So you want to be a photographer: Transform your skills and build a profitable photography business

When you’re shooting portraits on location, it’s handy to have lightweight portable lights to achieve various looks. But which are the best lights to invest in – and will it cost you the earth? The short answer is no, you can get very affordable quality lights to take with you. In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss lighting solutions for every budget including an entire kit for around $200. In the show notes, you’ll also find the exact gear that Gina recommends including links to where you can buy them. Please note that no item in this episode is sponsored. These are real recommendations. Hope you enjoy the podcast. Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets. Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process. Find out more at ginamilicia.com.#ginachallenge #bruce Read the show notes. Connect with Gina, Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit GinaMilicia.com | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re photographing portraits, there is a HUGE difference between and good shot and a great shot. Even if you are technically brilliant, the “magic” only comes when you can really connect with your subject and ensure they are posing in a way that’s natural - but which looks amazing. As photographers we can’t blame our subjects if they feel awkward or nervous. It’s our job to direct them to achieve the best possible shot. It’s also about choosing the right environment to suit. In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss the 7 deady posing sins – and how to avoid them. You’ll discover what to do with awkward hands, how to choose the right backgrounds, how to get the right expression in a subject’s eyes and much more. Hope you enjoy the podcast. Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets. Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process. Find out more at ginamilicia.com.#ginachallenge #deadlysins Read the show notes. Connect with Gina, Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit GinaMilicia.com | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s vital that you develop your own photographic style. When you’re an emerging photographer, you can spend a lot of time trying to create the “look” that your client wants (and that’s ok!). But you also need to devote time to creating and nurturing your own style. In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss the steps you need to take in order to discover the signature style that you can call your own, whether that’s glamour, grit - or anything in between. Photographers like Herb Ritts, Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon and even Anne Geddes all have an iconic style that can be recognised anywhere. That can happen to you too. Have a listen to find out how! Hope you enjoy the podcast. Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets. Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process. Find out more at ginamilicia.com.  This week’s theme for #ginachallenge is “style”! Interpret that however you like. Read the show notes. Connect with Gina, Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit GinaMilicia.com | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You see the most perfect sunset and want to capture it on your camera. But the end result looks nothing like the spectacular explosion of colour you see in real life. What are you doing wrong? Maybe it’s washed out, maybe it lacks definition, maybe you just can’t get the balance right. In this episode, Gina and Valerie talk about what you need to do in order to ensure you capture magical sunsets that look like the real thing – and sometimes better than the real thing! Without photoshop. We also talk about the types of shot that are ideal to take at sunset, how to get gorgeous starbursts and what to capture in those magical minutes when the sun has just gone down. Hope you enjoy the podcast. Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets. Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process. Find out more at ginamilicia.com. This week’s theme for #ginachallenge is “sunsets”! Interpret that however you like. Read the show notes. Connect with Gina, Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit GinaMilicia.com | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes, you might have what seems like the perfect shot: great location, awesome lighting, fantastic models, everything is just right. But when you look closely at your shots, they’re just not sharp. Or the crucial bits aren’t in focus. You’ve tried auto-focus, you’ve tried manual focus, you’ve worked hard to get the right sharpness - but something doesn’t quite work out. And you’re not sure what’s going wrong. In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss exactly what you need to do to get tack sharp images. They cover different scenarios where your focus could be at risk and share great hacks to ensure that you’re that you’ll never go soft when it really matters. Your pictures, of course. Hope you enjoy the podcast. Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets. Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process. Find out more at ginamilicia.com. This week’s theme for #ginachallenge is – you guessed it – “sharp”! Interpret that however you like. Read the show notes. Connect with Gina, Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit GinaMilicia.com | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you’re photographing men, it can be easy to fall into the trap of cliched and “done to death” poses. You want to achieve shots that are natural, flattering and have a “wow” factor that make people take notice. In this episode, Gina and Valerie talk about the one pose that you should NEVER use (but which so many men want to do), the “classic go to” poses you can pull out of your arsenal to get a great shot every time, simple styling and grooming tips that can make all the difference, and the best way to direct men on photo shoots. Hope you enjoy the podcast. Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets. Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process. Find out more at ginamilicia.com. This week’s theme for #ginachallenge is – you guessed it – “men”! Read the show notes. Connect with Gina, Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit GinaMilicia.com | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s an art to create images that have beautiful blurry backgrounds. Whether you are shooting portraits, still life, lifestyle, corporate images or events, it pays to know how to get just the right blurry background … or bokeh. That’s the technical term. Gina and Valerie discuss exactly what you need to do to achieve beautiful blurry backgrounds regardless of what kind of camera or lens you are using. (And yes, you can even achieve this on your smartphone!). Hope you enjoy the podcast. Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets. Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process. Find out more at ginamilicia.com. This week’s theme for #ginachallenge is "bokeh" or "blurry backgrounds". Read the show notes. Connect with Gina, Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit GinaMilicia.com | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gina and Valerie discuss the best portrait lenses for photographers, explaining how to choose lenses and what to expect to pay. They also explore the confusion surrounding lens selection for portraits and the importance of a good lens in photography. They discuss the concept of crop factor in relation to camera lenses and the advantages and disadvantages of different sensor sizes. They recommend specific lenses for different photography needs and discuss considerations for buying portrait lenses, including budget and achieving depth of field.

It’s only a matter of time before one of your friends asks you to be their wedding photographer. Or maybe this is an area you’re actually interested in getting into as a career. Well, weddings are a world unto themselves! And if you want to take great shots at a wedding, you need a clear system and a profound understanding of what’s actually going make the day run smoothly. Unlike any other event, this day is often the culmination of someone’s dream. So it’s vital that you get it right. In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss what you need to know if you’re a newbie at weddings, essential checklists so that you have everything covered, and tips on how to survive and thrive on the big day. Hope you enjoy the podcast. Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets. Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process. Find out more at ginamilicia.com. This week’s theme for #ginachallenge is “love”. Read the show notes. Connect with Gina, Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit GinaMilicia.com | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No matter how experienced we are as photographers, there are times when we can all do with a big shot of confidence. In this episode, Gina and Valerie discuss proven techniques (some will surprise you!) that will boost your confidence and, in turn, help you take awesome photos. Hope you enjoy the podcast. Sign up to the newsletter for great tips and free Lightroom presets. Join the dynamic Gold Membership in our Community which delivers monthly tutorials, live mastermind and lots of behind the scenes videos into the creative process. Find out more at ginamilicia.com. Read the show notes. Connect with Gina, Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit GinaMilicia.com | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.