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“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” ―Paulo Coelho

Above: Image by Gina Milicia

Above: Image by Gina Milicia Fuji X100f

Have you ever noticed that whenever you point a camera at someone they will go to one of three default settings.

Photo face with cheesy smile and dead eyes No smile and a look of sheer terror Duck face or pouty lips

Sometimes you might get lucky and photograph someone who has an authentic smile and looks relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera.

Unfortunately this usually only happens in about 10% of cases so how do you get rid of duck face, cheesy smiles or looks of terror in the remaining 90% of portraits?

Asking your model to say any word starting with ‘ch’ and ending in ‘y’ or ‘e’ when you photograph them will show both top and bottom teeth. This is a great idea in theory, but always ends up looking fake on models. The reason for this is that nobody really smiles with his or her top and bottom teeth showing. Go have a look in the mirror now and smile. If you can see both top and bottom teeth you are probably a Miss Universe contestant, a game show host, or a horse.

A real . . .

“It’s your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.” —Rumi

“It’s not when you press the shutter, but why you press the shutter.”

Above: Image, Gina Milicia “Michael” photographed using Fuji x100F

It’s been an exciting couple of years for photography lovers with all the big camera manufacturers announcing new technology ranging from better and faster focusing, sharper lenses, In-body stabilization, better low light shooting, faster glass and larger image sizes.

I’d be lying if I told you my inner geek girl wasn’t drooling over some of these specs!

50MB raw files gazillions of + focus points touch screens, flip screens WiFi connectivity 4K video coffee maker and inbuilt foot massager (I made that up but it can’t be far off).

There is no doubt in my mind that many of these advances have made my life easier as a professional photographer.

Larger file sizes and higher resolution give me crisper details. Advances in autofocus have increased the number of keepers or images that are sharp to over 95%. Better low light performance has opened up a whole new world of shooting possibilities. Electronic viewfinders give me the option to preview my images before I take them. Touch screens, flip screens and WiFi connectivity allow me to easily share my images with clients on multiple . . .

Above: Image, Gina Milicia

“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

Above: Image, Gina Milicia Lazio, photographed with Fuji X100F

“Learning is the only thing the mind never exhausts, never fears, and never regrets.” —Leonardo da Vinci

About a year ago I decided to experiment with the mirrorless camera system. Everyone I know who owns a mirrorless system is head over heels in love and raves about how much better their lives are now that they made the switch.

Switching camera systems is kinda like dating. It’s a big commitment and whilst something looks incredible and sounds amazing I believe It’s important to get to know each before making a commitment to become exclusive.

So, I decided to ease myself into a relationship with mirrorless and test the waters first. I then completely ignored my own advice and hooked up with the first mirrorless camera that caught my eye.

I based my decision to buy the Fuji X100F on looks alone and if you saw it you wouldn’t blame me. This is one sexy looking piece of gear. Early one morning when I should have been sleeping I swiped right or whatever it is you do on the Amazon matchmaker . . .

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.” —Marianne Williamson

Above: Image, Gina Milicia

A young Annie Leibovitz talks about how she photographed her iconic image of John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

Above: Image, Gina Milicia

A few years ago I had a portrait shoot with a woman by the name of Dawn, well-loved and respected in the music industry (name, date and industry changed to protect the innocent).

From the first moment I met Dawn my inner monologue was “Houston we have a problem.”

Dawn shook my hand but her eyes were cold.

I knew I could take a great shot but there was something about her energy, yep, I said ‘energy’, that threw me.

When I finally got Dawn onto the set I approached her again for a quick pre-shoot chat. This is something I like to do to establish a connection. Sometimes I ask how people got to the studio or notice an item of clothing. There isn’t a formula, it’s just chit chat.

This technique usually works but every once in a while you meet someone like Dawn who  doesn’t behave like most people. Now let me be very clear here. Dawn was polite and professional and agreed to do everything I asked her to do. The problem was I felt like everything . . .