Gold Membership reviews

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO LEARN FROM GINA?

A huge impact on my life

Hi Gina,

I just wanted to express my sincere gratitude for helping me to achieve a long time ambition. So I just wanted to let you know that through your teachings you have had a huge impact on my life. I have been a keen photographer for most of my life.

No, let me change that – I have been taking pictures for most of my life. generally speaking, I thought the pics were pretty good. Over the years I have spent thousands of dollars on cameras, lenses and stuff to help me take better pictures. But no matter how much I spent, the camera was always set to auto mode because I simply had no idea what to do and what was possible in any other mode. Dealing with F stops, shutter speeds, iso, depth of field, exposure and all the other stuff was totally out of my league so the camera stays on auto, and I just keep wondering why I can’t produce a picture that make me go WOW!

My how things have changed. Thanks to you Gina. Your teaching style is right on the mark. Within a very short space of time, you were able to demystify the art of photography and give me a simple and clear understanding of how things work. More importantly you have reignited my passion for photography as an art form and as a vehicle to express oneself. My camera has not seen the auto function dial since our first lesson together and I doubt it ever will again whilst I’m driving it. As if teaching me to be a better photographer wasn’t enough, you also introduce me to the mind blowing magic of Lightroom. WOW WOW WOW. Now I don’t just get to shoot pictures. I now I transform into artist mode and get to develop them just the way I want.

I’m excited, amazed, passionate, highly motivated and most importantly I will be forever grateful for your amazing teachings.

Frank Romano
Photographer

Gina knows how to make one feel comfortable and at ease in order to capture the essence of a great portrait. It is poetry in motion. The choreography is magic to watch, Gina’s skills and technique (as well as her monologues – her comic timing is genius) will remain essential in my routine, always.

Kaily Koutsogiannis
Photographer

Before I discovered Gina Milicia I was pretty much taking really crap photos and crossing my fingers! Which was terrible as I’m an artist, and often a good photo is the only way for someone to get close to my artwork. Since putting Gina’s tips to practice I’ve been more confident with my photography and sending my pics to press for editorials.I love her fun, practical approach to teaching too, it makes learning actually exciting!

Joi Murugavell
Artist

I’m much more confident photographing people and get much better and quicker results by understanding lighting better. The light modifiers I was inspired to buy also changed my macro and clinical work a lot.

Paul Renner
Photographer and Dentist

Before I worked with Gina I was a freelance photography assistant mostly at a studio specialising in Car & Product Photography. Before that, I worked a trade as a Fire Sprinkler Fitter.

For me, the most valuable thing I learnt from Gina was the importance of communicating well with your model/client and keeping a conversation going no matter how crazy you may feel – to keep them from drifting off into thoughts of how nervous they are, how big this is, small that is, the zit breakout they had this morning etc etc.

Everything is to create a compelling image. The connection through the lens is subtle but it’s an important difference that will set your work apart from others. The same with lighting, it’s the subtle variations that make a difference, 1/4 stop, and so on. To sum it all up in one word – subtlety.

What Gina has taught me has helped me relax somewhat as a photographer. I still get nervous at the start of every shoot. However, that’s a good thing if you use those nerves positively it drives you to do your best and work hard. Using what I learned from Gina – connecting to your client, gets me out of my head and calms those nerves.

Robert Hay
Photographer

I use to shoot exclusively landscapes (both nature and urban). Not only did you have me shoot people – to add dimension, depth, and color to travel photography – you also helped me see the “light” when shooting people. To engage with them – despite language barriers – to observe their behaviors, and what they were doing, to connect prior to shooting

When shooting buildings, or localities, I now spend a bit more time looking for the interplay of light and shadow, and above all do not forget to get the details – get in close to add context, color and texture.

Darrell Vickers
Photographer

I learnt the rules for taking better-than-good pics but at the same time learnt to experiment and to dare to be different. I learnt to look at a subject and frame it in a number of different ways, visualising the finished product and imagining what it could be. The most valuable part of the experience was learning that if you want to be a better-than-average photographer you cannot be shy (even a little daring), you have to be confident in your own ability, and a touch of ‘crazy’ can sometimes be a big help. Gina is well qualified to teach all those things. It changed my approach completely. I now see excellent subjects I have never noticed before. I can now produce pics that tell their own story and enhance everything I write.

Roger Plastow

Before learning from you, I was didn’t have any direction. I was shooting anything and copying other photographers and didn’t have a style of my own. I learnt to see how photos are lit (particularly advertising). How just a little bit of light can make a massive impact and take my photos to the next level. How lighting can be simple and doesn’t nee to complicated. Those two things has given the confidence to shoot the way I see the world and develop my own style.

David Rook
Photographer

I was moving from web design into becoming a headshot and portrait photographer. The most valuable part of learning from Gina was watching how she operates. It’s all about the interaction and soft skills. She has a skill at working with people she has never met before. The experience vastly improved my confidence to keep evolving professionally and to work harder than ever.

Dale Harper