How much does portrait photography cost?
A standard portrait session costs $225 and includes a re-touched handprinted print of your choice. Print prices start at $75 for an unframed 5” x 7” print. Please see our booking and fees page for further details.
For prices of modeling or acting headshots, and for business portrait services please contact us.
Can I have my hair and make-up done?
Yes, I can arrange for your hair and make-up to be done by a professional stylist before your shoot, at an extra cost. Please contact me for more details.
Where can we have the photos taken?
Your portrait session can take place in our lovely outdoors setting in the garden area of Waikanae, Kapiti Coast, at your place or out on location: a beach, park, café, the choice is up to you. It’s great to select a location that says something about your personalities and lifestyle. There may be a small additional charge for travel to locations outside of Kapiti Coast or Wellington – please contact me to discuss your location ideas.
How long does a portrait session last?
Your portrait session normally lasts 45 to 90 minutes, which gives us plenty of time to try different combinations and styles, and have fun! When photographing children, it is really great to have time up our sleeves for the littlies. They can take breaks and have snacks, and we have an excellent chance of capturing them in a sparkly mood, at some point within the session.
Can we meet you before the portrait session to talk about some ideas?
Absolutely! I prefer to meet my clients for a free consultation before the portrait session. I can show you images and discuss what kind of photos you would like to create, and find out more about you. You can also bring images you like from books, magazines, or the internet to show me.
What should I say to the kids before the portrait session?
Emphasise fun when you talk about the upcoming photo session. For example, you may say ‘we’re going to the beach to play and have a great time with Grant. He’s going to take photos of you having fun.’ Please, do not bribe your children. When parents say ‘if you are a good girl and smile for the camera, then I’ll buy you an ice-cream afterwards’, the child starts to imagine that the photo session is like a trip to the dental nurse – an ordeal to be endured! They are likely to give fake smiles and demand their ice-cream after every shot. It is much better to have a truly fun photo session, where the child is enjoying the moment. Then, we can capture that joy in the camera.
What should we wear for the portrait session?
Please bring several different outfits for each person, so we have choices. If you like projecting a casual tone, jeans always look great.
For outdoor sessions, I recommend that family members wear a range of dark-toned coloured tops. These blend well with each other in the images, and do not distract from the faces. Please avoid tops with large images or logos on them, as they will be distracting in your photos. The simpler, the better.If you feel that bright colours project your personality better, feel free to bring bright-coloured clothes as well.
For an indoors shoot, I recommend a range of clothes, including black and white. Black tops are very useful to use with a black background – they give a beautiful, pure result. This set-up gives particularly stunning results with newborns. The white background looks fresh and fun and is great for close-ups of children’s faces. For the white background it is best for the parents to wear white or pale tops. The kids can also wear white or pale clothes, or bright-coloured clothes for a high-energy feel.
What will happen at the portrait session?
During our portrait sessions I try to get a range of photos, from formal portraits to candid fun shots with movement. So, at times I will direct you where to be and where to look, whether that is standing on some steps, lying down in the grass, or sitting on a sand-dune. At other times I will let you lose to have fun, and just capture you being yourselves. My clients often tell me how much fun they have on their shoots – it’s a time to celebrate yourself, your loved ones, and life itself.
How do we choose our photos?
Around 2-3 weeks after your portrait session, I will contact you to make an appointment for a viewing session. The viewing session is the time for you to see and purchase your images. These images will have already been digitally re-touched, so that you are seeing polished works of art.
Can we ask for an image to be digitally enhanced?
Yes, if you love an image but there is something about it that bothers you (for example, a blemish, or misbehaving hair), then I can probably fix it for you. I also love to create unique digital artworks for clients on request.
What kinds of products can we buy?
I offer unframed prints, framed prints, artmounts, canvas prints and albums. Other products are available on request. Lasting Expression products are of the highest possible quality.
Do you offer payment plans?
Payment plans are available from $20 per week however your portrait session fee must be paid in full before the session date.
Which charities do you support?
Lasting Expressions is proud to support Tear Fund New Zealand’s “Safe Sip” aid programme. Clean water is essential to ensuring the good health of families in the developing world. Many people die because they lack this basic right to access safe water. Our gift of $30 for every portrait session we complete valued at $300 or more will contribute to providing water sources in countries such as India and Africa. Find out more about Tear Fund here.