Above: Image by Gina Milicia “Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost legendary. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Perseverance and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Calvin Coolidge

Have you ever photographed a portrait and wanted to change the eye colour or colour of the lips or an item of clothing? It sounds complicated but it’s actually a quick and easy fix. Check out my tutorial below.

Above: Image by Gina Milicia I once worked as a pasta chef in an Italian restaurant that was famous for its bolognese sauce. It was packed out every night with bolognese junkies who couldn’t get enough of Chef Rosa’s secret sauce. Whenever anyone asked if Chef Rosa would share the recipe she would generously hand it out. At the time I thought that by giving away her precious recipe Rosa would eventually lose patrons. Why eat out when you can make it at home for free? When I voiced my concerns, Rosa smiled and said, “I only give them the raw ingredients. The secret to a great sauce can’t be measured, bought or taught. It has to be earned from hard work and experience.” This was a powerful life lesson. Finding out “how” something is done is the easy part. Mastering a skill and making something memorable can’t be hacked...

Above: Image by Gina Milicia “97% of people who quit too soon are employed by the 3% that never gave up.”

I love this hidden feature in Photoshop. Next time you are retouching an image and want to rotate your canvas temporarily, hit “R” on the keyboard. To select the rotate tool hit “R” on the keyboard or select the rotate tool (it’s located under the hand tool). Place your tool cursor in the image window and click your mouse. Move the cursor clockwise (or anticlockwise) to rotate the canvas. Hit ESC to revert back to the original view.

Above: Image by Gina Milicia Digital technology has revolutionised photography in the same way that instant cake mix revolutionised the baking industry. Before the invention of instant cake mix, baking was a tedious and messy task that required science and knowledge and skill. The great bakers used secret recipes handed down from generation to generation to create the perfect sponge. The instant cake mix took all the guesswork out of baking. Simply add water, mix, bake, and enjoy! Suddenly anyone with an oven, a bowl and water was able to create the perfect sponge.  Today’s digital cameras are the instant cake mix of the photography industry. Inside every camera are all the ingredients necessary for a good photo. Just point and shoot. Your camera will add flash if the image needs it, work out the best shutter speed focus, and even process the shot in whatever style you like. This...

Above: Image by Gina Milicia “I would rather die of passion than of boredom.” – Vincent van Gogh

The default crop overlay setting in Lightroom is the rule of thirds which is very handy but did you know you can change the overlay to include: Fibonacci     Golden RatioGolden triangle GridAspect Ratio To change the overlay: Shortcut  “R” takes you to the crop overlayShortcut “O” to toggle through the different crop overlaysShortcut “Shift O “ to change the orientation of the overlay. Check out my demo below:

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...

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,...