all the info {and more}

what/who is kiwi street studios?

simply put, a boutique (that means one on one, over the top individual care and attention)
photography studio specializing in fine art lifestyle portraiture
run by me, gina.
i studied photography and design starting back in high school, on through college and still, to this day.
i have had a couple wonderful studios and as much as i loved being in them, not much can keep me
from using mother nature’s own light and her many nooks and crannies for your sessions.
thus, a natural light/on location photographer i am.

how can you contact me?

you can contact me many ways. at the top of this blog there is a contact link.
on my website, there is also a contact link.
you can call me at 513.884.4417 or email me directly at gina@kiwistreetstudios.com.
i am in my office three days a week editing sessions, designing custom products….
if you send me an email or call me on a day i’m not ‘in the office’ i will get back to you
the very next day i am ‘ in.’
i’m really trying hard to work on this balance of home/work thing. i have to have some boundaries.

how much do i cost?

let’s just address this one right up front because i know it’s important, but…
i would hope that you are here because you saw something in my work.
i have learned this…when what is offered is also valued, then there is respect. mutual respect is a good good thing.
i pour my heart and soul and a lot of time into every session i do.
i only want to do this for someone who values this type of custom photography and what it stands for.
so, my prices?
my session fee is $275 {my time with you, up to 2 hours of shooting,
up to a full day of individual digital processing and creative editing of approximately 30 images},
hosting on a password protected online gallery for viewing  prior to your selection session.
i do not require a minimum order.
i can tell you that most of my clients invest around $1500.
i don’t make this up…it’s just what happens. i like to believe it’s because you let me do what i love and
i love giving you something priceless and timeless and makes your heart beat faster every time you see it.
you can ask me for a full menu of products if you’re genuinely interested.

do i have payment plans?

i’ve actually never been asked this, but i have had more than a few discussions about this with other photographers.
my feeling is this. i know this isn’t a necessity when compared to the essentials in life, but if you’re here, you get it
and you must want it for your family and it can get up there in cost.
especially when you want all your images and a great album
and extra prints for other family members and on and on.
i am open to having a discussion about it on a person to person basis.
just as long as you know that no products can even be ordered until payment has been received in full.

do i sell the digital files?

the short answer is yes, I WOULD WANT THEM TOO.
with them you will:
• have peace of mind knowing you safely own your own full resolution session files
• order additional prints, cards or products as you need/want them
• use images for scrapbooking, facebook and any other electronic media
what do they cost?
30 high resolution files with printing rights {up to 8×12} from your session are $995.
individual high resolution files with printing rights {up to 8×12} are $95 each.

now, i have to include this…i dedicate a large amount of time individually editing and artistically
enhancing your images stylistically and graphically. i take great care that your images are
selected, processed and presented to you as I intended them to be…pieces of art. this part of the
process is just as important to me as the session itself. afterwards, i only work with the
industries top professional labs who use nothing less than state of the art equipment and print
on the best archival papers to ensure your finished art will be produced as i intended and with
heirloom quality. i hope that you would expect nothing less in quality from your chosen lab as
the finished product is a direct reflection of my work, my reputation and my livelihood.

what do i shoot?

as much as i’d love to say i shoot everything. i don’t. i photograph only what i love and that’s it.
so, what do i love and specialize in?  children. i love children, all ages. even the bigger ones called teens/seniors.
they can be tricky, but i can handle them, i have a few.
let’s talk about families. i love families…and i know how important family pictures are, but
family portraiture is not my passion.  i am willing to take a few
while i am photographing your children, but i’m being very upfront when i tell you that
i will not deliver or even try for ‘the perfect everyone in a row smiling at me at the same time picture.’
it’s simply not what i do.
if this is what you’re looking for, i am not the photographer for you. neither one of us would be happy.
what i will do is try and capture your family engaged in laughter or an activity together for a short time.
i’ll be looking for love, energy, joking around, the looks,
and even some not so in focus moments. i read somewhere that our visual memories are never tack sharp.
it’s the feeling from that memory that we love and remember. i like that so much.
aside from people, i love photographing food. i also take time to find art in the world around me, so you may see
still lifes here and there and even some edgier subjects. it’s all art to me.

where do i shoot?

pretty much anywhere your heart desires.  i consider the location t be a part of your story.
if at all possible, i try and make any location work.  remember, great photography starts with great light.
it’s really that important. it’s the difference between flat so so images and full, dimensional, beautiful images.
i love, love, love to travel, so don’t be shy about booking me from far away. we will work the details out.

how would i describe my style?

i’ve been told…honest, classic~with a twist, vintage~sometimes, pretty, beautiful, soulful,
clean, fashion-y, full of life, in the moment and real.
that’s my favorite one. real. real. real.
i believe beauty surrounds us everywhere, in every moment.
capturing those beautiful moments & creating unique stories is what i’m after…
simply and artistically.
i’m not shy about taking artistic freedoms, catching or creating a moment, exposing your soul,
or knowing the ‘in-between moments’ are the greatest.
i try to be open to what’s happening if front of me and get it.
then i stop thinking too hard about it all. then i get…it.
i don’t like to get too caught up in what’s too trendy. i want you to be proud of your photographs in 10, 20, 50 years,
because it is art for the long haul.
if you haven’t already, look through my website and blog.
you’ll get a pretty clear idea of how i see things. please be sure it’s how you’d like to have things seen too.

how and when do you schedule a session?

i’m usually booked 3-5 weeks out, depending on the time of year, so if you know you have a special date or time frame,
keep this i mind when contacting me.
i try to book you in a reasonable amount of time, but i don’t book 4 sessions a week to fit everyone in either.
that is just crazy and i would have no life and my family would miss me and i them.
i prefer to book 1 to 2 sessions a week, tops. this way i can give each of you my full attention and energy before, during and after your session.
keep in mind the majority of the work is after the session.
you can call me directly or email me, either way.
have some dates in mind, know your schedule, i’ll know mine,
and we’ll pencil something in. i will then email you paperwork. when i receive it back signed
and accompanied with your deposit, you are on the books.
the only variable is the weather.
unless it’s raining hard or freezing or someone is sick, we will shoot on our scheduled day.
umbrellas, hats and scarves make for great photos too.

what should you wear to a session?

the single most important thing I can tell you here is to…just be yourself.
if we’re shooting an urban or more stylized session, we can get madly creative with clothing
and cool props, etc…. and we will discuss all of that beforehand.
but basically…keep it simple. colorful accents and textures are wonderful. Simple graphics, patterns, textures
and layers are good choices as well.
for children…comfort is key. choose something you love to see them in or something they
love to be in. try to stay away from big logos or busy commercial graphics…too trendy.
if you need help or ideas for wardrobe, just ask me and/or check out the links on my blog
for some very cool local clothing stores and great inspiration.

when do you get to see your photos?

it generally takes me 2 weeks to download, back up, archive, adjust, edit, organize,
resize and upload them to your private website
where you will have your choice of 5 days to look at them over and over again. this is the time to share them
with everyone who needs or wants to view them.
i’ll send you a nice reminder that your gallery will be coming down.
if, for some reason, you need it to be re-posted, i’ll have to charge you an additional fee to do so, each time.
i don’t like to do this, so please use your 5 days to make your choices and call me with any questions.

how do you order?

once your gallery is live, it is also time to schedule your ordering appointment.
i like this to be on the tail end of the 5 days your gallery is up so all the images are still fresh in your mind.
i will send you an order form with your initial paperwork for you to keep track of your selections.
it’s simple.  you bring it with you when we meet…filled out. or at least really close.
i will put your gallery up on our big screen and we fine tune
and complete your order.
this is also a great time to get ideas for framing/grouping/displaying and
being able to see and hold the products that are available to showcase your photographs…
no pressure here…but I want you to know what’s available and then you can decide what works best for you.
if you are ordering an album or any other custom product, send your appropriate selections to me before we meet.
i’ll work on them beforehand, sending you digital mock ups along the way until we have it perfectly the way you want it.
many times, only minor tweaks have to me made by the time we meet.
all custom orders get complete approval~from you~before anything is sent out
and nothing gets sent out until i have personally triple checked each and every image.
i’m all over quality control.
{full payment is required before any orders go out}

how long before your order is in?

typically within two to three weeks once your order is placed. some custom orders take longer.
during the holidays additional time is needed. be sure to check my blog for specific cut off dates.

how do you get your order?

when your entire order is in, i will contact you and you let me know when you can pick your order up from my studio.
luckily, i live quite close to my studio, so i can pop over just about any time to meet you.

what kind of cameras/equipment do i use?

funny how many times i get asked this question. i really think it’s to find out if i’m a canon girl or  a nikon girl
i’m a canon girl all the way.
except for my occasional use of toy cameras, polaroids and my hasselblad.
i still love film and very well may shoot some rolls on your session in addition to digital images.
and i’m an apple girl too.
basically, i have all the up to date, state of the art electronic devices i need to
produce the type of work that i do.
plus, the most important element…my imagination.

do i have a guarantee?

absolutely i do, 100%. if you are not completely satisfied, i will make it right.
remember that boutique part in the first question?

do i have a mission statement?

absolutely. read it here.

i look forward to meeting you!
gina