Light is everything when it comes to photography. But, sometimes, you just don’t have enough of it! We’re not even talking about shooting in a dark room. There are many instances when your lighting isn’t ideal and you could do with a little bit more light to really make your photos pop. So what you can do about it? In this episode, Gina and Valerie focus on simple ideas you can use when you are shooting in a variety of low light situations. #ginachallenge #lowlight 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 notes Useful links No Cameras Allowed is a documentary that follows James Marcus Haney’s journey of breaking into music festivals and inserting himself into the world of some of the biggest names in...

“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.” Ansel Adams

  Think you know what all the photographic techy terms mean? Answer the following questions and discover how many photography terms you understand.   1. Bokeh a) Is the name of Japan’s best-selling boutique beer b) Hipster slang for something amazing c) The quality of blur produced by a lens   2. Matrix Metering a) Sequel to the Hollywood blockbuster The Matrix b) The way your internet provider calculates your data usage c) An exclusive metering system used by Nikon to calculate exposure   3. The Golden Mean a) A Chinese restaurant famous for their pork dumplings b) The sequel to the movie Mean Girls c) A composition formula   4. Blown Highlights a) A term that refers to someone who wasted their childhood b) An Indie punk band c) Bright areas in an image that don’t show any detail   5. Megapixel a) The latest cheese, corn and bacon...

Light metering can be confusing. But it doesn’t have to be. In fact, a lot of the mumbo jumbo surrounding lighting and metering is simply unnecessary. In true “Gina-style”, this episode Gina and Valerie focus on simple explanations about light metering that will improve your photography, help you achieve perfect skin tones and provide you with the knowledge you need to really master your metering. You also get to find out why “Hans” loves “50 Shades of Grey”. #ginachallenge #50shadesofgrey 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 notes Following on from last week’s #ginachallenge #cliche, here are a few shoutouts to our Cliche Champions.         Listener Question from Jessica Roberts-Booton I just want to say, “Thank you, thank you!” I have learned...

“A snapshot records what you see; a memorable photograph also captures what you feel.” I’m ashamed to say that I’ve eaten my fair share of Golden Arches meals at 2am on the way home from a 16-hour shoot. It’s been a few years since I’ve done it but I can still remember how those meals made me feel. I was tired, hungry and too lazy to cook. A Big Mac did the job I could not be bothered doing myself. It’s so easy to walk around on autopilot these days and look for quick fixes to get the job done. There are times when I’ve tried the Big Mac approach in my photography. I’ve created something fast and cheap. But just the way some people argue that a Big Mac can’t be called real food, a snapshot has not earned the right to be called a photograph. A photograph that...

We’re all guilty of shooting the odd cliche from time to time. Whether it’s that selfie on Instagram, a photo of your shows, the shot of the hipster couple, the cute guy at the gas station… Cliches have their place and, sometimes, they even work! But what do you need to do to ensure your shots are original, so that they stand out from others and really help your portfolio shine? In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss how to recognise a photography cliche, which ones to avoid, and how to turn them around so that you bring your own authentic mark to your images. #ginachallenge #cliche 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 notes Shoutout Michael Goh’s amazing night-time photography. Michael says: Compositionally –...

This little magic wonder tool can remove unwanted items in images with plain backgrounds in less than 30 seconds. It can also be used to stretch or resize an image super quickly.

Adding a Vignette is just a really fancy way of saying adding a darker border to your image.

This technique will completely revolutionise the way you process your images because it allows you to selectively adjust areas of your images.

The first thing you notice about a great portrait is the eyes. Flat dull colourless eyes can really diminish the impact of a portrait.