Today we’d like to introduce you to Galina Tarantul.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I truly believe that people have a calling in life. There is something that we all really enjoy doing, which we can do every single day in our life without getting tired, something that we truly believe in and are passionate about. For me that passion is Photography. I know that through my work I can capture memories, feelings, and beauty of people that I get to work with.
It all started when I was a student in college studying Linguistics. Learning languages and cultures gave me an opportunity to travel a lot, meeting many different people and observing a variety of cultures and places. Every time I saw those stunning scenes, met wonderful and incredible people all over the world I was overwhelmed with impressions and I wanted to take them home with me.
This is when I began to fall in love with photography. I realized how powerful photographs are. A picture of something or someone from our past can easily stir up long-forgotten feelings and impressions. They can virtually take us back in time and remind us how big the world is and that our opportunities are endless.
As I settled down with my family in Chicago, my photography also shifted from capturing the beauty of the outside world to capturing the inner beauty of people. Having the chance to photograph the inner strength of a future mother and the miracle within her, a newborn’s precious first days and the unconditional love and bond of families is what makes my work so rewarding.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being a fine art photographer and a successful business owner are two different things. Artists often tend to focus on the creative part and not so much on the business part and it’s hard to balance the two. It took me years to find the middle ground and it wouldn’t have happened without advice from people knowledgeable in business and finance. So my advice to others in this business would be to embrace your strengths and weaknesses so that you can build a strong foundation for your business.
Please tell us about Galina Tarantul Photography.
I specialize in fine art maternity, children and family portrait photography. My goal is to create a very powerful image that will stay with you for life, that will guide you and remind you what a beautiful human being you are. Over the years I developed my own style which focuses on contemporary elegance and simplicity. I work with lots of hair and makeup artists who play a big role in making my clients look and feel beautiful.
I always offer a free consultation with me before the shoot where I strive to answer every single question that my clients might have. The goal is to customize the experience so that each photo shoot is tailored specifically to the client. For the past year besides being a photographer, I also became a mentor for other aspiring artists. It has been a great and very fulfilling experience for me. I realized that by empowering others, you are empowering yourself by surrounding yourself with strong individuals and fellow artists that share this wonderful world of art with you.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I probably wouldn’t have done anything differently because all of the mistakes I made in the past taught me valuable lessons, showed me things I had to work on and ultimately pushed me forward to make my business better. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the mistakes I made on the way here. The biggest advice I could offer others is to never give up, don’t judge yourself too harshly and to learn from your mistakes.
By judging ourselves too much we are often limiting the pursuit of our own dreams. As an owner of a small business and an artist, I know how many challenges can lie on the road to success and I think you have to be prepared for this. I think it’s important to not try to always be the best, instead, try to be better every day, keep educating yourself, study your craft and stay true to yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.galinatarantul.com
- Phone: (312) 772-4470
- Email: info@galinatarantul.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/galina_tarantul_photography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/galina.tarantul.photography/
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