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Velvet Dress with Robin

Lesson 48 from: The Boudoir Workshop

Christa Meola

Velvet Dress with Robin

Lesson 48 from: The Boudoir Workshop

Christa Meola

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Lesson Info

48. Velvet Dress with Robin

Lessons

Class Trailer

Day 1

1

Introduction

07:36
2

Let’s Get this Party Started Right!

20:35
3

Redefining Boudoir: YOUR Brand & Style

29:59
4

Working with Women

20:01
5

Creating Relaxed Clients

17:49
6

Posing and Anti-Posing

12:05
7

Flattering All Body Types

21:13

Lesson Info

Velvet Dress with Robin

Yeah, we haven't shot with the drapes yet let's do it um do you want to put the big light behind that blasted through it's gonna take us a minute just set this up, chris talk and I ask you a question sure thing when you should with large props like the fan and you should master image how do you balance the large prop with the body? What do you focus on? Um it depends like those fans are pretty dominating. Um so I like to still focused on the shapes of the woman's body and like her sought sassiness, but I do like the design elements in the lines of the drama created with the props, especially if they're either bright in color or like dramatic in scale know what I mean so on and that's it, but when I play with like native space, I don't know if you shut sonny that I had a lot of head space some okay see like these I wouldn't change the black away. I might do a funky little action on it maybe de saturated a touch we're making a little vintage e just a little bit let's see, I need the pock...

et with it again why we'll need a little bit of filling her face probably I don't know it depends we've got a lot of different lights working on in here, we've got video lights for the camera guys also thanks. Okay I let's see how it works first so going back down to one hundred won twenty fifth robin would you stand in front of you ok, one of my shooting with eighty fifty perfect. I'm sorry okay way too harsh too right? Yeah break it down and then the strobe we could probably um kill that are bringing around center with the bearable one yeah it's really harsh in on it unflattering drama getting has like the back through the back ok that's that's fine it's just the front light we need to fix now sweet so do you have um undergarments on awesome that you'd feel comfortable okay? Just getting curious. Well, I might want to dio silhouette behind sheer fabric which I do a lot um but usually it's natural light not a stroke so I can see what I'm shooting I've never shot back through sheer with the stroke but it's first time for everything will bounce a little actually no I don't want teo you're perfect rob and again we're just lading so that either didn't go off we took the front that was way too harsh so there's nothing at all now bring it around front no no it's no so not you look at that! Yeah excellent that's what we need yes, way, way we're shooting over in that corner with the vanity we were using the video light uh was there any particular reason you chose to use the video and not the soft box in that particular area yeah one is for space okay and another is just ease um that's just always on and we can just keep going um and I have more options and what I could dio and it's just easier okay so there's no late and factor um I also we just needed a tiny pop sometimes you can't get the strobes low enough we would have put filters on it was just a big production like I said I like to keep it as simple as possible we just needed a little boost ok bring that out here done okay awesome thank you you sweet a little bit more toward me I want pretty flattering not very german working with a lot of out of here you go just going up against there for you okay could you turn it on more on channel four I believe you ok ok here we go okay I'm okay with that right now okay a little more maybe just a touch that would be awesome all right girlfriend um usually chair here but this is good you want to hear no, this is fine but it's gonna be very books yeah, she could do stuff yeah, you've got it you rocking that pose okay, but look over there like you're not yeah hanging with me really sweet don't love that we could see the light in the background like huh? Okay, awesome yeah I'm not a big fan of this backdrop is like so not inspiring to me but um what I would do it like this I had to shoot this is like the only background I would assume in super tight so just okay because to me I'm just eleven this hat you've got, um let me see yeah, I just think killed I'll be honest, this is well it but this is one of times when I'd say just because it's well, it doesn't mean sexy to me, so I'm going to take her in a different light that up because the draper is kind of I've been and I'm not digging it so based on like that, I would kind of move on um, you know, let me actually let me stick with it let me shoot with the eighty five this way we probably won't see that that that rounds light back there like I would you would have to photo shop that what's the benefit of that white people do that just like a separation between the sheer actually know we're pretending that this is actually a light with natural light shining through because instead of moving everything and going up on the thing just tryingto mock it up fast and to me it's just it's just that mark and so I would rather move on real quick um but what we can do since we have like ten minutes from anything we'll just uh we'll shoot some close ups because I'm really interested in that hat and like that look perfect okay and then towards me okay do you have gloves maybe could we get gloves for our lady yeah I'll put that on don't let me walk home with it and then we could at least play with um awesome little more yeah yeah you got that way who I like that put that hand back there like perfect not full profile beautiful your eyes despite a perfect okay in your left hand down okay let's put the gloves on way haven't used yet way have not used that cool chair we could bring that over and we haven't used are awesome parasol oh are you coming up next so wait I want to do her up there okay so a couple more with all right gorgeous yeah let's do it we might have to lower this wow yeah thanks because I want to get her seated just always cheat perfect um can you cross your legs because that doesn't read real well and then hike up your skirt but fun cut those gorgeous legs keep going I want to see five yeah yeah and while he's adjusting just gonna keep shooting so we get comfortable okay yeah yeah yeah uh huh. Fine sea this is part of me wanting to make it work because carlo want me to shoot in front of this but this is me actually hating the light hating the setup not loving it and just wanting to move on well, it would be a perfect example of when client model or otherwise would be like I am not feeling this and you are so gorgeous is not serving you so let's move somewhere else john you rocked that though it's just a combination of these shears and a fake window and all that jazz all right, so we can like I think I love the color of this I'm going to jump up here and she you okay? Super sweet so absolutely I don't need the fifty though okay, this is so much better thank you, sir. All righty you could take this. Okay? So let's date do you do like ever taken off your gloves kind of burlesque situation you can okay let's just switch though um onto your other side cheek and facing the light let me see how much I can get uh that's perfect. Well, well, well you're start without me hold on one second I need to change my settings here one minute please. John I was at four hundred rounds shooting here two one twenty fifty two those two days ago so I could be yeah I know, but that's where I'm going to start because that's kind of what I was thinking I was at it was earlier in the day though, so it might have been a little bit more like I know I'm doing it on purpose e because I couldn't practice without it me with it. All right, so that was great, but cheat your face a little bit to the light and you can absolutely look at me when you do that lean forward just a little bit more. Yeah, perfect. All right, I gotta wait for the camera to catch up with me, okay? Awesome. Do you do at that part of your damn fully serious that's crazy we should have had that. That sounds fun. I'm rocking the bling. All right, come on, nico, let me know when you're ready. Wait. Okay. That's a great idea. Let's have some questions let's talk. I'm sure there's a bunch. Um, I have a question actually, from earlier there's quite a few people wondering when you had three models. What was your focus point when you have three women? Yeah, I was trying to keep them on the same plane because I still like to shoot with a shallow depth of field and mostly focused on creating kind of symmetry between them or sometime a time type of dynamic balance but they all had these feathers and some kind of drama with negative space so sometimes my focus was actually on the drama of the feathers on the line um what was their lips or their legs or their butt cheeks? Uh you're the red in there now's and lips so it varied as we went along so I like to kind of you know choose different stories when they'd see a model or a customer how do you select gotta decide if you want her to be seat down or standing up is what she's wearing her body figure what is the first thing that you said okay let's try sitting down yeah, no, I like to do each of them so with each client I'll do one one will happen to be more flattering maybe for one than the other and so it depends which one really works best but I do work them all every client standing, every client seated every client laying down I do each of those with everyone okay, I can take this off air you go. All right? We're all set, okay? Just do what you normally d'oh. Okay, awesome. Just check the lighting I didn't check that, okay, awesome. Awesome that was, you know, okay, no let's make this left posie and canopy and a little bit more really little bit sassy, okay, awesome, yeah okay keep going keep going keep going keep going awesome! I think we're good with the glove love is up and these belong to I think celeste all right, great. Actually can you lean back on their mmm beautiful and eyes that way gorgeous. Okay, but the difference come back here. Yeah, good. And how about have your hand on your hip and bringing your thing? Yeah, beautiful in that leg I'm not getting it this needs to be one one foot after uh ok and then down your body look down your body and more german like yeah, there you go. You can lift a shoulder up just going to do one thing I want to see more hell little more sad little more extreme pose lift this like you're really having a good time in here. One of you that there you go. Yeah, exactly their ugo that just get sexier thinks john okay, beautiful. Look over your shoulder this way at him, whoever that is tio okay, there you go. That was the expression I wanted. Um, relax. Take a breath, relax your shoulders. There you go and look down that way. Actually, she had yeah, turn your head all the way there, perfect, alright, beautiful. He seems a little disconnected from what you're doing though, so

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

Christa Meola Day 1.pdf
Christa Meola Day 2.pdf
Christa Meola Day 3.pdf

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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