In this interview Avedon shares behind the scenes glimpses into the creation of some of his most iconic images and his thought process. “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: Image, Gina Milicia I’ve been binging comedy shows. I’m addicted. It started with soft comedy like the Seinfeld series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, then I moved on to podcasts, Netflix specials and now I’m into biographies. I love the way comedians think. How they can take a small detail and spin it into something interesting. Good comedians can turn a trip to the mall into a hilarious hour of anecdotes. The masters of comedy make you notice the little things in life and think about stuff differently.  I used to believe that being funny was something you were born with but the most successful comedians work hard to fine tune and hone their skills. There is an art to being funny, and the most successful comedians spend years and thousands of hours creating conversations and observations that look effortless. Did you know that the best comedians in the...

Above: Image by Gina Milicia edited using Rescue Remedy Preset “Art reaches its greatest peak when devoid of self-consciousness. Freedom discovers man the moment he loses concern over what impression he is making or about to make.” – Bruce Lee

Above: Image, Gina Milicia Always believe in the destination but enjoy the journey. One of the reasons I love to walk or ride my bike is because it forces me to experience the journey rather than focus on getting to the destination. When I’m in my car, life is comfortable. I’m warm, protected from the elements and can safely focus on “are we there yet?”. I’m all about getting to the destination as quickly as possible. The same journey on foot or on my bike is completely different. I notice more, I feel more, I remember more, I experience more. As artists we are constantly striving for the next destination, our focus on getting “there” as quickly as possible but in doing so we miss many of the valuable lessons learnt on the slow road. When I first started out as a photographer I just wanted to hurry up and...

Above: Image by Gina Milicia “You just have to live and life will give you pictures.” – Henri Cartier Bresson

This week I’m inspired by Shonda Rhimes. I just finished reading Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes and loved it! Shonda Rhimes is an American television producer, screenwriter, and author. She’s the mastermind behind some massive hits like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. Shonda Rhimes,told the Dartmouth Class of 2014, “Ditch the dream and be a doer, not a dreamer.”

Above: Image by Gina Milicia How many times have you thought about doing something, only to be talked out of it by your mind? You take a great photo and want to share it with your community. Just as you are about to press “send” your mind interrupts and says: “Ummm are you sure about that? You know if you post that photo, people are going to judge you.” Which somehow leads to: “If I post this photo, I will die alone and penniless in a ditch.” FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real Our mind is a master at telling us stories to scare the crap out of us. It will seek out things to prove it is right. That’s why we tend to ignore the 100s of compliments we may receive and focus on the one or two negative comments. Next time your inner critic tries to derail your progress...

“Photography is the only language that can be understood anywhere in the world.”  – Anon Above: Image, Gina Milicia

Above: Image, Gina Milicia Yesterday I made someone cry and it made me feel good, really good. For the record I’m not a sadist or a psychopath. Let me explain… I was photographing Jane, (name changed to protect the innocent) an entrepreneur in her early 50’s who was launching a new venture and needed a fresh set of profile images. Jane was beautiful and had an amazing energy. I saw an intelligent, warm, engaging, confident, beautiful woman and that’s how I photographed her. We spent a couple of hours together and I shot three different setups in three different outfits and locations. Jane was a dream client. I loved her energy. She took direction well and with a little help from my visualisation technique, I was able to capture a warm, confident, and beautiful version of Jane. So why the tears then? The tears were not tears of despair, they...

Above: Image, Gina Milicia “The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.” –Robert Hughes