
Stephanie Diani
Stephanie Diani | New York, New York, USA
stephanie[at]stephaniediani.com | +1 (323) 697-6441
Q&A with Stephanie
How did you get into taking pictures for a living?
I was introduced to photography by my older brother, whom I adored; he let me use his camera to photograph a horse in field and I was hooked.
Tell me about your 360º photography studio setup! For starters, what kind of camera do you shoot with?
I shoot with Canon, 5D Mark 2 and whatever the next iteration of the Mark 3 is this coming spring. I’m already planning next year’s capital investments. I’ve got an impact digital product tent that has both white and black background options, and some fabulous Profoto D1 air strobes. I love those lights.
What type of products are you particularly good at creating 360º views of? Do you have a specialty?
I am all about shoes, small toys & figures, and artisanal pottery. I took a pottery class, complete with the spinning wheel, and loved it. My cup came out lopsided, but it was still cool. Dammit. I’m also debating doing some 360 shots of my cats. They just won’t hold still.
Describe your ideal client for shooting a 360º view.
I like working with companies that are passionate about their products, but have a fun and irreverent approach to marketing.
For 360º photography, do you prefer shooting in high volume or low volume?
I’m a perfectionist, so I like each shot to be just so. That being said, I also like to keep it fresh, so I really enjoy batch jobs — a client sends me ten or twenty (or forty) items, and I have time to make them look awesome, and turn around the images in a week or ten days.
What kind of things do you do for fun? You know, outside of work?
There are times outside of work?
Who are some clients you’ve done work with in the past?
I’ve worked with a wide range of clients, photographing everything from A-list celebrities (LA, NYC) to really fancy sushi (Vegas) for them. I’ve even photographed really fancy sushi on a naked sushi model (LA, of course). I have yet to photograph a Kardashian. (Fingers crossed.) My work has been published in the New York Times, American Way, TIME, Forbes, Der Spiegel, Stern, Backstage and a quirky Belgian cookbook, among others.
How does your pricing work for 360º product photography?
It all depends upon the product and how many shots/angles the client would like. My hourly rate is $250, minimum of two hours, but I’ll do one item at no cost to gauge the total time a project will take. (I should add that the client covers shipping and insurance. I know everyone has their preferred carrier.)
What’s a memorable project you’ve worked on in the past?
I think it’s still to come, see note above about cat photos.
What’s the best way for someone to get in touch with you?
Email works very well; unless I’m in the middle of a shoot, on a subway, or on a plane, I’ll get back to you in a couple of hours.
Contact Stephanie
stephanie[at]stephaniediani.com | +1 (323) 697-6441