Month

June 2021

Those at the top of the mountain didn’t fall there

Above: Image by Gina Milicia I’ve spent the last 30+ years climbing a mountain. I started climbing impatiently, sprinting so fast I barely noticed the scenery. The road was smooth and the incline was gentle. The first part of the climb felt easy, took little effort, almost like I was being carried by some invisible force. Then just when I thought I had mastered mountain climbing 101 I hit my first obstacle. The climb took a turn and I needed to navigate terrain that I had not experienced before. It was physically challenging. For every three steps I took I would lose my footing and slide back two. On several occasions, I misjudged a boulder for a ledge and slid back almost to where I started. I was frustrated. I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere but somewhere in the back of my mind I kept hearing: “Keep going, it’s...

Ep 352: Commercial portrait photography with guest Jeroen Nieuwhuis.

How does commercial portrait photography differ from regular portrait photography? We talk to Jeroen Nieuwhuis on his work as a commercial portrait photographer. You’ll discover: how he landed his first commercial gig at 18, the importance of knowing how to pose and direct models, why you need good assistants, getting booked from personal projects by commercial clients, funding personal projects, gear preferences, working with art directors, how he lights and directs his images and heaps more.

Ep 351: How to direct shy, anxious, overconfident or difficult people

Connecting with people when you’re taking their portraits can be challenging. Because a great shot is not just about the technical aspects of photography. It’s also about whether your subject is comfortable, relaxed and at ease with the camera. In this episode, you’ll discover the techniques you need to use when you’re directing shy, anxious, overconfident or difficult people. Find out about this and much more in this week’s episode.

Read these quotes next time your self-confidence gets kicked to the curb.

Above: Image by Gina Milicia We all have days when everything seems to be going wrong. Your last shoot sucked, you lost a client or you just feel meh and think all your photos are shite. I usually curl up in the fetal position with a 500gm jar of Nutella and watch One Tree Hill. What’s your go-to feel better hack? I also find reading these quotes (while eating Nutella) really helpful. Here are a few of my faves. Enjoy. “It ain’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to.” – W.C. Fields I never loved another person the way I loved myself.” – Mae West “I used to be self conscious about my height, but then I thought, f*** that, I’m Harry Potter.” – Daniel Radcliffe “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light,...

Ep 350: Awkward and cliche portrait poses to avoid and how to improve them

When you’re posing people, it can be easy to fall into the trap of letting them fall into awkward or cliched poses without even noticing. That could make or break a shot. So what kind of poses should you look out for? How can you avoid them? And if you find your subject doing one, what can you do to turn a “meh” pose into a winner? Find out about this and much more in this week’s episode.

Get Inspired!

Decades before digital technology transformed how we make and see pictures, American photographer Garry Winogrand made hundreds of thousands of them with his 35mm Leica, creating an encyclopedic portrait of America from the late 1950s to the early 1980s. When he died suddenly at age 56 in 1984, Winogrand left behind more than 10,000 rolls of film; more than a quarter of a million pictures! These images, as well as hours of never before seen 8mm films, capture a bygone era: the New York of Mad Men and the early years of the Women’s Movement, the birth of American suburbs, and the glamour and alienation of Hollywood. He produced so many unseen images that it has taken until now for the full measure of his artistic legacy to emerge. Endorsed by his gallery and estate, Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable is the first cinematic survey of that legacy. The...

I was ready to give up, sell my gear, and get a real job

Above: Image by Gina Milicia “Your portrait style just isn’t strong enough…we’re looking for photographers with edgier work – but thanks anyway.” This was the 5th time in a row I had been told that my folio sucked. I was absolutely gutted. This last blow was delivered by Dave, an art director from one of Melbourne’s most well-known advertising agencies. Back then, I was 25 and had just spent the entire day schlepping my folio around in the hope that I would land my big break and pick up the Coca Cola account – and a couple of other big brands – before lunch.  All my appointments that day pretty much went the same way *flick, flick, flick* of the pages of my folio… Silence… Followed by “Thanks” with a tight smile. “Your work is not really what we are looking for… but… “ I can’t remember what else they said but...

Ep 349: How to photograph strangers with guests Daryl and Judy Ford

How do you achieve compelling shots with total strangers. We chat to Daryl and Judy Ford about: the pros and cons of two creatives living together, how Judy and Daryl used a photo tour guide to help them gain access to subjects living in remote locations, techniques they used to connect with complete strangers.

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

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