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“Art is when you hear a knocking from your soul — and you answer.” – Terri Guillemets

Above: Image by Gina Milicia

Above: Image by Gina Milicia

“The eyes see only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” — Robertson Davies

Ever had a conversation with someone who was distracted? On the surface they appear to be listening to your amazing story about the dream you had last night. They are nodding in all the right places and saying “oh wow” and “oh no” every so often but there is something that tells you they aren’t 100% present. It’s nothing tangible. It’s a feeling, there is a disconnect.

I often look at portraits and feel that same disconnect. The shot is beautifully lit, posed and composed but when you look into the eyes it’s like the lights are on but nobody’s home.

If you want your portraits to stand out from the pack a great starting point is making sure the lights ARE on, somebody’s home and they welcome you with a big hug, a cup of tea and freshly baked Nutella doughnuts.

Here are my favourite tips to make eyes look amazing in your portraits.

1. Wardrobe

The colours a person is wearing close to their face . . .

“We can’t control the level of talent we’ve been given. We have no control over the nature of our gift. What we can control is our self-motivation, our self-discipline, our self-validation, and our self-reinforcement.

We can control how hard and how smart we work.”

—Steven Pressfield

“Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all”

We’ve had some beautiful feedback from 2019 tour participants!

This has been such a transforming amazing experience. The choice of location was absolutely stunning, Gina a beautiful soul and an incredible inspiration who never tired of answering our questions. The other girls a unique blend of characters who harmonized in a way I never thought possible. To top it all off we were so lucky to got spoiled with fantastic food, drinks and knowledge by the awesome Carmel. I‘ll never forget it.

—Karin (Switzerland)

I put off writing this testimonial for months for fear of not doing the trip justice, as it’s literally been one of the best experiences of my life.

Before moving on to the photography side of things, imagine yourself in the most beautiful, authentic, hidden gems of locations with fantastic faces everywhere and hardly any tourists!

In addition to Gina, you are looked after by an incredible hostess, Carmel Ruggeri. Carm will introduce you to the very best Sicilian food and wine, and people!

Now on . . .

Above: Image by Gina Milicia

“IN THE END… We only regret the chances we didn’t take, the relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make.”

You’ve heard the saying “location, location” right? Well, did you know the place you spend the most time in is going to impact how successful you will become as a photographer?

I believe the place you spend the majority of your time will have more of an impact on your ability to succeed than your technical skills. You can be the most technically gifted photographer in the world, but the place you spend the most time may sabotage your progress.

I know this because I’ve lived in this place and getting out wasn’t easy. It’s difficult to leave a place that feels so familiar.

Life here is predictable and comfortable. In fact, the place is called Comfort Zone.

When I’m living in Comfort Zone, there are few disappointments, I know exactly what I’m doing every day and feel 100% competent doing it. Life is predictable.

The problem with this place is . . .

“And if a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it’s as though I’ve neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up. I know that the accident of my being a photographer has made my life possible.” – Richard Avedon

Above: Old school Yashica edited in Lightroom using a preset from my Black and White preset collection.

There are many bargains available online when buying used camera gear but always do your research before you part with your hard-earned cash so you don’t end up with someone else’s junk.

1. Safety

Beware of shonky dealers.

Check their online rating and feedback and where possible try and meet them in person.

Trust your gut.

Ask questions like:

What was the camera used for? Where and how was it stored? Are you the first owner? Why are you selling? Any mould, scratches, chips on the lens or sensor?

2. Check under the hood

Ask about how many actuations the camera has (this is a fancy way of saying shutter clicks). The shutter clicks (actuation) on a camera tell you how many times it has been used, much like the kms or miles a car has driven. Camera shutters have a lifespan depending on the model and the shutter is the most expensive piece of equipment to replace.

As a general rule:

. . .

Above: Image by Gina Milicia

I’ve got a confession to make. I’m a very convincing liar. I wasn’t born with this skill, it was developed in my childhood and perfected in my teen years. I learnt this skill out of necessity. I was raised by a very strict Sicilian born mother, who decided that it was in my very best interest to not date boys, or go to parties until I was at least 18 years old.

I became a master “liar, liar pants on fire”. The trick to becoming a convincing liar is believing your own spin. I would come up with a story to tell my mother and visualised myself in the situation as I told it.

I didn’t know this at the time, but learning the fine art of lying to a Sicilian mother puts you in roughly the same rank as a secret agent. The slightest change in vocal tonality, the tilt of the head or sideways glance was the difference between life and death – or another Saturday night stuck at home.

Lying and faking it is a tactic I see many photographers use . . .

A good photograph will prove to the viewer how little our eyes permit us to see. Most people, really, don’t see—see only what they have always seen and what they expect to see—where a photographer if he’s good, will see everything. And better if he sees things he doesn’t expect to see. – Leon Levinstein

Above: Image by Gina Milicia

Annie Leibovitz talks about the art of photography, the transition from film to digital photography, and how the content of your photo is more important than the camera that you’ve used.