THE SHOT

PORTRAIT AND POST-PRODUCTION ESSENTIALS

BY

GinaMilicia.com

ABOUT Gina Milicia

Gina Milicia is one of the most widely known and respected
photographers in Australia. She is the master of capturing that magical
moment both in studio and on location, especially when working with
people.
As a result, Gina has photographed the whos who of the entertainment
and fashion industry, not only in Australia but throughout the world.
Chances are that youve seen her work on billboards, posters, books
and DVDs, magazines covers, and in countless editorial layouts and
national publicity campaigns. She is regularly engaged by major
Australian networks and she has been instrumental in producing images
for hit shows including; Underbelly, Beaconsfield, Project Runway, The
X-Factor, Neighbours, Dancing with the Stars, Wentworth and more.
Gina has photographed high-profile personalities including Daniel
Radcliffe, Justin Beiber, Jon Bon Jovi, Ricky Martin, Princess Mary, Liza
Minelli,Shane Warne, David Wenham, Shaun Micallef, Dannii Minogue,
Megan Gale, Gary Sweet, Ben Mendelsohn, Shane Jacobson, Lachy
Hulme, Rove McManus, Hamish & Andy, Vince Colosimo, Magda
Szubanski, Gina Riley and many more.
Commissioned regularly for editorial shoots for Australian, her work
has also appeared in publications in the UK, Europe and South-East
Asia. Her celebrity portraits appear daily in Australian newspaper and
magazines.
Well known in the business community for her corporate photography,
Ginas images are also seen in business magazine, annual reports and
corporate websites.

GinaMilicia.com

HOW TO GET The Shot

When I was starting out as a self-taught
photographer 25 years ago, I was constantly
frustrated by my attempts to create images
that looked like the ones I was inspired by in
magazines, books and advertising campaigns.
I just wanted to spend a day with any
photographer who would explain in easy to
understand lingo what equipment they used
and why.

I was lucky enough to be mentored by a few

great photographers who taught me some really
useful techniques in lighting, posing and post
production.
All my work is a combination of dozens of
influences and many years of trial and error. Now
Id like to share my three most used and popular
techniques with you.

Tutorial 1: My Grungy
Daylight Headshot

Tutorial 2: My One-light
Fill Flash Trick

Tutorial 3: The Classic

White Background Shot

This is a technique Ive used

for many cover shoots, TV
promo shoots and advertising
campaigns.

This is my go-to lighting style

for 80% of my outdoor shoots.

When it comes to celebrity,

advertising and fashion shoots,
this is the technique thats most
requested.

So Im opening the kimono and revealing all. Ive used three techniques in high-profile magazine
shoots and major campaigns. And you can do the same.
I wish someone had shared these techniques with me when I was starting out. Take these methods
as a starting point and add your own spin to create a technique that reflects your own personal style.
Enjoy!
Gina Milicia

GinaMilicia.com

Tutorial 1:
My Grungy Daylight Headshot

This is a great shot when you want a gritty feel.

The result is striking image that has a real edge
to it. Its always a winner.
The following tutorial is a step by step of how I pose, light and post
process many of my headshots. This set up is great as a go to set up
for headshots because its incredibly quick and easy to set up. The
other advantage of this set up is it can be recreated almost anywhere
there is a window.
The example Ive given is of a full-face shot but this also works with
shots and profile shots.
My postproduction technique will give your portraits a grungy, edgy
look. Take my settings as a base and experiment to create a look that
reflects your own personal style.

Jared Daperis

GinaMilicia.com

Option 1: Use side window lighting

Gear Checklist
[ ] Canon 5D Mark II
[ ] Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L lens
This lens will give amazing results in very low light conditions and the shallow depth of field
will eliminate any background clutter giving me the luxury to use this lens in any location.
Ive avoided shooting wide open at 1.2mm because I find its very tricky to get the eyes sharp. This
depth of field is so shallow that if you focus on the eyeball your image starts to drop out of focus
around the edges of the eyelid.

You will get a similar effect using an 85mm 1.8 Lens at 2.2mm

If you have a cropped frame sensor the 50mm 1.8 will also give a similar result.

[ ] Manfrotto 475B Pro

I shoot most of my headshots using a tripod because having my camera fixed gives me the
freedom to focus on expression and pose rather than having to worry about whether my vertical
and horizontal angles are straight.
The other reason I love shooting to tripod is it allows me to shoot portraits at very slow shutter
speeds of 1/15th or 1/8th of a second, which I could never get using hand held.

[ ] Westcott 307 30-Inch 5-In-1 Reflector (Black)

GinaMilicia.com

SETTINGS
ISO 100
85mm
F 1.2 @ 1/40th sec
Daylight

This is one of my favorite lighting setups for

headshots. The daylight is soft and diffused
and Ive introduced more contrast by using
a black deflector.
This increases shadow on right hand side
of image, which gives your portrait more
depth, mood and modeling

The set up for this shot is very simple and can

be recreated anywhere there is a large window.
Frosted windows give the softest light, much
like daylight on an overcast day.
Ive used a painted brick wall as my background
but the beauty of shooting shallow depth of
field is that almost any background will look
interesting when its photographed out of focus.

GinaMilicia.com

Post Production using Adobe Lightroom 4

I created this grungy look in Adobe
Lightroom 4. Use these settings as a
base and adjust to suit your file.
In the develop module of Lightroom 4,
I have used the following settings*
Exposure +55
Contrast 0
Highlight -44
Shadows +64
Blacks
-45
Clarity
+64
Vibrance +13
Saturation -11

Raw file

Processed in Lightroom

GinaMilicia.com

Tutorial 2:
My One-light Fill Flash Trick

In this tutorial Ill show you my one-light

fill flash set up and the post production
technique I used.
I use this style of photography for many different portrait style,
including advertising, wedding, fashion, children, musicians,
corporate and actors.
Using fill flash correctly really highlights your model and gives
great definition to their bone structure and a beautiful glow to
their skin tone.
But beware: using too much fill flash or the wrong modifier can
actually make you images look worse than if you had just used
daylight.
Dylan McCabe

GinaMilicia.com

Option 1: Use side window lighting

Gear Checklist
[ ] Canon 5D Mark II
Ill favour this camera body if I know I have to shoot with a high ISO (in very low light or
on a night shoot). At 400-1600 ISO this camera is amazing.
[ ] Canon EF 70-200mm
This lens is my workhorse and I use it for 70% of my shoots. Its fast, sharp and
consistently gives amazing results.

[ ] Elinchrom Ranger Quadra

[ ] PocketWizard remote flash triggers

[ ] Rotalux deep octabox

[ ] Manfrotto 420B Combi boom stand

The Elinchrom Ranger Quadra kit with Rotolux deep Octabox is my go to lighting set
up for 80% of location shoots. If time permits I will mount the light on a boom stand.
If I need to work quickly and move around a lot I will ask an assistant to hold the light
for me. In this case its mounted to the end of an extension pole.
A cheaper alternative to the Elinchrom + Octabox set up is to use my travel option.
I use Canon 580EXii speedlights as my preferred lighting when I am travelling or need
to work quickly or in tight locations. I will also use a Photoflex medium size softbox that
folds flat, and is perfect for lighting one person and couples.

GinaMilicia.com

Its not always practical to use

a boom or an assistant so Ive
developed my MacGyver boom,
which works really well.

GinaMilicia.com

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SETTINGS
ISO 400
80mm
F 22 @ 1/200th sec
The secret to mixing fill flash with daylight is to try and match your fill flash to the style of daylight you
are shooting in.
Over lighting or using the wrong modifier will give your images that photoshopped in look.
In the first image of Dylan I used a Rotalux deep octabox with double diffusion as a light modifier
because it creates a really soft light that is very similar to the overcast daylight in the background.
To create this image I will first take an ambient reading exposing for highlights, which in this case is
the sky in the background.

I then add my fill flash, which is +1 stop extra light, but I

keep my camera settings at the original ambient settings.
My Octabox is placed very close to Dylans and is
positioned just above his head and at a 45 degree angle.
The Octabox gives a really soft light with quickly drops
off to shadow adding depth and form to the image.
Raw image with +1 stop fill flash added.

GinaMilicia.com

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Post Production

Lightroom 4 settings
Exposure -25
Contrast

0
Highlights -44
Shadows +65
Blacks
-60
Clarity
+63
Vibrance 0
Saturation -20

The post processing for this image is quite basic. Ive added more shadow detail, added clarity and
desaturated image slightly.
As a final step I removed the softbox that was visible in the top left hand corner of the image.
This was done using photoshop.

GinaMilicia.com

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This image
is from a
publicity shoot
I did for the
Nine Network
Australias
production of
Househusbands.

GinaMilicia.com

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Tutorial 1:
The Classic White Background Shot
In this tutorial I show you the lighting of my classic white
backround set up. This is the style of lighting that is most
requested by my clients.
I use this set up most often for advertising, television, editorial, and some fashion
shoots. This set can be easily transported and recreated almost anywhere.
You need to have a minimum space that is approximately 3meters across by 5 meters
deep and 2 meters high.
Many of the celebrities, entertainers and business people I am commissioned to shoot
dont have the time to travel away from their offices, or film sets, so Im often asked to
set up in kitchens, marquees, garages, foyers, boardrooms, and tiny greenrooms. You
name it Ive squeezed my set into it.
When my daughter was born, I moved my studio into my home for a year and
converted my dinning room into a shooting area. I shot many magazine and CD
covers in that space as well as several lifestyle and fashion shoots. It wasnt ideal but
I made it work.
After a year I moved into a 6500 sq foot studio but that year I spent working out of
a confined space prepared me for all the future location shoots Id be asked to do in
similar spaces.

GinaMilicia.com

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Gear Checklist
[ ] Canon 1Ds Mark III
Thisis a pro-level camera, so its more expensive and a lot heavier but its designed to
survive heavy usage. I would say I use this camera for 80% of my shooting.

[ ] Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens

I like shooting fashion on a long zoom lens because it allows me the luxury of getting full
length, medium and tight shots without having to move around.

[ ] Manfrotto 475B Pro

[ ] 2x Elinchrom EL 20727 Digital Style 1200RX Compact Flash Unit

[ ] 2x Elinchrom 600RX Flash

[ ] 2 x Chimira Medium softbox

Im a huge fan of working with softboxes. Why? The quality of light is soft, flattering and flexible.
Changing the angle and proximity of the softbox to the subject, easily changes the quality and direction of light.
A softbox, I feel, recreates the effect of soft daylight through a window.
I think what I like most about softboxes is that they are subtle. Highlights gently merge to shadows.
If its a studio shoot I love using my Chimira Medium softbox, with white reflective interior. The white interior creates a
softer light and this particular softbox has an extra layer of diffusion on the inside, adding even more softness to the light.

[ ] White roll paper

[ ] Heavy Duty Background Stand and Light

Stand Combo 9ft x 12ft

[ ] Sheet of white Perspex

(as big as you can fit in your car)

[ ] 2x PocketWizard remote flash triggers

GinaMilicia.com

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SETTINGS
ISO 100
150 mm
F 11 @ 1/200th sec

The lights you use will depend on the

style of shooting you do most.
When I use studio lighting I need
heavy duty mono blocks with fast
recycle times and a high quality of
light. I love using Elinchrom because
they are fast, light and really easy to
work with.
Here is my set up for this type of shot

GinaMilicia.com

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This is a 4 light set up. Two 1200s + softboxes

light my model and 2x 600 with wide reflectors
light my background.
I use black cutters to eliminate flare, which is
caused from light bouncing off the white roll
paper and onto the lens.
I position my main light ( camera right) as
close to my model as possible. This keeps my
lighting really soft.
My second softbox acts as fill only. If you want
to achieve a moodier look you can leave this
light out all together.
I measure all my lights using a light meter.
My background is +1.5 stops brighter than
my model. This will give you a bright white
background.
I also use a piece of white Perspex on the floor.
This will protect my roll paper and gives a really
slick looking reflection on the floor.

GinaMilicia.com

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THANK YOU!
So there you have it. Three of my most requested techniques unpacked. I hope that
breaking these down for you will help save your hours sometimes years of trial and error.
I love sharing my passion for photography. Even though its easy to get stuck in the
technical side of photography, remember that you often get the best shots when you can
really connect with your subjects. But thats whole other ebook!

Gina Milicia
Photographer

Connect with me
GinaMilicia.com
@ginamilicia
facebook.com/Gina.Milicia.Photography

GinaMilicia.com

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