Month

July 2019

Ep 255: Wedding photography tips from acclaimed photographer Nick Ghionis

We chat to Nick Ghionis who has been shooting weddings for almost 30 years and you can tell by his work and hear in his voice that he loves his job. You can’t fake passion. Whether he’s travelling to an exotic Mediterranean location or the suburbs of Melbourne, Nick is invested in creating authentic, original and beautiful images. In this interview, Nick shares his approach to planning, posing and shooting a wedding and the importance of capturing the person rather than hacking out a one size fits all formula. We discuss: how Nick plans for a destination wedding, lessons learned from his first wedding, shooting intuitively, how his first jobs as a security guard, waiter and barista taught him how to connect with his clients, how he plans for a shoot, what a second shooter does, shooting with the Olympus mirrorless system, favourite lenses and lighting systems, the importance of...

Lightroom Shortcut Essentials

Using Lightroom keyboard shortcuts are a great way to speed up your workflow and give you more time to spend on other important things like taking photos! Download your cheat sheet via the link and either print it out and display it near your computer or store it on your smartphone and access it anytime. DOWNLOAD THE SHORTCUT HERE  

Should you follow your dream and become a photographer or get a “real job”?

Above: Image by Gina Milicia When I was a kid and someone asked me “and what do you want to do when you grow up Gina?” my answer was always the same. “I’m going to be an artist.” I always got the same response, a small knowing smile, that I interpreted as “wow, how cool. Everyone should be an artist. It’s like, the best thing ever!” It wasn’t until I was in my mid-late teens that well-meaning friends and family started to comment on my career choice. “Yes, but what are you going to do to make money dear? Art isn’t a real job. It’s a hobby.” Or… “Don’t become an artist, you’ll end up starving in a garret.” This confused me because I didn’t know what a garret was (it’s small living space, like an attic). Luckily for me, I’m a rebel by nature and pretty much ignored all the advice...

Ep 254: How to shoot world class portraits with guest Antonis Engrafou

We talk to Antonis Engrafou, a portrait and commercial photographer based in Limassol, Cyprus. His aesthetic of work is influenced by the old masters of art and this is his approach to his entire body of work – commercial and portraiture. His storytelling approach shows emotions, character and stories through the people he photographs: “When I take a picture I want the viewer to feel a connection with the person I’m photographing and transfer the feelings and emotions to them”. His storytelling technique creates unique lighting and colour in the photoshoot to achieve the desired outcome, “a fine art approach to subjects”. In the past few years, he has worked for numerous projects, both for clients and personal. His work has been seen in magazines, billboards and books. He has been featured in numerous blogs, awarded in prestigious competitions and Antonis was voted by Luerzer’s Archive in 2011 as one...

How to correct uneven skin tones using Photoshop

Learn how to use the Hue Saturation adjustment mask in Photoshop to adjust uneven skin tone.

Ep 253: How to shoot amazing black and white landscape photos with guest Jack Curran

We talk to landscape photographer Jack Curran. His moving and evocative images are an example of a master in action. Jack has been shooting amazing landscapes for 40 years. He’s a multi-award-winning photographer and has been ranked as one of the top 10 landscape photographers in the world and won dozens of awards. Jack shares some great tips and insights for photographers of all levels and managed to change the way I view lighting landscapes. We cover: why landscape and why black and white, the importance of great mentors, why he doesn’t always shoot every landscape he sees, challenges of shooting landscapes, basic gear, focal length and settings, the best light for landscape photography – and much more. Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets. Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes...

Lightroom Quick Tip: Lights Out Mode

This simple little tip will make a big impact on how you view your images. When working in the Develop Module in Lightroom tap “L” on your keyboard once to dim the filmstrip and tool panels around your image. Lights out mode (Dimmed) removes distractions but still lets you view filmstrip and tools. Tap on “L” again to completely block out the area around your image. Blocking out the area around your image removes distractions and makes it much easier to judge brightness, contrast and colour tones.

The lights are on, but nobody is home.

Above: Image by Gina Milicia “Authenticity starts in the heart.” —Brian D’Angelo When I was a few years into my photography career, I discovered the lighting, posing and directing formula for shooting portraits that gave me consistent results. Finally, I could relax on my shoots and stop stressing about my exposure and awkward looking images. I was 100% convinced I had mastered photography and spent the next couple of years shooting on autopilot. Hack (definition): a person, as an artist or writer, who exploits, for money, his or her creative ability or training in the production of dull, unimaginative, and trite work; one who produces banal and mediocre job in the hope of gaining commercial success  The problem with getting comfortable with the formula is that my work became boring, clinical and lacked depth. The lights were on, but nobody was home. “A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but...

Ep 252: How to shoot memorable, meaningful and authentic photos

Do you want to know how to shoot memorable, meaningful and authentic photos? We mean photos that really connect with people on an emotional level, images that mean something to a viewer and that they will remember for years to come. In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss how to interact with your subject, what you need to do when posing them, how to remain authentic yourself and the importance of “reading the room” and matching the energy for best results. Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets. Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process. Click play to listen to the podcast or find it on iTunes here. If you don’t use iTunes you can get the feed here, or listen to us on Stitcher radio. Show...

Inspiring words from Charles Bukowski

Above: Image by Gina Milicia Inspiring words from Charles Bukowski: “I don’t think it hurts, sometimes, to remember where you came from…They call it ‘9 to 5.’ It’s never 9 to 5… And what hurts is the steadily diminishing humanity of those fighting to hold jobs they don’t want but fear the alternative worse. People simply empty out. They are bodies with fearful and obedient minds. The colour leaves the eye. The voice becomes ugly. And the body. The hair. The fingernails. The shoes. Everything does. As a young man, I could not believe that people could give their lives over to those conditions. As an old man, I still can’t believe it. What do they do it for? … An automobile on monthly payments? Or children? Children who are just going to do the same things that they did? … Now in industry, there are vast layoffs…They are layed...
1 2

How to direct and pose like a pro

About Gina

About Gina

Gina Milicia is one of the most widely known and respected photographers in Australia. She is the master of capturing that ‘magical moment’... READ MORE

instagram Instagram