From modeling and acting in Hollywood and Tokyo to photographing people around the world LIVE from their own homes, what a journey it's been! And this week, I published TWO books! 🎉 ❤️ Someday, I’ll Be a Model! An illustrated true story for tweens and teens (12–16) about a Valley girl who chose her dream of modeling over a brand-new skateboard! 🎬 I Escaped Hollywood, Barely. Five unforgettable true stories from my Hollywood and international modeling adventures in the 1980s! Both Kindle editions are LIVE! One paperback is published, and the other is on its way! 📖 Someday, I’ll Be a Model! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HP33J119 📖 I Escaped Hollywood, Barely. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HNWBRJQK ❤️ Have you ever reinvented yourself or discovered a new passion later in life?

🎉 I'm celebrating my ONE-YEAR anniversary on Skool, and YOU'RE invited! What an incredible year it's been! I've reinvented my photography business, connected with amazing people around the world, and learned so much along the way! ❤️ And I want to celebrate with YOU! 🎬 LIVE Anniversary Celebration! 📅 Saturday, November 14th ⏰ 10 AM Pacific 📍 Right here in Photography by Cristal! 🎁 ANNIVERSARY HEADSHOT GIVEAWAY! The FIRST THREE MEMBERS to comment below will each WIN a professional LIVE Remote Headshot Session during our anniversary celebration! 📸 I'll personally direct your lighting, posing, and expressions and capture your new professional headshots LIVE! All you need is your smartphone, a hands-free stand, and natural window light! Whether you're getting photographed or just stopping by to celebrate, I'd love to see you there! ❤️ COMMENT BELOW to claim one of the THREE headshot spots! 🎬 Lights, Camera, Celebrate! 🥳

Welcome to Day 1 of 7 Days to Camera-Ready! 📸 Today is all about light, the secret behind every great photo. Here are my top tips from 30+ years in Hollywood: 1. Sit or stand sideways to a window. Let soft daylight fall across one side of your face. It's the most beautiful, flattering light there is, and it's free! 2. Play with distance. About six feet from the window gives you soft, even light. Move a little closer for more drama and glow. 3. Don't face the window head-on. Straight-on window light is too bright and flattens your features. 4. Never put the window behind you. That's backlighting, and it turns you into a silhouette. 5. Try a window portrait. Gaze out the window with the light on your face. Done right, it's one of the most stunning portraits you can take. 🪟✨ This is exactly what I do in every remote session. I direct you live on FaceTime, find your best light, and capture every shot myself. 💛 🎟️ Every comment you leave during the challenge earns you one raffle ticket. The more you comment, the more tickets you get! On Day 8 we go live and draw the winner of a FREE remote headshot session. 👉 What time of day has the most beautiful light coming through your favorite window? See you tomorrow for Day 2! Cristal 💛

Leadership is not only about what you build for yourself. It is about what becomes possible for other people because you built it. Those words really made me think about why I created Photography by Cristal. After decades as a Hollywood actress, international model, and professional photographer, I've learned something important. A beautiful photograph can change the way someone sees themselves. ❤️ I've experienced it firsthand through my LIVE Remote Headshot Sessions, photographing people in Sweden, the UK, Australia, Canada, and even the West Bank, all while sitting right here in Los Angeles! But the most rewarding part isn't how far my photography reaches. It's hearing someone say they've finally found a photograph of themselves they LOVE! It's watching their confidence grow. It's knowing that something I've learned over the years can make a difference in someone else's life. And that's exactly why I created this community! I want you to learn how to see yourself through a photographer's eyes. To understand lighting, discover your best angles, feel comfortable being photographed, and recognize the beauty that's already there. With more than 240 of you here, I want to make sure we're creating something meaningful together. ❤️ So here's my question for YOU: What's the ONE thing you wish you could change about how you look or feel in photographs? I'd love to hear your answers because what matters to YOU helps me decide what we learn together next! 📸❤️

I’m so excited to share this with you: my first book, I Escaped Hollywood, Barely., is now live on Amazon in paperback and Kindle! It’s a collection of true short stories from my memoir about modeling and acting in Hollywood and Japan in the 1980s: 🎬 My best friend on Sunset Boulevard ✂️ The haircut that took me from tears to a billboard on Sunset ✈️ Leaving home for Tokyo at fifteen 📸 Nine auditions a day 💳 The only Visa card I ever needed 👉 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HNWDLF11 If you read it, an Amazon review would mean the world to me. Even one sentence helps. 💛 Cristal