2020 Tours

I'm thinking 2020 and tours...

I'm ready to get my tunes (or Podcasts) plugged in and hit the road (and air). I'm always so excited to do these trips. I love meeting new people, helping businesses with great photographs and spending time in our beautiful country.

CONFIRMED TOURS (dates to be set):

Queensland

South Australia

Western Australia

*Let me know if you want me to come to you - even if it’s outside of these areas.

Of course, I'll be offering a full range of photography, including my popular $450 Editorial Package. You can check them out here. For a tailored photography package call or email me. We can work out something that suits you perfectly.

A big difference in 2020, though.... I also want to collaborate with regions - and even more powerful way of creating images that can be used to inspire people to travel, learn and discover while having fun. When I collaborate with regions, everyone works together and gets access to the photos - it creates more cohesive visuals, a lot more access and images being shown in multiple places in many ways. And you know what happens when a person keeps seeing the same place and amazing things they can do there? It gets on their radar!

We had great fun and success in 2019 doing precisely this in Flinders Ranges and Outback, Coober Pedy, Innamincka and Birdsville.

Here is a little of the fun we had…

https://www.heidiwho.com/travels/2019/8/15/southern-flinders-ranges

https://www.heidiwho.com/travels/2019/8/15/flinders-ranges

https://www.heidiwho.com/travels/2019/8/16/strzelecki-track-the-outback-and-innamincka

And a couple of pics from Birdsville…

"ONE PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS."

"PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD."

Sayings that have been around for years and are still critical to your success.

Part of the foundation of a great marketing plan is incredible, professional photographs. Without them, your online (well, any marketing) presence fails. And let's face it, the world is going online. Customers and guests first impression of you is very likely to be online. Make it a good one. Create a connection. Show them how great you are.

Get in touch if you are interested in having fun while creating a collection of photographs that tell your story in a real and beautiful way. Tell me 'where to go'.

The end of a decade... adventure and excitement is waiting

I have spent a fair bit of time over the new year reflecting and planning on what is to come. I've never spent enough time reflecting and celebrating my achievements, so I thought now would be a good time to start. Better late than never, right?

Overall, 2019 was all about growth, new experiences and learning.

I bought a house right by the beach — a long-time dream.

I raised $5000 and rode 500km through humid 43-degree heat in Thailand for Hands Across the Water (riding with Business Blueprint).

I went on my first ever solo surf camp.

I worked with Flinders Ranges and Outback tourism, photographing, well, everything.

I worked at Innamincka (and journeyed up the Strzelecki). I flew up in a small plane and worked at Birdsville. I flew to Kangaroo Island for a few hours of work in a four-seater.

I flew over the Flinders Ranges from Parachilna in a helicopter.

I bought a Mal.

My photos printed on trams and buses for a major campaign.

I worked with South Australia Tourism Commission.

I presented many workshops, teaching people how to take better photos.

I built myself a garden in my backyard.

I was asked to be on a photographic festival panel, helping create the event through participant selection.

I was asked to exhibit my Cuba prints in Southern Flinders Ranges Photo Festival.

I photographed the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail with talent for a few days.

My kids came out surfing with me. Most of my work came from tourism - another long-time dream.

I'm so honoured clients ask me to tell their story through my eyes.

And a big realisation - my life is now very much how I have dreamt it to be. Yes, there are some areas that I want to improve on, but I am one happy chappy to be living my dream life.

2020 is going to be all about growing into being me even more.

I am learning to say 'no' more and speak my truth.

I am expanding my business further interstate - first trip to Brisbane in a couple of weeks!

My word will be 'focus'. I am being clear on what I want, maintaining focus and achieving — also celebrating my successes and failures.

I am also getting help within my business in more ways - outsourcing tasks that I don't like or someone can do better than me. I can then focus on what I'm great at and what is most beneficial.

I am travelling more - interstate, overseas and within South Australia.

I am surrounding myself with friends, family and loved ones. Making sure we share love, laughs and moments.

What is your word for 2020?

ARID AIR: South Australia (and Queensland) from above

I was not expecting it to get greener as we went further into the Outback. But it did.

Seeing the Outback from the air is a unique experience that leaves me speechless for most of the trip. The beauty of nature, her patterns and the varying colours. There's a lot to love.

The contrast. The graphic lines. The sand-dunes all lined up. The bareness. The hills. But the vibrant green was surreal.

And let's not forget Big Red. The subject of many stories - a place I've wanted to see for myself for years. It was even stuck on one of my journals as a 'vision board'.

Birdsville is over 20 hours from Port Augusta by 4WD or under 3 hours by plane. Perhaps I'll have to do the Birdsville Track next - to experience this amazing landscape 'from a different angle'.

https://aridair.com.au/

How Important are Photos in Your Marketing Strategy?

Your photo library is the visual foundation on which any marketing strategy is built. 

Research says you have eight seconds to catch the eye of a Gen Z.

And for print - the decision to read or reject pamphlets and direct mail pieces is made by readers in

just 2.5 seconds. 

Travellers want to visualise potential new experiences. How will it make them feel? To stand out in the tourism industry and inspire travellers to book you over competitors, place compelling visuals centre-stage throughout your marketing. There are two types - hero images and

stock/complementary images.

'Hero Shots' are your defining images - what sets you apart. 

They are "wow" photographs that make the viewer think "I want to be there now"; They grab attention quickly in a saturation of images. A library of promotional images complements the hero shots. These images are less memorable but just as necessary to tell the story.  Just like a magazine with their hero image on the cover, and the additional photos within the article.

Your appeal and uniqueness

+

great idea/concept

+

awesome team

=

Hero image

Uniqueness/appeal could be a landmark, a feeling or an experience.

The great idea revolves around a story. What does your ideal audience want to see? Weather, atmosphere, activity, talent similar to themselves? Let your audience imagine it could be them

there, enjoying your destination.

Find the production team you need and trust. Look at their portfolio, get to know them, find recommendations. You have to be comfortable and confident.

Finally, make sure your images (hero and stock) sit firmly within your marketing brand. They should be images that define you and make you unique.

Thousands of dollars are being spent taking those images into the marketplace - websites, promotional collateral, travel shows, social media - it makes sense to do it properly from the start.

PHOTO TIP: Photographing hotel bathrooms

It's not the most exciting part of the hotel - but it's essential for people with access needs. They have to make sure they can use the bathroom safely and conveniently. By using photographs, you are answering their questions simply and quickly. 

Here are some tips to get the photo.

• use a wide-angle lens so you can capture the floor, shower and toilet in one frame

• allow the potential customer to see the space and size of the area

• if you don't have access to a wide-angle, try getting the image from different angles to show the different areas

• keep your vertical lines (the walls) straight

• photographing from the doorway is often the best place

When booking a shoot, ensure your Photographer knows these requirements. If not, they will photograph the bathroom in the most flattering way and perhaps not consider this. 

CLIENT: Oceanview Eco Villas

Part 2: Open and ready for you!

Oceanview Eco Villas is a luxurious and memorable off the grid experience. Tim and Tamsin Wendt have built these villas on their stunning 500-acre coastal property at Nepean Bay on Kangaroo Island.

It's a place to relax and get yourself back into nature. Either watching the kangaroos grazing while you relax on your deck, sipping wine while relaxing back in the large bath while watching the sunset, or being more active outside. There are trails through the yackas and beach walks, where you can encounter kangaroos, birds and other wildlife.

And the eco part is pretty amazing too — Eco designers, solar power, eco products and technology plus completely off-grid. The list is endless; check out their website to be wowed.

I've been to Oceanview Eco Villas twice for photoshoots now. Each time I took a little time to wander around the property early morning - I found it a balancing way to start the day. I could hear the birds sing, see the kangaroos graze and watch the colours of early morning ooze across the sky.

Check out more pics and info here.

Southern Flinders Ranges

Look closely; there's so much to discover! I wish I had before now.

There's art, wine, trails, pubs, fishing, food... and the beautiful landscape that makes the Flinders Ranges. But closer to Adelaide - making it a more accessible option for a quick getaway.

Over two days, I discovered the area, photographing it for Flinders Ranges and Outback tourism. From being in awe of the Wirrabara silo art detail (which I eventually remembered how to pronounce) to hiking through the bush. 'Just around the corner' taking us further and further inland to find the ideal spot to photograph. Not that I cared, it was all beautiful, and I love hiking. Warming up with coffee by the fire at Over the Edge and wine by the big fire later that night at Under the Mount made it all the sweeter.

My favourite town here is Melrose. She melted me: the buildings, the surrounding landscape, the country friendliness. I wanted to stay longer. Perhaps without the sub-zero morning temperatures though.

My takeaway. Stay longer.

https://www.parks.sa.gov.au/find-a-park/Browse_by_region/flinders-ranges-outback/mount-remarkable-national-park - great for bike riding and hikes

https://otesports.com/locations/melrose/ - cafe and all things bikes

https://www.underthemount.com.au/ - has to be the best fire in town!

https://wirrabara.com.au/silo-art - silo art that inspires

https://reservoirs.sa.gov.au/reservoirs/beetaloo - fishing

Flinders Ranges

Who's been to the Flinders? I used to go as a child. Camping, hiking, Grandpa catching rabbits for tea that night, my cousins and I making graves, complete with named headstones, for the baby ones caught.

I've taken my kids camping up there too.

But recently I've been working around the Flinders - and discovering how much there is. Station stays, food, helicopter flights, beautiful accommodation. It's not all camping and hiking. The landscape, the feeling, the weathered peaks and rocky gorges... they are a given. It really is one of the most dramatic and beautiful landscapes I've seen.

The Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts about 200 km north of Adelaide and stretch for over 400km. I follow the main highways, back roads to stations and even some scenic off-road tracks (in my little VW Golf) when I take the wrong way. It's all quite an entertaining adventure.

Pics below:

https://www.facebook.com/flindersfoodco/ - delicious food in Hawker

https://southaustralia.com/products/flinders-ranges/attraction/kanyaka-ruins-station - some history

https://www.barossahelicopters.com.au/parachilna/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4MmwlZvo5AIVjYRwCh2PWAA4EAAYASAAEgJaMPD_BwE - fly over the Flinders

http://www.stationstayssa.com.au/station/mt-little-station/ - farm stay

https://www.jeffmorgangallery.com.au/ - art gallery in Hawker

https://southaustralia.com/products/flinders-ranges/attraction/old-wilpena-station - some history at Wilpena

Prairie Hotel, Parachilna

When I first started doing vision boards, a photo of the Prairie Hotel was on one. It was actually a journal I had covered with photos of what I want to do, where I want to go, and who I want to be.

I didn't know much about the hotel, but I knew it looked awesome, was in the middle of nowhere and you could stand outside have a drink looking out over vast empty land. And it was in northern South Australia, in the Flinders Ranges. All very doable.

I 'ticked' it off my list a few years ago, visiting for lunch while camping at Wilpena Pound. I love how we can 'pop over' to Parachilna, two hours from Wilpena, for lunch, but yet in Adelaide a 45 minute drive is a consideration for lunch.

A couple of months ago, I stayed at Prairie Hotel en route to Innamincka. I sat by the outside fire, glass of wine in hand, chatting to people. I watched people come and go in the front bar while sipping my (err, third) coffee next morning. I even 'oohed' and 'ahhed' over the inspiring views I had with a chopper flight over the Flinders Ranges early morning.

Why go to the Prairie Hotel? The yummy food, the comfy bed, and the quiet vastness that envelopes the hotel are my fave reasons. It's also a great place to refresh on your drive.

Strzelecki Track, the outback and Innamincka

I am an ocean girl. It's where I feel happiest, most alive, relaxed and 'at home'. So to take me to the Outback is a little adventure. I love my adventures, where I discover, learn and have fun. Then re-align myself with the ocean when I get back home.

I had a photoshoot for The Outback Loop, Innamincka Hotel and Flinders Ranges and Outback this year. It took me on a long weekend trip into the Outback via the Strzelecki Track. Lots of red dust and billions of flies. I didn't mind the dust (although the camera probably hated me for it) but the flies - argh, I can never get used to them. We would arrive anywhere, in the middle of nowhere, and within seconds, have flies swarming us. My hands were working a constant windscreen wiper motion across my face.

But it was worth it. The beauty of being surrounded by vast nothingness. The quietness. The colours. The people. The history of Burke and Wills. And let's not forget the dancing in the front bar - true country style, after a few beers (or wine for me).

Country life depends on community, weather and the natural environment. Visiting this area is a real world classroom. At least once, everyone should get themselves into the Outback.