Name: Tania Salitra
What brought you to photography as a career?
Photography
has always been a passion and so it was a natural progression from the
another creative field - Fashion. I decided that I wanted to learn as
much as I could about photography and so undertook the Diploma Of
Photography at Ultimo SIT
What do you like most about your work?
Not
only do I photograph but also style the shots, so the challenges and
the creativity that entails/come into play are very exciting for me. The
variety is great – no two days are the same – photography has given me
some great experiences but also being able to help people achieve what
they want and need for their business is a real kick for me. The look on
clients' faces and feedback I get is a really wonderful feeling that I
have given them something that they can use to show their product or
themselves beautifully and better than they had imagined it. Being able
to meet and then exceed my clients expectations is very important.
Is there a typical kind of person or business with whom you work?
Not
really. My clients vary as the need for good photography to market
business, whether it is a product or service, is so essential it is wide
reaching. I do love working with small business and sole traders, no
typical customer as such but similar situations - they all need great
images to help sell their products and services.
What role does photography play in promoting a business effectively? What about service businesses – can they use photographs to good effect too?
Photography
allows a person to see straight up, exactly what they are getting or
who they are engaging with. When it comes to service providers,
potential customers are interested in seeing who you are - Is the person
genuine? Are they going to be someone I can relate to? Will they
understand me? are all questions that can first up be answered with an
image of the person.
So for head shots, it is important the photographer
understands what it is that the person needs to convey – trust,
reliability, confidence, care – all can be shown far better with one
image than any words.
For products, including restaurants, customers
want to know, Is the product what I want it to be or was thinking it
was? What can I expect it to look like? What will I be getting? Will it
suit me? Am I going to like this? Great images help push the decision
making process along and encourage your potential clients to take the
next step/convert.
Are there common problems you see in how businesses sometimes use images?
The
two biggest and most obvious problems are using stock or the DIY
images. To me, the use of stock images makes a customer wonder what your
business actually looks like – and why you don’t want to show it for
what it really is. Yes, it can be an easy and cheap quick fix to needing
images on your marketing material, but it is a compromise on quality
and a compromise that your customers will see before you get a chance to
interact with them.
I often hear customers say ‘I’ve got a great
camera’ however, if you don’t know how to use it properly, what lighting
works best, what background to use, how to make the person being
photographed feel comfortable, and everything else that goes into making
great images, then it just doesn’t matter how good the camera is. DIY
photos of products, staff and premises just look cheap and nasty, it
detracts from the professionalism and polished service or product you
want to provide. It looks like a business ran out of budget or aren’t
that fussed about how their customers perceive them, not to mention how
the staff must feel with mug-shot style photos.
If selling a product,
then crisp clear images of that product and brand imaging are essential -
it is a chance to make a customer want to buy - make it work.
What
would you suggest business look for when showcasing their products?
Make
sure you have a clear understanding of what your product is and how you
want it represented, who your target market is, is also very important
as you need to communicate on their level.
Be true to who you are and
your brand – don’t try to be like everyone else. Don’t be afraid to do
something different, that way you will be guaranteed of standing out
from the crowd.
Businesses
are often looking to scrimp and not spend money when they don’t have to
– does it cost a lot for professional product photography?
Considering
what goes into the photography session, and the benefits a business
will gain, no it doesn’t. Marketing is always the first to suffer when
times are tight, but that is when it is most important and you need to
ramp it up. Great images are an integral part of a successful marketing
strategy.
Great photos display really well online. What are some other places besides a
website where your clients have been able to use photographs with good
results?
Business
cards – this is a great place for images – not only does it make the
card more interesting and so makes people actually read it before
putting it away, but it also immediately connects the person with what
you do rather than just words.
Flyers, brochures, blogs, any form of
advertising, avatars for social media such as Twitter and FB, wall art
for offices and public spaces – the list for how you can make your
images work is endless.
Do you have any tips for businesses looking to hire a photographer for product images?
Of
course, first step is to check out their website/portfolio, see if you
appreciate their style, then meet with them to see if they ‘get you and
your product’ and they are a person you would like working with. Make
sure they are listening to what you are saying and what you want first,
then they can offer suggestions to build on this or offer advice if they
think it could be done better.
Like any creative service – your
photographer needs to ‘get’ you and your business to best be able to
capture it.
What location do you service?
Hunter
Valley, Newcastle, Central Coast, Sydney… Australia wide, Worldwide.. I
am very lucky to love what I do and am happy to travel pretty much
anywhere I am needed.
How can people reach you if they would like to discuss photographs for their products?
I would love to speak with you about how I can help your business and your image needs.
You can call me on 0409 249 609 or email me: tania at luxephotography.com.au
You can find Tania’s work displayed at:
