Have you ever looked at a photo and it was almost like you could read the story it was telling? That’s what I think when I look at the work from Gina Sievers. I just love the detail and the story her photos capture. I found her over on Instagram and just loved the work from hers that would pop up in my feed. Recently, she became a student in my Photoshop 101 course and she just continues to amaze me with her work! Come take a peek at Gina’s work and read what advice she has for you!

Best Online courses to learn Photoshop editing for new photographers (1)

Describe your photography journey.

My dad has had a love for photography for as long as I can remember and my parents have a cabinet full of photo albums and boxes of old pictures that I would spend hours (especially during long Minnesota winters) looking through over and over and asking my parents so many questions about them. Then as I got older my dad gifted me my first “real” camera, the new canon Rebel line, which was film, and I loved it. I took a lot of macro shots and tried to learn as much as I could…then life got busy and I put down my camera for a number of years. The birth of my son 3 years ago has really inspired me to pick it back up and document this special time while he is little and inquisitive about everything. I want him to have boxes of memories to look through when he is older!

What type of photography do you enjoy the most and why?

I really enjoy taking photos of life’s little moments and documenting daily activities of kids just being kids. I am working on my portrait skills and hope by blending the two, I can to create a niche that gives families styled photos to pass down to their kids, and also the fun relaxed spontaneous photos that make them smile and laugh years after they were taken!

Where do you see yourself as a photographer in the next 5 years?

I have recently decided to make the jump from a hobbyist to part-time business owner and am really taking advantage of all the resources around me and would love to be able to grow my love of persevering memories for myself and others into a full-time business that people will love and appreciate.

What is one piece of advice you would give to a brand new photographer?

Never stop learning!! I have picked up and put down my camera so many times because I was frustrated with not understanding how things worked together or because I wasn’t getting the results I wanted. When I finally picked up camera with the mind set of investing in myself and finding online courses like Cozy Clicks that were broken down into manageable courses that were easy to follow and easy to practice it started to make all the difference and give me the confidence to push my hobby into a business!

Tell us a little bit about the gear you use.

I am currently shooting with a Canon Rebel T6s. My favorite lens is the Canon 24-70 f/2.8 for its versatility but I also have the nifty fifty lens (which every photographer should have, the bokeh is beautiful and have recently purchased the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 that I am very excited to get out and use. I have an Canon off camera flash as well and am looking forward to learning more on using that for portraits.