kiwi street studios {blog}

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 a wonderful studio and as much as i love being in it, not much can keep me
from being outside.
thus, a natural light 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.
you can phone me at
513.884.4417
or
email me directly at
gina@ginaweathersby.com
i am in my office four days a week editing sessions, designing custom products, doing office-y things….
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?

i would hope that you are here because you saw something in my work that spoke to you
and that you would love for your own family.
i have learned this…when what is offered is also valued, then there is respect, and mutual respect is a good good thing.
i pour my heart and soul and a lot of time into every session i do. and that includes before, during and after the session.
honestly, i only want to do this for someone who values
this type of custom photography and what it stands for.
so, your initial investment?
my session fee is $300
which includes:
my time with you beforehand, up to 2 hours of shooting,
4-6 hours of individual digital processing and creative editing of approximately 30 images
for your gallery~custom designs are additional time to the initial edits,
hosting on a password protected online gallery for viewing prior to your in studio or online selection session.
a minimum investment of $500 is required.
i can tell you that many of my clients (not all, and that’s ok…you need to do what you can do) invest right around $1200-$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
with other photographers on the subject. my feeling is this.
i know that having portraits taken isn’t a basic necessity…
but if you’re here, you get it and you 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 big gallery wrap 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 understand that no order will be sent out until full payment has been received.

do i sell the digital files?

the short answer is yes and 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?
the full set of high resolution files with printing rights {up to 8×12} from your session are
$500 after an initial investment of $1000. Individual high
resolution files with printing rights {up to 8×12} are $95 each after an initial investment of $500.
watermarked low resolution(non printing files) for electronic media are $15
each or your entire session for $175 but are included if you purchase the entire set of high resolution files.
now, i have to include this…I dedicate a large amount of time individually editing and artistically
editing 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 accept 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? 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.
i love families….who love each other and make no bones about it.
really, you can’t hide this. photographs speak the truth.
while we’re on the family subject, and this is big and important so pay attention.
if you want everyone to be lined up perfectly, wearing matching clothes and all staring into
my lens like soldiers…let me be very honest with you right here and tell you
i am not the photographer for you. neither one of us would be happy.
i’m looking for love, laughter, energy, joking around, the looks…all of it.
and even some not so in focus moments (intentionally).
the only family sessions i take are those where you are all doing something together…as a family.
a game, a picnic, baking, reading, something real life. i’m just there to document all the moments,
your time together as a family. i will, of course, get everyone together for the ‘family shot’
but it will most likely be pretty loose as well.
i read somewhere that our visual memories are never tack sharp.
they’re a little soft…and it’s the feeling from that memory that we love and remember. i like that so much.
aside from people, i love to photograph food and i take on a few commercial/editorial commissions here and there.
and…no matter what, i 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 to be a part of your story.
if at all possible, i try and make any location work, but 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 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.
beauty surrounds us everywhere, in every moment.
capturing those 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 overtly trendy.
i want you (and me) 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 {or, if someone is sick}
unless it’s raining or freezing, 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 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 then upload them to your
private website where you will have 10 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. sometime within your 10 days,
i’ll send you a nice reminder that your gallery comes down on the end of the 10t day.
if, for some reason, you need it to be reposted, i’ll have to charge you an additional fee to do it. i don’t like to do this,
so please use the 10 days to make your choices and call me with any questions.

what kinds of products do i offer?

only the best. i constantly search out quality products to offer you.
i do keep them pretty simple as i don’t get caught up in all the trendy product offerings either.
i view it as part of my responsibility to let you know what i offer and then
you can decide what works best for you. you can go to the products category of this blog to view them and
you can always come to the studio (call me first so i will be there to meet you) to see real samples as well.
prints, gallery wraps, storyboards, press printed cards, print boxes, a variety of albums…
let me say a quick word about albums. i offer press printed albums in lieu of traditional photographic albums.
for the type of sessions that i do, i have found these to be the most economical way to go.
they are custom designed and beautifully presented.
if you have limited wall space, are wanting all your images but are wondering what to do with all the loose prints…
i would highly recommend a custom album. i love designing them,
i love seeing your face when you look through yours for the first time and i know you
will love looking through them for years and years.
i have lots of samples to show you if you’d like to see them.

how do you order?

once your gallery is live, it is also time to schedule your in studio ordering appointment.
i like this to be on the tail end of the 10 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.
if you haven’t  been to my studio yet, 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…again, 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 in a virtual album layout along the way
until it is exactly 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 prints are within two to three weeks once your order is placed. albums and certain 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.

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?

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.
that is, on top of my occasional use of toy cameras, polaroids and my hasselblad.
i still love film and very well may shoot some rolls during 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/equipment i need to
produce the type of work that i do.
plus, the most important part…my imagination.

do i have a mission statement?

absolutely. read it here.

editorial/commercial/comps/head shots
contact me for separate pricing

i look forward to meeting you!
gina