha
14:11 24Shoot: Grey Seamless, Students' Turn
13:03 25Shoot 3: Grey Seamless with Sarah
21:20 26Shoot: Grey Seamless Student's Turn
08:27 27Prop Shoot
12:56 28Post-Production
21:32 29Lightroom
19:04 30Photoshop
24:16 31Shoot: Bar Set with Justine and Will
23:59 32Students' Turn (Carlos and Nicole)
07:35 33Shoot: Back to Christa
15:36 34Shoot: Students' Turn (Jen)
14:01 35AFTER DARK: Fine Art Nude
1:05:06 36After Dark Shoot Review
03:45 37Favorite Photoshop Actions
16:07 38Booking Your Ideal Client
36:11 39Boudoir Parties
06:46 40Shoot: Backstage with Margareta
28:50 41Marketing with Enthusiasm
31:25 42Price Lists (Q&A)
14:07 43Pricing Strategies
20:23 44Selling
14:17 45Website Critiques
16:08 46Shoot: Sister Kate
22:26 47Shoot: Chinese Fans with Katie
12:37 48Velvet Dress with Robin
16:51 49Shoot: Students' Turn (Jen)
21:59Lesson Info
Shoot: Sister Kate
Because I know we're going to do a shoot now with the three of you on this set. Um, we've let it gorgeously john quarter cello you will want to talk about I mean, it's all pretty much the equipment we've been using throughout the weekend, but since we're shooting a group of three and they're covering this wide space, we added a couple more. Yeah, we changed out a little bit here we've gone to a sixty inch foe tex soft, lighter, it's just a little bigger, a little wider throw for this set here, tio round light it's very similar to an octa box accepted as ten panels so it's, even a little rounder still using the alien bees in there because I really just wanted one light and I really wanted a back late, which I think look super hot and sexy, so we just have a bearable, but they're that's eight hundred um s o I was kind of difficult. Teo just grabbed what I could, but I'd love to see some of the saucier moves. What I'd probably do is have you guys a little bit tighter and closer together. ...
We're working in limitations this way and that way. By the way, I'm shooting with the twenty four seventy because I want to just be able to go in and out really quick and get as much as I can while they were dancing and you know, I only have the eighty five and fifty with me. Um, so, uh so I stuck on the twenty four seventy think probably for the first time this weekend, maybe. All right, so, um yeah, let's do something really dramatic with the fence. Can we do it kind of opened up in the air. Awesome. I'm going to do from the chest up and it kind of has to be a little bit lower. So it's in the blue space that's just perfect that's really sweet and getting a little bit tighter for me and if you can split that fan a little bit so I see the light behind it just yeah, I'm sorry, robin right, take a step half a step this way. This is fine. This is fine. Okay? And then just give me, like, soft. Yeah, exactly that I don't even need a money more. Just give me a little. Yeah, a little of that. Awesome. I'm just going to check light real quick, super cute everyone's in focus awesome. Even I have my contacts and I think it's in focus, okay? I want to do some leg shots too so let me get some kind of ah sassy leg positioning I want them all to be similar that's great maybe can we do it from the back so this is a little butt cheek but no I know wedges wenches air good keep the wedges yeah yeah, I was like just you need to think okay no let's just do a more standing yeah exactly little posey that maybe your feathers are come behind you I think that's great so you're the only one that opposite right and lifted above so your hands are like at your waist I think that's cute let's see? So um girl in the metal you can you pop your right knee a little more of the other girls are popping it a little bit more than you all right, this is perfect booty shots okay, do a couple more dance moves for me back but you do go yeah being really tight oh, nice see? But I'm at two point eight or and I hold on we need to change things let me do a little more like this ok? And then look with your eye line down. Okay? Yeah that's not what you're blocking you're blocking report last girl's light kind of knew that would happend turned this way with it yeah it's not as dramatic though know this is good this is good and this is your more in line anyway it's better for me hold hold hold beautiful all right girls um do some more let's do something sassy ok what you get oh hey get squeezed together squeeze together actually come out with the feathers to me I want to see something like just extend the feathers yeah a little bit more with this one perfect um girl on left can use quite a little bit more can you poke up a little bit I want you more on the same line perfect catch wanted to just get lips okay um more more more keep doing it I like it I like it okay saw bossiness okay beautiful they're poke out a little bit more excellent okay don't look at me you're the only one looking at me yeah look down perfect one two three keep it as you are I wonder if she's gonna be blocked you think little missy over there is blocked a little bit a little bit we're good overall another really um I already got shit that's good okay let's uh do some sisterhood situation here sister no, actually that's funny though that would be funny. Yeah, I want just like a real girl camaraderie yeah that's sweet um maybe put your arm around her or something because it's kind of disappearing into nowhere there we g oh, I like that whose feathers this okay let's fix it perfect yeah I love that you're doing what so let me just do one really tight excellent and then like this awesome you could look at me one two three okay stay right there can you squat down a little bit more just so you're in line with them okay one hold get it kinda cool um so how much time do we have cause I would love to play more with the three of them over our often because then we're going to change just so everybody knows we're going to change outfits and got some awesome vintage looks we're going to go on different sets I'm going to take one girl at a time so we just want to do a couple more group shots wonder how it would look under that little bird cage just just do one girl for a second um yeah and under overhead up is usually very unflattering so but if you tip your head up that looks great super dramatic very art deco ish ok let me see if I love it yeah let's do something a little more sculptural with that I want to see yeah one up one down something else can I have this one at like a hip like this right there? I've never worked with others before wait you may be that behind you but not totally inverted cable behind your shoulder maybe yeah does that feel good to you? You're the dancer something like that but in a more natural way okay pull that out a little yeah perfect make sure you look up but with your eyes look down at me they're perfect actually look down at the floor yeah this light is tripping me up so freaking goal okay do something else something more dramatic yahoo down a little bit more right there lift that one up and then heads like that perfect standing gorgeous can you do me one favor look that way but not up with your eyes like down with your eyes yeah there you go ah cem I just want you to cross your legs this way yeah there you go cause I'm only getting you from the mid thigh up that's more flattering okay beautiful gorgeous love love it can we do one that's both to one side yeah great oh perfect told that all over the map here hold that please beautiful digging it um someone else oh I'm like hey hey I don't know work sir may I love that you just did that that every girl does honey every girl does just take that whole thing and just pivot it just pivot it more towards the wall there we go and lift lift the fan up in your right hand alomar sexy a booty uh one more she's a crack up okay can you pick yeah I like you peeking over your shoulder that was kind of cute and then maybe take your left hand and put it above u everything else is working yeah something perfect gorgeous that's cute all right next top that system where do you do more I'm liking how the energies flowing here I'll let them change in a minute this is just such um take a half a step this way okay and just like kind of look up awesome some let's do something else real quick something dramatic about with something with your legs and then either upper out with the fans so there away from your body maybe both to one said can we do that that looks good hold on um kind of like look up with attitude in confidence lower your eyes is hit yeah there we go awesome just really I shot that standing hold on you need to be down here huh sorry getting lazy won t they eyes downward twenty three awesome uh can eat three of you get in there under the bird cage I think it's kind of appropriate we didn't even intend to we found this bird thing and then the fan dance came the feathers is kind of appropriate okay huh let's do it yeah yeah get in tight get in really tight yeah can we see the wings yeah I wanted to be yeah perfect that went out to find a bout you have that perfect gorgeous gosh I wish that are all just footage of it oh shoot I turn my camera off okay how about like look to the audience that way ties entice them so dramatic looking this set have to say okay look alive look alive sassy sassy okay, I love it I love it okay, so we'll just take um jen and you have vintage and you have okay, so we'll have you change gen will just play with you for a little while until our next models ready up someone lost a feather weight b could you do me a favor and get that um chair I would absolutely be shooting natural light if, um if this was closer over there and there's a brighter day yeah, maybe some seated stuff you put it like not directly under maybe like right here thank you so much really dramatic poses like with the fan like I can't come back and visit uh huh yeah yeah I love it down yeah, but oh my god I'm falling over just sexy yeah exactly and extend do extreme pasture like fainting heart shaped thing yeah, there we go hold it on go little whiter ok do some more uneven. Yeah hell yeah gorgeous that will be perfect and down beautiful I love it great pose can you point your left toe even more awesome don't look at me perfect beautiful one more on that case I cut off the chair ok gorgeous no way, way I love that you're doing that most women don't know what you want me teo I said but I saw your mind going with steph what would you like tio with legs coming out of him all right don't usually do that so let's try it I love that you're willing to try okay see that's classic boudoir and pin up and I just think it's so done so looked great though I love that I love options um let's try let's just stand up from the chair I like some standing things from performance take things more cabaret I know you do so many different types of dance so feel free to do something a little bit more burlesque e and can you get real far down on this? I like that you could just sit just like yeah resting that's cool point your toe to shoot the super quickly and then we'll move on beautiful okay can you, um do you like a back arch over that chair? Almost like if you swung your no no seated feat here and then head this way you get really dramatic you can even go all the way on the seat forward real forward and you're probably gonna have to scoot your butt all the way down it's gonna be a little bit of a challenge like a whole total art can you do it? If not, we don't need to do it ah, enough cushion space hold you okay um yeah I'm wondering you know what save it will probably shoot another model on that in a second so um let's work with what we have here can we do some of the dance moves you did during the performance some of the cheeky sexy stuff yeah thanks okay maybe can you bring your right hand up so it's um the feathers air up somewhere to the right maybe and then up high up high high hat towards the bird cage and then down low where you were by your left hand blinker the original placement I'm not feeling it in front of you maybe maybe some close ups okay since ass okay, I'm officially going to change can I get that the theme for the eighty five whichever well they're good was hold on let me change this awesome okay thanks john thank you. I'm probably gonna need an apple box just changes that's pretty stay right there. Thank you. Okay awesome like getting the gold open up to me more from the front yeah okay I get a little fast a little bit more flirtatious a little bit of a smile you're the serious dancer of the three I can tell okay yes, you are very much so okay, so feathers behind you? Yeah that's good stay like that. You can look up and out that way with your face with perfect suite great. Flirt with me. All right with me. Yeah, perfect. Keep going. Keep moving. Move through some stuff. Right shoulder feathers in front. That's gorgeous. Hold that. Hold that. Hold that. Let me just don't move. Excellent. Bit more of a smile. Perfect for your right hand over. So, seymour the feathers. That's. Great. Yes. Okay. Yeah. Good. I liked when you cocked your head that way. Help me sit it in. Better excellent. Ok, gorgeous. And then if you just keep this whole thing where you are, don't move. Get back to it. Open this up for me. Yeah, and then just cross your hands in front of you. So perfect. Open up. More beautiful. Take that hand and flip it up. Perfect. I need to be taller. I mean, seriously, uh, can you lift your hand a little higher? Because it's not okay, but maybe on the fans so that feathers don't go higher. Yeah. There we go. Beautiful. Still not getting that. Hold on one second. I need to be just stay where you are. Right here. Okay. Oh, no. Okay. Okay. Beautiful. Okay. We're good. We're good. Thank you. You see, take o. Okay, we're ready, wow, all right. Let me do one more shot, monsieur outfit, liberate around well, this bit, but okay, when I get kind of just like the detail, dirty, no right house, uh, can you, like, do it so your hands are crossed and you see feathers, I just want to get kind of, like hands, feathers, lips. So from my great up here, do you want costumes? You know, not necessarily that's. Nice, very severe. Okay, partner. All right, I'm good. This is plenty.
Class Materials
Ratings and Reviews
a Creativelive Student
This is meant to be a HELPFUL review for those that are wondering if they should purchase this workshop. About 75% of what I took away from this workshop was posing, composition for boudoir and the importance of eye lines and capturing movement. I had two boudoir sessions a week after this workshop and my images significantly improved. I was able to coach my clients through poses better, direct them on where to look for better eye lines, I was more aware of their posture and how to fix it, I think I sounded more professional and felt more confidant with getting awesome poses, stand out expressions and adding movement to my images. I put a fan on my client the way Christa does.. and she is right! The instant I put the fan on my client, her expression changed and you could tell she was really "feeling it". She told me she felt like a real supermodel right after I turned on the fan. If you are looking for inspiration on how to coach women and pose for boudoir then Christa is the girl for you. I think the most worthwhile thing I learned watching this is something that will help me in the years to come... with my brand, my website, my workflow and my business goals. I learned how to "keep it simple" which is Christa's tag line. For example Christa brings a roll of gray background paper and uses gaffer tape to hang it from the wall of the hotel (instead of bringing a 12ft background stand). I know this seems simple but this will change my life! I hate dragging equipment back and forth. There are some negative reviews on here about Christa's technical skills, but I think these people may have missed the whole point. If you provide an awesome product and an awesome experience for your client, they will buy it. And guess what.. your client will never know if you used your camera in auto or manual and they won't care if you used one light instead of two. As someone who has been in business for 3 years doing boudoir exclusively I learned a lot. I see a lot of value in learning from someone who doesn't spend a lot of money on fancy equipment, yet charges her clients over $3,000 for sessions. I'm a huge fan of her keep it simple philosophy and I'm glad Christa is willing to be honest about her workflow and how she best utilizes her time. Your not going to agree with or use everything Christa talks about, you take the parts that you like and are most helpful to you and work them into building a stronger business.
a Creativelive Student
AWESOME DEAL on Christa's course. I just sent an email to my husband to tell him thanks for "gifting" me this course. I told him just the ONE CLASS about pricing was worth the full $129 price of the course. And there are over 50 classes?! That is a crazy stupid good deal. You can learn something good from every class you take, every book you read, and just apply the stuff that works for you. There are a lot of people out there who seem to just enjoy giving crappy reviews, and to me it's almost like bullying. How someone could not find $129 worth of value in this course is beyond me. In my opinion this course is worth over a thousand bucks, because it can help you make SO much more money. I hate when I see people whining about things that are not 100 percent perfect, and they get annoyed if the person isn't catering to their exact needs. It's like the Yelper generation, with a disturbing sense of entitlement. I would love to see those people try teaching a class about boudoir and see if they could do any better. It also seems like, the more popular a person gets, the more other people feel the need to tear them down. I'm grateful that Christa even offered this course at ALL. Thanks Christa for all you do to help those of us who really need to know this stuff. You rock.
a Creativelive Student
I never thought I would shoot boudoir. I am a shy and private person. I started entertaining the idea when I first saw Christa's work and saw how beautiful and tasteful it can be. I love her lighting and all that she uses from historic painters and sculptors. I watched all three days live and learned a ton. I have a lot of lighting education, but it was nice to freshen up my skills. I loved the posing tips and the three typical situations she uses for one shoot. I loved learning about how she shoots in hotels and also using things like an outdoor situation. I have now shot my first boudoir session and it was a total hit. I am thrilled to show my client her images. This was fantastic! Thank you, Christa!
Student Work
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