April 2017

Are there too many photographers in the world today?
Are there too many photographers in the world today?
April 29, 2017 In Blog 1 Comment

Above: Kochi, India, photographed on my Canon 5DMK111 with 24-105MM Canon L series F4 lens.

I read a lot of emails and social media posts from discouraged newbie photographers about how crowded the photography market is and how hard it is to get a break. Sadly it’s true. It’s jam packed at the entry level.

Everyone and their dog is a photographer these days.

So why the increase? I blame the Oxford dictionary and all the other dictionaries for this new phenomena.

The Oxford dictionary defines a photographer as follows;

Photographer

A person who takes photographs, especially as a job.

This means that anyone who takes photos is a photographer – it doesn’t need to be a job – that’s a bonus.

So anyone with a smartphone that photographs their lunch or takes selfies showing off their six pack #blessed is a photographer right? Well, no wonder there are so many more photographers in the world today. It’s never been easier to become one. Anyone with a camera is a photographer.

Yesterday my dog knocked my phone, and it accidently took a photo. My dog is also a photographer.

The girl I sat next to at . . .

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Ep 133: Low key or moody lighting for portraits using daylight or flash
Ep 133: Low key or moody lighting for portraits using daylight or flash
April 28, 2017 In Podcast 1 Comment

There are a range of reasons why you might want to achieve moody lighting. Sometimes, it’s the look you’re going for. Other times, you may find yourself shooting in a messy or ugly environment where you want to “hide” the background by simulating a moody setting. Even if you find yourself in a well-lit situation, you can still achieve a moody, dark shot with these techniques.

Gina and Valerie chat about the steps you need to take to get artistic, moody shots in any situation. You’ll learn heaps from this episode!

Hope you enjoy the podcast.

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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.  

#ginachallenge #showusyourdarkroom

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 Photo Critique

What is low . . .

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Ep 132 Snapshot: how to nail focus on a portrait and where to find assistants
Ep 132 Snapshot: how to nail focus on a portrait and where to find assistants
April 27, 2017 In Podcast No Comment

In this Snapshot minisode, Gina and Valerie discuss what you need to do to nail focus on a portrait. Many new photographers struggle with getting pin sharp focus even though they are seemingly following all tricks in the book. Gina reveals a step by step approach so that you can ensure you get the right focus every time.

Also, if you’re ready to start hiring assistants on your shoots (whether you just want them to lug your gear or go so as far as set to up your shots) you’ll discover where you find them, no matter where you live.

Ask your questions at news@ginamilicia.com

Hope you enjoy the podcast.

Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets.

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.

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.

 

. . .

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Love this quote!
Love this quote!
April 20, 2017 In Blog No Comment

“I make art to show my soul that I am listening”  -Unknown

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Ep 131: Single light portraits using speedlights
Ep 131: Single light portraits using speedlights
April 20, 2017 In Podcast 1 Comment

If you want to start using lighting but don’t want to invest in expensive and complicated equipment, then start with a single easy-to-use, affordable speedlight. Even if you are mainly shooting during the day, a speedlight (yes even when it’s sunny) can make all the difference and really lift your shots, especially your portraits.

Gina and Valerie chat about why you need a speedlight, where you can use them, how they work and much more. This episode is also packed with recommendations (you’ll find them also listed  below in the show notes).

Hope you enjoy the podcast.

Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets.

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.  

#ginachallenge #thespeedoflight

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 Shoutouts

Bel Parker

GEAR

Canon 5D MK111 Canon 70-200mm L series Canon 24-105mm L Series Sigma . . .

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Ep 130 Snapshot: Smoke in a can, and candid kid photography
Ep 130 Snapshot: Smoke in a can, and candid kid photography
April 19, 2017 In Podcast No Comment

In this Snapshot minisode, Gina and Valerie talk about “smoke in a can” and how to create instant mood in your shots with this simple aerosol product. They also discuss how to take great candid shots of kids.

Ask your questions at news@ginamilicia.com

Hope you enjoy the podcast.

Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets.

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.

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

Haze in a can

Haze in a can in Australia

 

 

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How to create a soft pastel look using Lightroom CC
How to create a soft pastel look using Lightroom CC
April 15, 2017 In Blog No Comment

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.

Press play below to check out the video.

 

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Ep 129 Size does matter: How to use lighting, focal length and perspective to optimise your group portraits
Ep 129 Size does matter: How to use lighting, focal length and perspective to optimise your group portraits
April 13, 2017 In Podcast No Comment

 

When you’re shooting more than one person, you can come across a raft of problematic issues. Sometimes, various people in the group can look disproportionate depending on where they are placed. And if you’re shooting people of varying sizes, some can look huge while others look like pinheads.

In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss what you need to know to ensure all your group shots are winners. You’ll discover tips and techniques on forced perspective, lighting, shooting angles, focal length and much more.

Hope you enjoy the podcast.

Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets.

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.  

#ginachallenge #sizematter

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 Shoutouts

Michael Goh says: It’s always great seeing things in print – was just listening . . .

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“The longest way round is the shortest way home” – C.S. Lewis
“The longest way round is the shortest way home” – C.S. Lewis
April 12, 2017 In Blog No Comment

Above: Australian entertainer Red Symons, photo by Gina Milicia

I’ve got a mate called Dave (name changed to protect the innocent). Dave is all about the shortcut. Whenever we go anywhere together, he always has a quicker way to get there.

Daves shortcuts always involve cutting across car parks, doubling back through a maze of one-way streets and various detours.

I’ll admit we usually save a few minutes, but I’m not a fan. The quick option  involves intense concentration, and there have been more than a few occasions when the alternative ended up being a “long” cut because of roadblocks, or we got lost in the maze of “turn left, go right, double back and turn right.”

I like my travel to be in a straight line with minimal detours. I want to enjoy my trip and not have to focus on the next left turn. What’s the point of saving a few minutes if you arrive at the destination frazzled and exhausted?

When I was first learning about photography, I was more like Dave. I wanted to know the quickest way to get to the other side. I didn’t care how many detours, left turns . . .

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West Mambalam, Tamil Nadu, India
Taxi driver #Mumbai #fujix100f

#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

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
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Chennai, India
Holy man #Chennai #Fujix100f “Fate gives all of us three teachers, three friends, three enemies, and three great loves in our lives. But these twelve are always disguised, and we can never know which one is which until we've loved them, left them, or fought them.” #Fujifilmx_au #Fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujinon #fujixseries#Fujifilmxseries 
#x100f #fujix100f #fujifilm#fujifilm_xseries#fujifilm_street#storyofthestreet#streetphotography#ig_street #fujifeed #portraiture
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Mumbai Gate of India
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
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Seminyak, Bali
📷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
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Brighton Baths Health Club
“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
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Bright, Victoria
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.
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Bali, Indonesia
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
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Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Fuji x100F
“When you buy something from an artist you are buying more than an object. You’re buying hundreds of hours of errors and experimentation. You’re buying years of frustration and moments of pure joy. You’re not buying just one thing, you are buying a piece of a heart, a piece of a soul… a piece of someone else’s life.” –Rebekah Joy Plett

#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
#BW #bw_addiction
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Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Fuji x100f “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.” –Henry Ford
Having the WRONG mindset will undermine more photo opportunities than upgrading to the best lens and camera combo will ever give you.
How many times have you seen a fantastic photo opportunity and then talked yourself out of it because you believed the dribble your inner voice is saying to you?
How many times have you passed on an opportunity because you thought you weren’t ready?
How many times has a fear of failure OR ridicule stopped you from trying something new?
“Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.” –Suzy Kassem
The great thing about changing your mindset is that you can do it right now. You can decide at this moment that you want to shoot in manual mode, use off camera flash or start a photography business. The only thing stopping you is you.
There are a million different ways you can fail at achieving your goals and a million different ways you can succeed, but it’s pointless focusing on negative thoughts.
This is the dribble your mind tells you to keep you small. To keep you safe. To prevent you from succeeding. It’s a hangover from your caveman brain that needed to manage risk, so you didn’t leave the cave and get eaten by a dinosaur.
So next time a negative thought comes up, ask yourself these questions:
“Am I in danger of being eaten by a dinosaur if I do this?”
“Will shooting in manual mode, asking a stranger to photograph them or attempting off-camera flash jeopardize the safety of my family?”
If the answer is no, then take the leap. Say “yes” to the opportunity. Share your work, take the class, ask the question.
Switch your thinking, instead of “what if I fail?” ask yourself “what if I succeed?” Changing your mindset and attitude is the best upgrade you’ll ever make.
Success and failure begin in your mind.
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Nusa Penida Island
Seaweed fisherman, Bali #Fujix100f
#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

There are three elements to a great portrait: light, subject and location.
Which is more important? Let me put it this way: if light, subject and location played paper, scissors, rock; light would always win.
Why? A beautiful subject in an awesome location can be ruined by poor light. So when you’re organizing a shoot, looking for good light should be the first thing you do.
The results you can achieve shooting in natural light can be incredible, but natural light is fickle. It will never look the same twice. To find yourself with a spectacular background and great light is incredibly rare so if you can recreate the beauty of natural light, you can create a beautiful photo anywhere.

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”
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South Africa
Boy with bible #SouthAfrica #canon5DMK4
“No matter how dark the moment, love and hope are always possible”
Spotted this beautiful boy outside a church just near Soweto. This is one of my favourite portraits of the trip so far far and is par of my ongoing series of environmental portraits from locations allover the world.
If starting a personal project is something you might be interested in starting then do check out EP 230 of my podcast with uber talented curator, artist and writer @valeriekhoo.
This week Valerie and I chat with photographer Craig Wetjen, an award-winning professional photographic artist and a best-selling author with 33 years in the photography industry. Craig started his photographic career shooting for local newspapers in Connecticut, USA. He went on to work for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory before moving to Australia where in he established Melbourne’s RMIT University’s first digital imaging subject.
Craig’s published a book in 2016 titled “Men and Their Sheds” which, just after 3 months on the selves became a best-selling book. He documented 101 men and their relationship the shed has to his physical and mental health.

Just look for “So you want to be a photographer” on ITunes
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Oh and thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show on social media, rating and reviewing on iTunes. You guys rock. BIG TIME!!
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" --> https://ginamilicia.com/join-the-community/

#Canon #canonaustralia
e#ig#portraitphotography#photooftheday l #portraiture#portraitmood #instagood
#streetclassics #canon5dmarkiv #passionpassport #myfeatureshoot#artofvisuals #peoplescreatives
#colour #composition #exposure#focus #moment #photo #photogra


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