“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
In an increasingly online world, it’s vital to understand how to optimise your photos for websites and social media. It’s not just about ensuring it’s a small file size, you also want to ensure your image still retains its quality, depth and colour.
In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss what you need to know about images and how to manipulate them correctly so that they are the right size, dimensions, pixel quality and more.
Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process.
Remember when you were at school, and you used to put your name in your pencil case? Wouldn’t it be cool to be able to put your name on your own version of Lightroom?
With so many lenses to choose from, it can be a crap-shoot when deciding which is the best one to use. But you can choose the ideal focal length for your shot if you know what effect each focal length has.
In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss what focal length does and how this impacts your shots – especially portraits.
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Lens choice and proximity to your subject will have a big influence on how your portraits will look.
A focal length of 50mm has the least distortion and is the closest representation of what people really look like which is why this is the focal length of . . .
Above: I spotted this abandoned house and vintage bike near Te Anua, New Zealand. Photographed using my Canon 5DMK111 and 16-35mm lens @16mm F16 @1/250th sec processed using my Cuban Cigar Lite preset.
My TV binge-watching has hit an all time low. Last year I consumed television like a raw vegan crossfitter with only pure content sourced from the highest quality suppliers. I watched documentaries, high brow and high-quality dramas. Sadly like all good raw vegan crossfitters I fell off the wagon and for the last two months, I’ve been stuffing my soul with the TV equivalent of Cheetos and Krispy Kremes.
My fave show at the moment is the Australian version of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. It’s like a cross between Big Brother and Survivor.
Watching the show last night got me thinking, what if one day I had to pack up and move to the jungle? What would be my essential wilderness survival photography kit?
I decided to keep this interesting and limit the number of critical photography items to four and not include things like camera bags, batteries or memory cards.
HDR photography can save your bacon. But, sometimes, it’s been given a bad rap. However, this simple technique can transform your images and get you out of difficult situations where you have high contrasting elements.
In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss when you should use HDR photography, the exact steps you need to take to make it happen, how you can “cheat” in post-production if you forget to bracket when you’re shooting – and much more. Great for both newbies and pros.
Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process.
Show notes What is HDR? HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. HDR is a technique where numerous exposures of a scene are taken. Correct, overexposed and underexposed and . . .
Above: I’m always amazed by just how much detail can be rescued from the shadow areas in an image.
Have you ever taken a shot using flash where the flash didn’t fire or you’ve been in a rush and underexposed the image? Yeah me too! It’s a real bummer because these are often the shots we wished turned out.
I’ve been playing around a lot with the contrast and shadow sliders in Lightroom and have discovered a way to rescue these images. Have a look through your archives and see if you have any shots with similar exposures and test it out.
The technique is fairly basic and a good introduction to understanding contrast in images. Click here to watch tutorial.
It’s time to talk about landscapes. Have you ever been at a stunning location and taken your shots only to discover that your pics really don’t do the location any justice? It can be disappointing when your images don’t reflect the amazing colours, scale and beauty of what you see what your own eyes.
In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss what you need to know to shoot amazing landscapes.
Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process.
Above: I photographed actor and comedian Rhys Darby for Foxtel Australia’s “Whose Line Is it Anyway”
The energy you bring to a shoot is going to have a huge impact on the person you are photographing so it’s really important that you check your mood, body language and tone during a portrait shoot. It’s not what you say that matters. It’s how you say it and here’s why.
Have you ever been served in a cafe by a waiter who would rather be at home watching Game of Thrones? Or a shop assistant who has memorised the shop assistants’ generic greetings but just forgot to care about what she was saying along the way?
The waiter is polite, gets the coffee order correct and even smiles at the appropriate times. As far as serving coffee 101 goes, this guy has totally nailed it. The problem here, and it’s nothing he said or did, is that the energy or care factor isn’t there. He did not go out of his way to make you feel special.
The shop assistant also ticks every box in the “How to serve a customer guide”. She greets you with a smile and asks . . .
There are some golden rules when photographing people. If you want to get the most out of your subject, it goes without saying that you need to get them to feel comfortable and confident in your ability.
In this episode, Gina discusses what you should say to people when shooting portraits – and what to avoid doing at all costs!
Hope you enjoy the podcast.
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It’s really important to speak in a language and tone that suits your personality. If you are softly spoken, it’s pointless trying to be loud and extroverted because you don’t sound convincing. Good energy is essential. You know what it feels like to be served by a shop assistant or waiter that . . .
Fuji XT-3
Seeing a fiat 500 in it’s natural habitat is one of the great joys in life.
Thanks to the amazing @kimpartridge_photographer for assisting me on this shoot!
Been shooting with my new XT-3 here in Sicily. I’ll share my warts and all review on the next episode of the podcast.
#Fujifilmx_au #Fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujinon #fujixseries#Fujifilmxseries
#fujifilmxt3
#fujixt3
#fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujifilm_street#storyofthestreet#streetphotography#ig_street #fujifeed #fujiframez#fujilove #ig#portraitphotographyl #portraiture#portraitmood #instagood #streetsgramer
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Sign up to my newsletter for free tips and techniques.
Listen to my podcast or sign up for mentoring Check out my Gold Membership, I've created hundreds of tutorials which share all my lighting, posing and editing techniques. We also have a members forum, video photo critiques each month and a live "Ask me anything” LINK IN BIO
Birdman #Mumbai #Fujix100f
Spotted this man guarding the side entrance to The Gateway of Mumbai monument in Colaba. This is “The St Marks Square” of Mumbai and the Birdman looks after the two million pigeons that happily pose
for photos with the visitors.
This is a big job, some of these pigeons have been spoiled by their Instagram fame. They can be divas, no wonder he looks so stressed.
Thank you Birdman, we need more people like you in the world.
#Fujifilmx_au #Fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujinon #fujixseries#Fujifilmxseries #x100f #fujix100f #fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujifilm_street#storyofthestreet#streetphotography#ig_street #fujifeed #instagood
Want to improve your photography? I'd love to work with you. Check out my Gold Membership, I've created hundreds of tutorials which share all my lighting, posing and editing techniques. We also have a members forum, video photo critiques each month and a live "Ask me anything” Link in bio
📷Fuji x100f Beach Boxer Bali
“Fear doesn’t go away. The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day.” – Steven Pressfield 🙏
This week on the podcast @valeriekhoo and I chat about the 5 things every photographer must know. This has nothing to do with gear and everything to do with your mindset.
Oh and if you’re interested in learning how to shoot with fill flash I have a few spots available to my May Sicily portrait workshop.
6 Days
Intensive lighting, directing and post production
LINK IN BIO
“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.” Samuel Ullman
I had the most inspiring day photographing members of the Brighton Baths Icebergers. These men and women, mostly over 50, enjoy a dawn and early morning ritual of bathing in the last remaining sea pool in Port Phillip Bay.
In winter the water temperature is close to freezing and the Icebergers are hooked on the benefits to both body and mind.
One thing I noticed in all the swimmers I photographed was a sense of joy and a positive energy. This is Jan, she is 79 years young and has been open water swimming for 30+ years, and is a regular winter swimmer.
Want to improve your photography?
Sign up to my newsletter for free tips and techniques.
Listen to my podcast or sign up for mentoring Check out my Gold Membership, I've created hundreds of tutorials which share all my lighting, posing and editing techniques. We also have a members forum, video photo critiques each month and a live "Ask me anything” LINK IN BIO
Fujix100F + Speedlight and Gary Fong “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” ― Rob Siltanen
I spent my childhood feeling like a misfit and then I went to art school and found “my people”
Artists spend their lives seeing and feeling things the rest of the world ignore. I think we are the sane ones and the rest of the world is crazy.
FUJI X100F “A lot of photographers think that if they buy a better camera they’ll be able to take better photographs. A better camera won’t do a thing for you if you don’t have anything in your head or in your heart.” ―Arnold Newman
Ep 232 of my podcast with the amazing @valeriekhoo is out. eady to start a photography business? Here are some common mistakes to avoid.
Giving up your day job.
Quitting too soon
Ignoring social media
Only relying on social media
Placing all your eggs in one basket
Poor training and mentorship (learn how to shoot, how to charge etc)
Charging too little
Investing in gear too early
No networking skills
No basic business skills (TAX, insurance, contracts, cashflow)
Lack of Editing and workflow knowledge
A business name that nobody can remember or find.
#Fujifilmx_au #Fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujinon #fujixseries#Fujifilmxseries
#x100f #fujix100f #fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujifilm_street#storyofthestreet#streetphotography#ig_street #fujifeed #fujiframez#fujilove #ig#portraitphotography#photooftheday l #portraiture#portraitmood #instagood
#balitravel
Want to improve your photography?
Sign up to my newsletter for free tips and techniques.
Listen to my podcast or sign up for mentoring Check out my Gold Membership, I've created hundreds of tutorials which share all my lighting, posing and editing techniques. We also have a members forum, video photo critiques each month and a live "Ask me anything” LINK IN BIO