Above: Image by Gina Milicia He was the best-looking guy I’d ever seen in my life. At 6′ 2″, he towered over me – I’m 5′ 7″ (5′ 8″ with my hair done). When he locked his piercing blue eyes onto mine, I actually gasped. Seriously. So there we were, alone together. It was my first time, and I was so nervous. My heart was beating at a million miles an hour. My mouth was dry. My palms were sweaty. “Pull yourself together, woman,” my inner tough chick scolded. I was only 22. I was worried I’d do something wrong. I thought I knew where everything went, but it’s not until you’re actually in the thick of it that you know for sure… I stumbled and bumbled my way along, and then I finally let myself go. It was rough, it was raw, and it certainly wasn’t pretty, but it...

Above: Image by Gina Milicia “I have been absolutely terrified every moment of my life – and I have never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” – Georgia O’Keeffe

Bruce Gilden Bruce Gilden is a street photographer best known for his up close and candid street portraits using flash. I have to admit watching him shoot in this video made me really uncomfortable. I’m not sure I could shoot as brazenly as he does but I do find his images intriguing. Check out the video and let me know what you think. Elliott Erwitt Elliott Erwitt is a true master of his craft. He captures the decisive moment with humour, intelligence and sensitivity. In this video presentation Erwitt shares a selection of his favourite images from the last 60 years. And in this video Erwitt shares some fascinating insights behind his process. Cindy Sherman Way before Instagram made bloggers famous and #blessed a photographer named Cindy Sherman was using self-portraits as a form of artistic expression. Cindy Sherman is best known for her Untitled film stills series where she created a...

Above: Image by Gina Milicia Successful photographers don’t follow trends, they create them. The best photographers in the world have a unique style that sets them apart from all the other photographers. They photograph subjects that they are passionate about and light, pose and edit in a style that is unique to them. Photography is a visual conversation a photographer is sharing with the world. Copying other photographers or whatever style is hot on Instagram right now is like a musician that only plays covers in their sets. It doesn’t matter how much they sound or look like Adele, Beyonce, Prince, Elvis or Madonna – this style of music will only take them so far. Many of the greatest artists in history start out by copying their idols. The reason they became successful leaders in their craft is because at some point their work no longer resembles anyone else’s. They...

Above: Image by Gina Milicia “I make art to show my soul that I am listening.” – Unknown

Some images really lend themselves to a softer look. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a soft pastel look to your images using Lightroom CC.

Above: Image by Gina Milicia I’ve been binging comedy shows. I’m addicted. It started with soft comedy like the Seinfeld series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, then I moved on to podcasts, Netflix specials and now I’m into biographies. I love the way comedians think. How they can take a small detail and spin it into something interesting. Good comedians can turn a trip to the mall into an hour of hilarious anecdotes. The masters of comedy make you notice the little things in life and think about stuff differently. I used to believe that being funny was something you were born with but the most successful comedians work hard to fine tune and hone their skills. There is an art to being funny, and the most successful comedians spend years and thousands of hours creating conversations and observations that look effortless. Did you know that the best comedians in the...

Above: Image by Gina Milicia “First move me, astonish me, break my heart, let me tremble, weep, stare, be enraged-only then regale my eyes.” – Denis Diderot 

In this interview, Avedon shares behind the scenes glimpses into the creation of some of his most iconic images and his thought process. “And if a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it’s as though I’ve neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up. I know that the accident of my being a photographer has made my life possible.” – Richard Avedon

Above: Image by Gina MiliciaCredit: Andy Lee photographed for Nine Network Australia What separates world-class photographers from average photographers? Most new photographers get sucked into the camera manufacturers’ hype about gear. It’s not the gear. Cameras don’t take great photos. Photographers take good photos.  The technique is important. But technically perfect images that are inauthentic are not world-class. It’s more than technique.  So what sets great photographers apart from the average photographers? Those of you that listen to the podcast know I’m completely obsessed with the Olympics. I love watching high-class athletes compete on the world stage.  This week the Australian Olympic swim team won nine gold medals. This is the most gold medals the Aussies have won at an Olympic event. This is a big deal and stays with us. We, as photographers, can learn a lot from how they achieved this amazing medal haul! To be an elite...