Australian photographer Kirstie McConnell moved to Italy in 2020 and shortly thereafter launched her professional photography enterprise, Classico Portraits. She now spends her time traveling throughout the country photographing families on their enchanting travel vacations. Here’s her backstory.

Shutterbug: When, how and why did you become interested in photography?
Kirstie McConnell: My grandfather was a professional photographer. I grew up with him candidly photographing us at every opportunity; birthday parties, family outings and little moments. Every roll of film was developed and printed as 4x6s for my grandma to put into an album.

As a child, I never thought anything of it. I didn’t realize how lucky I was to have all these memories documented. I just assumed that was normal. But when I began learning photography at school, I immediately asked if he’d help me—which he did with pride. The school darkroom quickly became my favorite place and from there, there wasn’t any looking back!

SB: Are there any specific photographers who inspired you?
KM: I love how Steve McCurry’s portraits evoke emotion, the way Max Dupain plays with light and shadows, and the quirkiness of Elliot Erwitt’s work which encourages me to see differently. But it’s the framing and composition of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s street photography that I admire above all.

SB: In your world, how important is camera brand?
KM: Honestly, I believe in the old cliché that the best camera is the one in your hand. I started out with Nikon but switched to Sony for professional work a few years ago. I also own an Olympus and two Hasselblad systems for personal use. So as you can see, I’m not exactly loyal to any brand.

SB: What are your goals when you capture an image?
KM: As a family vacation photographer, my goal is always to capture the true personality of each subject and the relationship between each family member, while also showcasing the beauty of Italy as the background.

When my clients come home after a hard day, I want them to walk past these photographs hanging on their walls and smile. I want these images to transport them back to this happy moment in time. To recall a small detail about their trip to make them feel good. To laugh at the phase that their then six-year-old was in. To feel the love they have for each other.

According to Professor Geoff Beattie, Head of School and Dean of Psychological Sciences at the University of Manchester, “We cannot underestimate the power of photographs to keep us feeling linked to others and belonging… By displaying photographs of our children at different stages of their lives, we are making a very public statement that we are proud of them.”

Since learning that, I have begun asking one parent during each session to privately tell each of their children one thing that they’re really proud of them for. The reaction of the child, no matter the age, is always heartwarming. Capturing, printing, framing and displaying that moment enables the children to always remember that feeling.

SB: If you could do it all over, what would you do differently?
KM: Perhaps the biggest impact on my business was making industry friends. I went it alone for quite a few years and that was tough. Having a community of like-minded people to encourage you is really powerful. Reaching out sooner to other photographers, either local or in my niche, would have been really helpful.

SB: What advice can you provide for Shutterbug readers?
KM: If you want to run a business, get your [creative] work to a decent level but then focus on learning business, particularly systems, marketing and pricing.

So what is a decent level? I often see photographers doubting if their work is good enough to charge for it. If you can consistently produce the same quality images for every shoot, then your work is good enough!

SB: What else would you like to say to Shutterbug readers?
KM: Embrace the mistakes! We all make them and they’re the best way to learn!

SB: Are you 100% digital or do you occasionally shoot film?
KM: My client work is 100% digital. I wish I could say that I take out my analog cameras more for personal work. But the truth is, digital is so much faster, lighter, easier and cheaper that I use it almost exclusively.

Classico Portraits is located in Florence and serves all of Italy. You can contact Kirstie McConnell via her website or Instagram.

Big shoutout to Zoe Hiljemark, Zoe Hiljemark PR, who helped make this story possible.

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—Jon Sienkiewicz

Nighttime photography opens up a lot of creative opportunities no matter where you live. That’s because scenes that appear boring during the day take on a totally different look after the sun drops below the horizon. Sparkling lights add a whole new dimension whether you’re shooting in the field on the street near your home.

Capturing stunning photos requires that you do things differently than when shooting during the day, and in today’s seven-minute guide you’ll learn what pro Joe Redski says, “Will guarantee incredible night shots every single time.” Central to this episode is a discussion of the best camera settings to use and Redski reveals his go-to choices.

Redski insists that nighttime photography “requires an intimate understanding of your gear” and he quickly hones in on essential camera settings for getting the job done. He covers key features like aperture, the value of Auto ISO, and focusing techniques that deliver the goods in low-light situations.

You also learn how choosing the proper Metering mode and White Balance setting factor into the equation. While all of these settings are important on their own, Redski explains how they work in combination to “deliver vibrant, rich, and dynamic pictures under the challenging cloak of darkness.”

Redski begins with the “crucial” element of setting up Auto ISO, while demonstrating how this feature “can be an absolute lifesaver in various nighttime situations.” You may even be a bit surprised as Redski delves into his trusted approach for using this feature in the most effective way.

The manner in which Redski configures his camera for metering and focusing is likewise somewhat unique, and he covers all the details in a succinct and very understandable manner—with nice illustrations that offer proof of how well his approach works.

The lesson concludes with Redski describing how to harness the power of White Balance to achieve stunning and realistic night photographs that not only appear realistic but seem to jump off the page. He insists that this video is more than just an instruction manual. Rather, “it’s a roadmap to decipher the enticing hues, shadows, and stories that the night holds.”

So strap in, take a look, and begin capturing the beauty of the dark in a whole new way. Once you’re done watching head over to Redski’s YouTube channel where there is much more to learn.

And for several great tips on another popular form of outdoor photography, check out the tutorial we posted recently, explaining how to shoot and edit unique minimalist landscape images that will make you proud.

Have you stumbled across a setting in your camera’s menu called “Picture Styles” or “Picture Profiles” and wondered what they’re all about? If so, you’ve come to the right placed today because choosing the best option for the task at hand can make a big difference in your results.

Instructor Simon d’Entremont is a professional Canadian photographer specializing in landscape and wildlife imagery who’s very generous about sharing the secrets to his success. In this 10-minute video he demystifies the concept of Picture Profiles and reveals why both Jpeg and Raw shooters should understand how they work and how to change them.

Simon begins by describing the fundamentals of Picture Styles, explaining that when shooting Jpegs (unlike with Raw files), the camera makes several adjustments on your behalf, like noise reduction, contrast, sharpening and saturation. As he says, a Picture Style is simply “the group of these adjustments made by the camera to improve the look of the image” before you do any editing yourself.

The nomenclature changes from brand to brand. For example, Canon calls these “Picture Styles,” Nikon refers to them as “Picture Controls,” Sony describes the settings as “Creative Styles,” and Fuji uses the term “Film Simulation.” The point is that you can change these profiles from the default setting, typically called “Standard,” by going into the camera menu and choosing among several options.

The most obvious reason you should care about all this is if you regularly shoot Jpegs, because the aforementioned processing decisions made by the camera are dictated by the Picture Profile in use. And here’s the key: Each profile is designed to be more flattering to certain types of photography than others.

Simon describes the attributes of Picture Profiles that work best for landscape photography, as compared to those better suited for portraiture and other genres. He illustrates this point by comparing the same image shot with a different profile, and the results are quite clear.

He also explains how to tweak various in-camera profiles by using simple sliders in the menu to fine-tune the look of a photo. Simon then discusses a couple more reasons why Picture Styles can be very important for your particular style of shooting.

The lesson concludes with an interesting discussion about how Raw shooters can adjust their Picture Profiles to have a more accurate histogram for capturing better images shot in trickly lighting scenarios without blowing out highlights or crushing shadows. There’s much more to learn on Simon’s very popular YouTube channel, so be sure to take a look.

And speaking of in-camera adjustments, don’t miss a recent tutorial we posted with the best iPhone Camera settings to use, and a bunch of pro shooting tips.

We all know that Photoshop is one of the most powerful image-editors available, but over time in can become quite inexpensive. In fact, even with Adobe’s most basic plan it will cost you over $250 per year to take advantage of everything it can do.

But if you’re short on cash, or just don’t want to pay for a subscription, there are free alternatives that offer many of the same features. The video below from the popular Brett in Tech YouTube channel reveals five free software options worthy of your consideration.

Instructor Brett Bristow launched his channel with the goal of providing editing tips and reviews of the latest software for photographers of all skill levels. He says that in this eight-minute episode, “I’ll countdown (in reverse order) the five best Photoshop alternatives that will help you create and edit images like a pro.”

Bristow walks you through his personal preferences and explains the advantages and imitations of each of his recommendations. It’s important to note that these picks are subjective and your ultimate choice will depend upon the type of images you shoot, and your specific needs.

Number five in this list is Photoscape X, a feature-packed program that supports Raw files. In addition to the tool you’d expect, other key features include a photo viewer, collage maker, and gift creator. He notes that “there are also tons of filters, effects, and other great tools to transform your images.” Photoscape X is a great choice for beginners because its uncluttered interface is super easy to use.

Coming in at #4 is Paint.Net, which in its recent iteration includes support for blending and layers, automatic filters, and a variety of external plugins that greatly extend its capabilities. The interface is better than ever, with most commonly used tools located in a bar on the left, and other features and tools in the Menu bar at the top. This one is limited by the fact that it’s only available for Windows 10 and 11.

Bristow’s third choice for is Krita—an open-source option that’s not only a good choice for photographers but for artists interested in digital painting. Krita includes a variety of standard tools, fresh choices for customization, and a great-looking layout. Primary tools appear along the left of the screen. On the right you’ll find an advanced Color Selector—followed by Layers and a wide variety of Brush presets.

So what are Bristow’s top two picks? You’ll have to watch the video to find out. But we’re quite sure than one of these free options may be exactly what you need. Be sure to visit Bristow’s poplar YouTube channel for more image-editing lessons.

We also suggest watching the beginner tutorial we posted from another image-editing expert who explains how to use Photoshop’s Color Balance tools to achieve perfect tones throughout every photograph you shoot.