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Shoot: Bar Set with Justine and Will

Lesson 31 from: The Boudoir Workshop

Christa Meola

Shoot: Bar Set with Justine and Will

Lesson 31 from: The Boudoir Workshop

Christa Meola

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Lesson Info

31. Shoot: Bar Set with Justine and Will

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

Shoot: Bar Set with Justine and Will

Okay so today right now we're gonna work on this kind of we've simulated sort of a bar and got our model just didn't come down here for a second pop on down huh justine real girl or model which one would you choose this yes really girl definitely one hundred percent okay so are you a little nervous you seem excited excited good generous okay good get good awesome you're super cute you look amazing I was again lindsey and rachel and hair makeup doing a bang up job um I wanted to do something kind of formal and fun and show you that boudoir khun b like a cocktail dress it doesn't have to be lingerie in a bedroom so I like to be you know a little bit celebratory and my style and include cocktails and stuff it's part of my sessions I thought it would be super fun to kind of simulate a bar on dh I thought our prop tio day would be kind of fun and interesting if we used a dude so basically we've got this awesome handsome gentleman over here come on in I'm sorry I'm christa well well nice to ...

meet you um this is our this is our this is our problem but we're going mostly easy kind of like for your hands so the shoot's going to be all about her but kind of like you know incorporating your hands and so we might see your face your hands? Yeah, they're handsome guy. We'll figure it out, so we're just gonna have some fun. This is not something I normally dio. I don't, um you don't do couples boudoir. I know that's getting kind of bigger lately. So I wanted to kind of give you guys an opportunity to play and have some fun on do something a little outside of what I don't really d'oh and in terms of light john cornyn, cello, this and I have just been we just were working on this today because the set we were normally going to shoot on kind of fell through. So we just kind of set this up last night and like, during break time. So what? We're working here with it's just if you want to take a peek at this set, we just assimilating a bar on this stage that we shot on yesterday. I dare say, celeste, the producer brought all this alcohol left over from a party and very, very things left to death during this workshop on dh. You know, I kind of thought seeing the brick and the stone was a little distracting. So what we just took was foam core um, and we put it in the background so it's nice dramatic black, white with liquor bottles, hopefully that's enough to suggest a bit of a set I wouldn't want any more than this certainly and for lights we've got are strobe here with uh three by four three by four um should marry mira media and are we sitting in the eight hundred? Yes awesome and it's styled all the way down or halfway right eighth power now because of the box and a little further away awesome and then just because like I said, when you're shooting on black you often need a saw second light because you need to see separation between the model and the background especially a bottle in a black dress brunette so we're going to need a second light on this which normally I don't dio don't do this on my own but with that will help jog corner cello in this big space we could certainly do it so up there one tell us what we have we have a two foot square soft box with a white interior um it's an spc excalibur strobe it's very similar to the alien be about the same size and power just happen to be what I had in mind camera case way weren't planning on using it that's right? But thank you john okay, so I'm going to just do a couple lighting tests to see if this like that set up works for me um justine do you want to just jump in there um sit on this barstool the one closest to and I think this is kind of where we had it working we headed up higher because she was standing on the yeah but this is good I'm just doing a close up all right sweet til they just turned it off I'm not tethered I know setting it up now thanks nico you wanna put that in for me? I don't have to him okay, so justine basically I just want you to cheat yourself to the light always especially your face um so you're going to want to look at him look at the light and in terms of our model we're not gonna have you jump in yet so I will we'll make sure you're always kind of in back of her because if you were in front of her you're gonna block her life and that's pretty much all you guys need to remember and I'll hook you up with the rest of it as we go I'm sorry this is just gonna take a second once again maybe by the last day in the lab then you're gonna have broken me of my good happened I'm taking turning my camera uh um this is perfect so john it's all set up a test that could I was really takes a while to get going. Do you have any questions about this set up yet from our in studio audience yes in the second light more for the background or for the hat off create a general inspiration just to create a general separation we're gonna see what it looks like she was the dark hair and the door dress and the black background who was just full melding together I don't think this one out when you were talking about doing in pictures boudoir pictures in the hotel lobbies would this be kind of an outfit that you would use or that they would put on to use in the lobby they're not in their lingerie it would be more cocktail yes absolutely. Fuck me yes absolutely is exactly what I would do and just dial that down a little bit. What is that right it's down quarter somebody the pull it backwards neutral density to it so I'm gonna start bringing it back a little bit perfect. Thank you if this is okay that should do it. I'm fine with that. Okay, okay so let's go ahead and I'm just gonna do one bar stool and um well come on over someone I want you to stand up because this latest was set for when you were standing and john mike will you help her up please or will you can watch the court there uh digging that dress ok, so basically what? You kind of put your hand on her leg? Um that was very jet general like hurley like that okay and I wanted to get really sexy cia exactly you type that up a little bit just right up to about here were right more my hand pulled onto that so we see some sassiness okay I'm just moving this around so I kind of see it a little more and I need your whole body to kind of tilt into him because the light's gonna what's john changing things on me just make sure it's tightened down okay so uh awesome kind of thinking I want you here for a fix oh no maybe a hand in the pocket I don't know what to do with that and we'll figure it out so let's see how I'm loving this perfect let me say before huh yeah so um I'm just gonna let you guys have a little fun I want you to like just twist um if you need to pivot on your left foot please do so so you can now that might be easier for you or harder just whatever's easiest you can even face a little bit more towards me yeah that way even a little bit more yeah there you go. Changing your feet is always easier. Okay? Perfect and I might have you incorporate that other hand on another leg and yeah, yeah exactly perfect. So I am framing you just so you know from pretty much here to here so you can go crazy sure you lift your dressed up and keep your hand yeah up here a little bit so it's not in my frame we'll be half in half out okay perfect I love it okay relax for a second awesome get it means that it'll get in closer yeah the family be great this way you don't have to show me a good idea I do like to see people show me though yeah let's keep doing it okay actually I want your hand in it now I changed my mind and you're actually in this now okay so um look down at your hand yeah that's kind of perfect let's do some gum on movement um will coach something at me I don't know look at her like yeah get your hand maybe play with her gardener yeah exactly oh yeah that's good that was working full time you're so awesome just seeing that you were doing this uh love that love that can you now turn all the way around so it's almost like a booty shot oh yeah perfect stop right there take this leg point uh bend it yeah and you know exactly what I'm talking about I'm just gonna show a little more but if you don't mind put some fringe on it sorry adjusting okay when you hold can you hold that in front of you I want to keep it yet and then pretend like you're actually have your hands on your hips think with your think yes exactly exactly so step out for one second I'm just going to do this because I know the life okay ready one two three awesome john visit the found thank you okay now will step in and like I love before you just like I held her like your own door so that was awesome getting tight don't block her light and you can kind of you know again both their garters or you can actually if it's okay justine maybe kill like kind of be the one like lifting up the dress I'll be hot that hand these to maybe hold her somewhere else yeah that's okay do something else with that looks too precious yeah there you go okay fan and then look at her never at me okay? That's fun you're getting closer you could look at your hand or like where her at yeah about to get some I was wondering if anyone caught a hello okay, okay, now I don't want to see you so step in front of her but I want to see your hands on her I'm sorry I should be more specific can you scoot your shield back, maintain that same thing and I need him to get in there so I just want to see your body and your hands yeah, I wish we had a cigar or like something but these air wine glasses not champagne but like this you need cognac dang alright but like let's uh course something in here done and, um you're basically get ahold you hold that here and you'll be holding that there and like or in this hand and this one's on her something but I don't want to see your face I just want to basically see your hand on her and holding the glass and she just in your face okay see awesome. So hide behind her please for me. Okay. That's interesting okay e I e I no I'm with you I'm taking care of it so I hold on to the shadowy okay cool no, it was totally cool was fine uh it's not that important to me all right let's get down let's get uh you could get help her down actually, I totally lied I'm gonna have you stand up there all right? Thanks will for helping her out can't want this to be all about the shoes so if you can either sit here or find a way to cheat it I want you basically I'm gonna be shooting you and just like up to her ankles and um justine, can you do something sexy with your feet like point your toe I want this to be all about yeah, about the shoes can you point that that way yeah, let me see both heels separate your legs, okay maybe we see you between them or something yeah um it's gonna be hard because the bar's right there can you step out this way be really careful the other side are you good he's going to brace you you are going to hold onto her legs here's what I think I'm wanting you to do I didn't shut that off today okay as best as possible like I want you like really in here your legs you might have to come in from the other side it's kind of hard because you need to be actually back there uh you can later are hell yeah okay. Hello? Um uh not quite what I had in mind you can lay right here that would be better because I'm shooting at four point oh do you know what that means? Well okay, thanks. You're doing amazingly thank you. Thank you for being so cool with all this so I'm thinking like you've got one on this hand on this one don't worry about it it's a party now okay, stay right there. Um hold her really tight. Can you scoot this arm back this leg? Oh yeah then like look this way hold on head up no to me yeah, I'm gonna touch you that I like turn your head a little more than a day it um let's see if we can you can peek through the legs can you get down a little more it will yeah go all the way down go all the way down no too awkward okay that's good I want to see your whole face okay hold her like you mean it uh she she's gonna be in your way light wise creamy creamy tio we either need to totally flipped this because you're going to be hitting by the light or fill it he's okay moving your sweetheart but now we'll just fix that super quick and easy the other way just turned the light around what's your foot because you wish just took painstaking I like that you check in with her okay I need one hand up in one hand down so either way uh maybe opposite forfeit yeah there you go all right missy awesome and then have this one go up to her thigh if you can I know you're leaning on it you could switch it up that's okay don't worry about it it's an ab workout man okay deadly serious you own this woman awesome okay relax um let's have some fun you're you're so good right okay can you get a scoot over towards her can you like play with this leg and like go up her leg we can lift this foot up even yeah you've got this dress you can lift maybe put your foot on that's a good spot all right um john did you lift up that black just a touch he just got off the black backdrop thank you just a little bit oh perfect perfect okay go for it lift up your heel kick it up and do something fun yeah okay awesome okay all right good let's take it down um and can we drop this light down a little bit because I'm gonna have them stand on the floor for a sec that was great you guys were awesome okay so I wanted to be like your dancing hello everybody e kind of forget they're ok cool so um yeah I wanted to be like you're like kind of I'm just gonna take this off sorry I think you're kind of holding them back and you're just gonna grope her and like you're gonna pull up her dress you're gonna like totally yeah and you're gonna kind of be like uh no okay yeah that's what I love how you're looking at it well that's perfect ok and then look at him uh and bring this me excuse me all the way up here yeah how have the light wholeness okay uh and then you took your head behind her like leaning close lean in really close yeah kind of yeah exactly really hold her ah yeah exactly little off that okay perfect one more awesome can you take your right hand and put it yeah on the bar yes. Beautiful if you can get her need a touch higher that would be more awesome and no john much yeah keep going perfect okay, awesome hold that one more wait wait what? Okay how's that look cool okay something else you guys uh want to come over here have any questions? I know we have two people on deck do you guys have any questions I have one for you using and a little bit uh not so shallow depth of field it's because you have two people yes, totally that michelle um go ahead twitterverse that was the same thing that people were asking about where you're focusing with the with the couple versus what we had been talking about sure focusing with one worse yeah good point. Um kind of letting just whatever speaks to me speak to me sometimes I've been focusing on her gardener this one I put focus on her lips actually believe it or not um I think obviously I'm in my mind shooting black and white by the way if you guys hadn't already guessed it because for me this is like too many different colors obviously the set is just really about light and dark shadow and I kind of want to get uh of it the colors really not doing anything for me at all, so I'm picturing this all in black and white um I'm digging the lighting uh super was again super suit cool and easy to set up uh totally want to get someone else tethered and give them some fun time um, again I just you know, a demo this would I would just be doing more of the same I would be switching them up, moving them around trying to find things I'd set something up and maybe it won't work he looked a little offered then we changed it and we moved on um go ahead you were if you want them to be black and white that you're not shooting black and white that your shooting it in color or just because whenever I shot film I couldn't really see it in black and white either so tend not to change it to monochromatic it's just kind of how I grew up on my eyes trained and I don't want to kind of go oh how does this look in black and white and change it here? So normally I just kind of keep it like this just kind of a habit to go ahead blame you do um you didn't mostly body stuff was that I mean, do you have a reason or just that's? Yeah at the time a few reasons this is kind of what was in my mind and I was like kind of kept picturing these body's kind of like articulating the story just through the interaction between them and I really was just going it used him as a prop but now he's still handsome kind of incorporating him into it more and he's funny and I kind of like go with the energy and what's working but also in terms of set I was thinking we're pretty limited I don't really want to master you're really here it just wanted to suggest a couple things and I asked her to take her arm out did you notice that was definitely opposing tip there um just in and of itself but without this arm it was it was it was okay you know there's stuff going on here is is sexy, but once she brought this arm out doesn't that create more drama? So do you have a shed a place of where you're cropping faces? Yeah, sometimes I like to crap well, she's taught on him and if I cropped at his lips I would miss her so I usually crop for the girl's lips, lips and cleavage kind of works for me so the arm was more for drama as opposed to not seeing an arm that makes sense. I don't know okay before you saw no arm on the other side, right, so was it just for the drummer was it to actually go for balls like I could have placed her other arm on his shoulder? I could have done other things with it you know, that's super hot, probably. I might crop this square, all right. Here, you know, black and white think that would work. No, the booth reflector you have is that also for separation, you're what's, like, what exactly is that doing, as opposed to, like, be, I was just thinking, like, so that's questions. Maybe people are wondering about it. Yes, way, yeah, nothing is thank you for asking.

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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