Above: Image by Gina Milicia “Authenticity starts in the heart.” —Brian D’Angelo When I was a few years into my photography career, I discovered the lighting, posing and directing formula for shooting portraits that gave me consistent results. Finally, I could relax on my shoots and stop stressing about my exposure and awkward looking images. I was 100% convinced I had mastered photography and spent the next couple of years shooting on autopilot. Hack (definition): a person, as an artist or writer, who exploits, for money, his or her creative ability or training in the production of dull, unimaginative, and trite work; one who produces banal and mediocre job in the hope of gaining commercial success  The problem with getting comfortable with the formula is that my work became boring, clinical and lacked depth. The lights were on, but nobody was home. “A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but...