CHARITY AUCTION GIFT CERTIFICATE REGISTRATION AND FAQ

SIGNATURE PORTRAITS

Do winners get a choice of any of your Signature Styles?
Yes! Kevin's work is done in black and white and in color, and either style can be chosen during the session. The lighting equipment for both styles is set up simultaneously, and one can switch back and forth and choose both styles if that is desired. 
 
How long does a session last?
Around an hour to an hour and a half for solo portraits, adding an hour or two for families with children, plus makeup time if needed. Note, for "Red Carpet" Signature portraits for women, we schedule longer session times to accommodate hair and makeup requirements.
 
Can I have my whole family photographed as a Signature Portrait?
Absolutely. Each session is unlimited, so any combination of people can be in a portrait, and unlimited portraits can be created.
 
Do I get a digital file?
Auction winners are entitled to a Web Sized (1080P tall) digital file of the portrait. 
 
Why the Dress Code?

When you say, "We are casual," that does not come off as timeless for portraits at this level. A timeless heirloom portrait will be compared to other formal portraits over the decades, and we encourage people to dress elegantly and with dignity. See our Portrait Attire Page for details.
 
Do you charge a session fee?
Never
 
How many portraits can we get in a session?
We will make as many portraits as you wish in a session. For instance, we can have a full family, mom and dad, kids group, and individual portraits all in the same session. The files will be kept and are available should a portrait be purchased in the future. If you wish to create many potential portraits but only get the 11 x 14 print after the session, that is perfectly fine. We create the portrait potential with a camera, and if you want to purchase a wall portrait of that image, we then have standard prices for all sized prints, frames, and lights.
 
When will my portrait be finished?
We ask for four to six months to complete your portrait.
 
Are frames available?
Yes. We offer many different frames that are museum-grade with closed corners. At the 24 x 30" size and larger, we add a frame light and custom 22ct gold leaf nameplate with our compliments. Premium custom lights are available at extra cost.

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Do I have to schedule before the Expiration Date?

The "Expiration date" is there to entice people to call us. We can schedule out any time in the future, and in fact, we are honoring gift cards that were received prior to the pandemic when people hunkered down and dropped everything. Never worry about an expiration date.

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Do I have to buy anything not listed on the gift certificate? 

No. We have a phone conversation with you to determine your goals. Many have given all they wish to the charity and want the 11 x 14 print that they bought, with no "sales" goals whatsoever. We are happy to satisfy them with no expectation of additional purchases.

We charge a refundable reservation fee to ensure the client shows up. If they do not choose a frame or a larger size, we create the portrait, mail it to them at our expense, and refund the reservation fee at the conclusion of the portrait session.

We do inform you that we are a high-end wall portrait studio, and we ask you to study our website, which has videos and extensive information regarding our process.

Most of this education occurs before the session, where we invite people to look at the website and go over the concept of an unlimited session and either an 11 x 14 portrait on canvas or gelatin silver paper or a $4,000 print credit for a larger portrait.

The video studio tour outlines our process, so if people do their due diligence and actually check us out, they have a very good idea of our philosophy and processes. It is not in our best interest to make clients uncomfortable, and we go to great lengths to make them feel amazing.

 

I have a photograph that I would like you to turn into a painting or a canvas portrait. Can I use my gift certificate to get this done?

We are focused on creating the finest wall portraits available, and we don't use photographs created by other people. Kevin's equipment is state-of-the-art, and his eye for creating the portrait is part of the process. As a result, we only create portraits from sessions at our studio, with Kevin creating the art piece from start to finish.

 

Tell me about your Reservation Holding Fee for booking a session.

Our policy is to charge $250 as a fully refundable reservation holding fee upon booking. You must cancel or reschedule at least 14 days prior to the session date to be eligible for a full refund. If you cancel within the 14-day time window, you will be ineligible to receive a refund. If you reschedule within the 14-day time window, your initial fee is converted into a studio credit, and another $250 reservation holding fee will be charged to book your new session. Important: We must speak to you to reschedule. Email or text rescheduling is unacceptable, and you will lose the paid holding fee unless we speak with you. 

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LOCATIONS

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Can you come to my city and create a portrait from a charity auction donation outside of San Antonio? I see you have other locations listed on the website. 
We are marketing our Signature Portraits across the US and around the world. We recently have developed contracts with rental studios in major cities across the country. Now, a client can commission us for significant work, and we can come to their city to save them time. Because of the cost of renting these studios, we cannot rent a studio for an in-kind donation of portraits and portrait sessions to charities unless it is part of a group of commissioned sessions. Let's discuss this, as our Ambassador Program can impact this significantly. 

We draw clients from all over the country, so for the right people, travel to get the best of the best is not a problem but an adventure.

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