Gina recently travelled to Colombia and captured some epic images. In this episode, Valerie grills Gina on her adventures with the customs officers, getting food poisoning, mammoth blisters, along with great information on what gear she took and how she captured her amazing shots. #GinaChallenge #birds Click play to listen to the podcast or find it on iTunes here. If you don’t use iTunes you can get the feed here, or listen to us on Stitcher radio. Show notes Listener Question Yishan Chan asks: I have a product shoot coming up with an artisan soap business. What sort of white background do you recommend that’s portable and easy to clean or dispose of if there are spills etc? Shooting Tents & Table Light Kits. Gina’s Colombian Photoshoot Gear 5DMK111 24-105 70-200 17-35 Sigma f 1.4 35mm Speedlite 600EX-RT Canon Australia 5 in 1 reflector 2x hard drives Manfrotto 190XPROB +...

One of the best ways to learn more about the industry is to become a photographer’s assistant. This will fast-track your learning like nothing else. And when you do get more confidence, one thing that can take your photography to the next level is to actually hire an assistant – not just to help but to bring knowledge and flair to your photography. Yes, you read that correctly. In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss what you need to do if you want to work as an assistant, but also if you want to hire one. #ginachallenge #thewindbeneathmywings Click play to listen to the podcast or find it on iTunes here. If you don’t use iTunes you can get the feed here, or listen to us on Stitcher radio. Show notes My new gear! My new sigma 35mm lens $899 US vs Canon $1900 Manfrotto 410 Junior Geared Head Canon Speedlite...

When you are shooting portraits, you need to bring your A-game as a photographer. That means instilling confidence in your subject so that they trust what you are doing and follow direction. When you’re confident, you’ll also achieve a more efficient and productive shoot – and be able to take the risks you need to get the creative shots you really want. In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss what you need to do in order to direct a portrait shoot with confidence. Click play to listen to the podcast or find it on iTunes here. If you don’t use iTunes you can get the feed here, or listen to us on Stitcher radio. Show notes Useful link 23 Things You’ll Never Hear a Pro Photographer Say (via Petapixel) Listener Question From Kristi Louise Herd Hi Gina, I have my first portfolio shoot with a young lady (who wants to...

Photography can be a breeze if you eliminate common mistakes. The trouble is that it can take years of experience to figure out what those mistakes are – and how to avoid or overcome them! In this episode, Gina and Valerie distill their experiences in the world of photography and publishing to discuss how you can learn from what they got wrong. They also reveal how you can improve what’s on your website, the right ways to self-promote and what you’re really missing in between frames – it could be gold! #ginachallenge #oops Click play to listen to the podcast or find it on iTunes here. If you don’t use iTunes you can get the feed here, or listen to us on Stitcher radio. Show notes Useful link Photographer BELLYFLOPS into a pool to create the perfect spray of droplets behind his swimwear models Shoutouts To Andrew McNamara Taking some...

The world of photography can be a world of complexity. And it’s easy to make some rookie mistakes even if you’re a veteran. In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss common mistakes that many photographers make and how to overcome them. Whether you’re shooting too loose, or don’t realise you have sloppy composition or need a way to make your images to come to life, the answers are all here. #ginachallenge #myway Click play to listen to the podcast or find it on iTunes here. If you don’t use iTunes you can get the feed here, or listen to us on Stitcher radio. Show notes Useful link Looking at the Future Shout out Natalie Finney “Thought I would share a few of the shots I got from shooting my first event last weekend (a charity gala evening with 500+ guests). It was the craziest most manic experience i have had...

If you haven’t used speedlights much, it can be daunting to know where to start, which ones to pick and when you would find them most effective. But they can enhance your shots significantly if you use them. In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss what you need to know about speedlights, practical applications for when they can add magic to your shots, recommendations on which ones to use and accessories that will make them even easier to use. #ginachallenge #dook Click play to listen to the podcast or find it on iTunes here. If you don’t use iTunes you can get the feed here, or listen to us on Stitcher radio. Show notes Useful links Amazing DIY Lighting setup from Lorenzo Photographer: Lorenzo Pickett: How to achieve amazing catch lights in the eyes pt3 Camera Gear 5D MarkII 70-200mmF/2.8 USMII 64GB Transcend CF Card Tripod Gitzo G 2220 Avenger...

No matter how experienced you are, it can be easy to suffer from fear and self-doubt. So how do you overcome this and get the confidence to truly believe in your photography? In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss practical strategies that can help you overcome fear and self-doubt so that you can shoot with confidence. #ginachallenge #justdidit Click play to listen to the podcast or find it on iTunes here. If you don’t use iTunes you can get the feed here, or listen to us on Stitcher radio. Show notes Useful Links Tethertools awesome new way to attach speedlights to a wall Green screens at Olympics via Petapixel Usain Bolt image Cameron Spencer Usain Bolt photo, taken by an Australian, that’s sent the internet into meltdown Listener Shoutout From Ari in Helsinki Hello Gina, I needed to send you this thank you note related to the “so you want...

We all love a good MacGyver effort. This episode is full of useful hacks that will help your photography – and which don’t cost a fortune. Many are made from simple materials you can get at home or your local hardware store. From creating product boxes, to stunning backgrounds and clever dolly DIYs, Gina and Valerie dish all. #ginachallenge #DIY Click play to listen to the podcast or find it on iTunes here. If you don’t use iTunes you can get the feed here, or listen to us on Stitcher radio. Show notes Shoutouts Thanks to Guillaume Corgnet for advising us on the Fosbury_Flop Sean Saldan Raspberry (our little persian cat). This is the beginning part of her jumping in the air after her rubber toy mouse attached to a fishing rod. She looks like she is standing and posing but really she is launching into the air and twisting...

When photographing fast-moving objects, we’re not just talking about conventional shots like race cars or athletes, where it’s vital to master shutter speed. You can also capture amazing fast-moving objects right your own home: water droplets, strawberries plunging into champagne, red wine swirling in a glass. In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss how to create amazing fast-moving shots, different ways to capture these images, tricks to nailing what you want to achieve, gear designed for this purpose and simple MacGyver hacks if want to build the tools yourself. From coffee plops to dogs running to you at high speed – and much more – it’s covered here. #ginachallenge #speed Click play to listen to the podcast or find it on iTunes here. If you don’t use iTunes you can get the feed here, or listen to us on Stitcher radio. Show notes Shout outs Brian Becnel “Sharing a bit...

There really is more to autofocus than meets the eye. In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss how a camera focuses, the different kinds of autofocus, how to change focus points, single vs continuous focus, the problem with “focus and recompose” technique, and how to help your camera see better. Gina shares practical exercises to help you nail autofocus. #ginachallenge #focus Click play to listen to the podcast or find it on iTunes here. If you don’t use iTunes you can get the feed here, or listen to us on Stitcher radio. Show notes Shoutouts Keith Macke Senior portrait How does a camera focus? How does autofocus work? The Naked Scientists Podcast What are the different kinds of auto focus? 1. Manual Focusing Mode 2. One Shot Focusing Mode (Single) One Shot / S-AF / Single Servo / AF-S / S easiest type of autofocus. press the shutter-release button halfway...