How long have you been a photographer?
I began using a darkroom at a very young age with my parents, fellow photographers, however i didn’t photograph my first portrait session until 2001. Since then, i have shot over 400 portrait sessions including work for richmond magazine, rva magazine, chew on this magazine, carbon leaf, chris pureka, jason spooner and landing the front page image for the obx north beach sun for the 2009 summer season.
Do you shoot in film or digital format?
I began shooting only film 10 years ago. In 2004 i introduced a digital camera to my equipment arsenal, however continued to shoot with b&w film as well. After several upgrades to editing software, in 2007 i made the decision to go completely digital, hanging up my beloved Nikon 8008.
About how many photos do you take during a session?
This depends entirely on each individual event. I tend to average between 200 and 300 images an hour but there have been times it’s been much higher, other times not even 100. After i return to the office the images go through, what’s referred to as, a culling process where i edit down to only about 30 to 50% of what i shot. I choose to only keep the very best images from a shoot. On average a 2 hour portrait session delivers around 150 images.
What is your deposit policy?
For portraits, there is no deposit required, however the sitting fee in it’s entirety is due the day of the shoot.
How long does it take to receive my images?
My wait time, on average, is 8 to 12 weeks. This is do to the fact that i edit all images in-house. Sometimes it can take a lot less time depending on the time of year.
My philosophy is that the post processing is just as important as the actual documentation and i refuse to rush through my work jeopardizing the integrity and quality of the final image. I also believe that every client deserves the same amount of care and attention so i always edit in order of the event date.
What happens if you can’t make it to my event?
Normally, the only times when a shoot needs to be resceduled is when the weather is not cooperative. If we are unable to agree on a new date that works with both of our schedules i can suggest another photographer. Because i do not require a deposit, no harm, no foul.
What if i am a returning client?
I love, love, love keeping up with my families! There are many that i have photographed every year for 3 and 4 seasons. Due to my drastic change in packages in 2010, if you are a returning client from 2009, you have to option to keep 2009 rates or switch to the 2010 ones. There are drawbacks and benefits to each option, it’s enirely a personal preference.
What type of payments do you accept?
I accept cash, check, paypal (kirsten@innatephoto.Com) or major credit cards. If you opt to pay by credit, you can do so directly through your client log-in.
What should i wear the day of the shoot?
I believe that there is no rule in regards to what to wear the day of your shoot. I encourage my clients to wear what they feel most comfortable wearing. The more color, the better, especially children. I do suggest staying away from too many patterns or writing on your clothing as it becomes very distracting and the most important part of the photo is you, however layering and fun color combinations are always great to see. The color least shootable is black and i do ask that my clients shy away from wearing it. If you have further questions, try looking back at my site and see what others have worn.
Could you describe a typical beach session?
I sure can! I generally take about 15 minutes to a half hour (per hour) and grab the more formal portraits where everyone is looking their sunday best and smiling generously at the camera. I still attempt to make them as personal and creative, less traditional, as i can. If there are micro families within a larger family unit, i will then photograph those smaller families separately. I like to let the kids loose for a few minutes and work with my parents alone, if possible, so they can return home with some really beautiful images of them, without the kids. Usually, the last time my couples have had a nice portrait taken of them was on their wedding day. Finally, i let you do your own thing, as a family. Play some wiffle ball or soccer, build me a giant star fish sand castle, play in the water, boogie or skim board.
I will warn you, the kids love going in with all of their clothes in. It happens (without my input) at least 75% of the time. 
i obviously love it for picture making sake but not all parents want to see the nice new clothes drenched in salt water so you might want to have a chat with me and the little ones before our meeting.
How much time should we reserve with you?
I offer my services by the hour and there’s no limit to the amount of people in your group per hour, however realistically if you would like rockin’ images both formal and candid it’s tough for me to get in more than 2 micro families per hour. That being said, it is entirely up to you i do suggest that you book no less than 2 hours with me for parties of 4 families or more.
What is the difference between med-res and hi-res images?
All shoots include a disc with all of your images in medium resolution. They are perfect for emailing, blogging, myspace and facebook. You can also make amazing 4×6 prints at any print shop you choose, however you will be unable to print any larger than that from the files. I take huge pride in my images, as i believe my clients do, and i do not trust most print shops to print to the level of quality that the images are deserving of. Also, because i am a green-photographer I really encourage my clients to only print what will be hung on the walls and appreciated daily. I use only the highest quality printers in the country including bay photo, white house custom color and jonathan penny.
I also offer high quality flush mount albums from finao, including a vegan option, and is my preferred method for my clients to share their story for years to come..
If you prefer to make your prints on your own and know of reputable print shop in your local area, then you are more than welcome to purchase your hi-res disc with the option to include all your images in color, b&w and even the artisan edit, my highest level edit of all of my favorite images from the day. (editing time can be anywhere from 3 to 8 hours for the artisan edit alone.)
What is reprint copyright?
It means i am giving you permission to take your disc and make personal copies for yourself, your family and your friends. Although i retain the full copyright and ownership of the images, you receive unlimited copyright for personal use only.
Have you taken any continuing education classes?
In the past couple of years i have made an effort to learn as much as i possibly can. Due to the nature of our business, technology and resources are always changing and evolving. I have attended workshops and seminars and been mentored by some top wedding photographers in the world including Ben chrisman, jay reily, [b]ecker, jason groupp, dave & quinn cheung, susan stripling, jesh de fox, Sergio, tyler wirken, brett butterstein and lacour.I have also attended several conferences including wppi 2009 + 2010 in vegas, the foundation conference 2009 in dallas.And most recently the foundation workshop in allen, Texas 2010.