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“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” 

—Elizabeth Kubler Ross

This simple little tip will make a big impact on how you view your images.

When working in the Develop Module in Lightroom tap “L” on your keyboard once to dim the filmstrip and tool panels around your image.

Lights out mode (Dimmed) removes distractions but still lets you view filmstrip and tools.

Tap on “L” again to completely block out the area around your image.

Blocking out the area around your image removes distractions and makes it much easier to judge brightness, contrast and colour tones.

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 nothing ever grows there.”

There is no “one size fits all” approach to portrait photography. I thought I’d discovered the secret formula to success, but the reality was I was just lazy. I looked back . . .

Above: Image by Gina Milicia

Inspiring words from Charles Bukowski:

“I don’t think it hurts, sometimes, to remember where you came from…They call it ‘9 to 5.’ It’s never 9 to 5… And what hurts is the steadily diminishing humanity of those fighting to hold jobs they don’t want but fear the alternative worse. People simply empty out. They are bodies with fearful and obedient minds. The colour leaves the eye. The voice becomes ugly. And the body. The hair. The fingernails. The shoes. Everything does. As a young man, I could not believe that people could give their lives over to those conditions. As an old man, I still can’t believe it. What do they do it for? … An automobile on monthly payments? Or children? Children who are just going to do the same things that they did? … Now in industry, there are vast layoffs…They are layed off by the hundreds of thousands and their faces are stunned: ‘I put in 35 years…It ain’t right…I don’t know what to do…’ They never pay the slaves enough so they can get free, just enough so they can stay alive and come . . .

I’ve combined my four great loves, photography, Sicily, travel and teaching to create the ultimate photography experience.

I’m so excited to show you my beautiful Island of Sicily and share the lighting, posing and post-production techniques I use.

I’ve partnered with the best Sicily tour guide in the world, Carmel Ruggeri of Sicilian Food Tours. We’ve been doing these tours together since 2013 and having a blast!

Carm will take care of us during our stay and take us to authentic Sicilian villages and locations off the beaten track.

Carm is a successful and much-loved restaurateur so we will be privy to some of the best Sicilian food and wine and hospitality.

I can’t wait to work with you!

For more information or to download a brochure head to https://www.sicilianfoodtours.com/gina-milicia-sicilian-photography-tour-2020

Bookings: info@sicilianfoodtours.com

Above: Image by George Barris

Above: Image by Cecil Beaton

Above: Image by Gene Korman   

If I’m showing my model how to stand, where to look and what to think about while I take their portrait then how much is the portrait about them and how much is it about me?

I believe a great portrait is a collaboration between the photographer and their model. A great portrait photographer has the ability to reveal a side of their model that nobody else will see in quite the same way.

You only have to look at portraits of the very famous to see just how different they look when they are photographed by different photographers. Have a look at this selection of images of Marilyn Monroe, one of the most iconic women in history. Three different photographers show three completely different sides of Marilyn. Yes, they are all images of Marilyn but the mood and feel of the images are directly influenced by the photographer.

How we see the world and others is what makes us unique. We as photographers tell stories with images and those images . . .

Above: Image by Gina Milicia Fuji XT-3

“We don’t see things as they are. We see them as we are.” -Anais Nin

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? How you perceive the world and everything that happens around you will have a huge impact on the type of portraits you take.

If you are a positive person who always tries to find the good in every situation your portraits will probably reflect that. A pessimist is always looking for the negative in every situation and so if you see the glass as half empty your portraits may reflect the darker side of the models you photograph.

I like to think I’m a fairly optimistic person and seek out the positive side of people I photograph. I’m constantly seeking out ways to flatter the people I photograph and make them appear positive and beautiful and joyful.

Answer: 116

1 to change the bulb 9 to say it would have looked better in black and white 40 to say it should have been edited in Lightroom 40 to say it should have been edited in Photoshop 15 to say it needs more contrast 5 to say it needs less contrast 5 to say it’s soft

1 to say it should have been shot on film.

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

It was 30 years ago this week that I made the decision to become a photographer. To make it official I went out and got business cards printed that said:

Gina Milicia Photographer

…and my home phone number. I then spent the next 30 years making it up as I went along.

It’s been a roller coaster of a ride and I’ve loved every minute of it but there have been times when I doubted my decision and wondered if I was really any good, or would be better off “getting a real job”. Starting out is never easy and sometimes, all we really need is someone to tell us to keep going.

It’s worth it and everything is going to be okay. So I decided to write my younger photographer a letter and share some of the things I know for sure now – and really needed to hear back then.

1. Get a mentor My greatest regret is not seeking out mentors earlier in my career . . .

”We’re all just walking each other home.” – Ram Dass