Fluffy, a hand-puppet, has worked as a kid wrangler at KidCapers since 1994, when we purchased her at a garage sale for ten cents. We have lots of puppets -many of them much younger and better looking -but Fluffy is the perennial favorite. After working here 10 plus years, Fluffy really has seen everything, and she can confidently answer all your KidCapers related questions -even the embarrassing ones you were afraid to ask.
Q.) Dear Fluffy, My child is, well, VERY ACTIVE and I've never had any luck getting portraits made. Should I just wait until he's older, assuming that he'll be a little easier to control?
A.) What is your idea of "more manageable?" posing? Sitting still? Folding his hands, crossing his ankles, and tipping his head? At KidCapers we LIKE it when kids are energetic. We encourage them to play and be silly. Vik shoots at 1/250th of a second, so she can freeze action and capture moments on film that you can't even see with your naked eye. So don't waste your energy worrying about it. And don't wait.
Q.) Dear Fluffy, My child is very shy and clings to me in new situations. Last time I tried to get professional portraits I couldn't get her to let go of my leg and we went away with nothing. The experience was so bad I hesitate to try again.
A.) In 16 years of working with kids, Vik has only ever met 2 that she couldn't get great results with. The other 6,200 or so all left with wonderful portraits, whether they tended to be naturally shy, out going, or something in the middle. Sometimes the ones you think are shy are the ones who open up the most after a few minutes with Vik, Judy, and me. Don't fret. Just let us do our job, and you'll have a good experience -and so will your child.
Q.) Dear Fluffy, I love KidCapers portraits but, quite frankly, I hate to drive downtown.
A.) You're in luck! We aren’t downtown anymore! In January of 2006, we moved to St. Louis Park! Some of you may remember our new location as the old Westman Floral building. We have our own parking lot –park in front and you only have to walk 5 feet to the front door! HOW COOL IS THAT??? No elevators, no long hallways, and a DYNAMITE new studio with great natural light, and great spaces! Our street address is 7915 Minnetonka Blvd., near the intersection of Texas and Minnetonka, and SMACK between Hwy. 169 and hwy. 100 to the west and east, and hwy. 394 and hwy. 7 to the north and south. We’re THAT convenient! If you can’t find us, you aren’t looking! J
Q.) Dear Fluffy, KidCapers has set the gold standard for childrens' portraits, and Vik has literally written the book on the subject, so I'm guessing you guys are pretty expensive.
A.) Actually, I challenge you to find comparable quality work at a lower price. Our portraits are hand-colored by artists -not a photographer with a paint set. And even our sitting fee is lower than average for our market. The reason we can offer the highest quality work at a reasonable price is that we only do one thing and we do it well.
Q.) Dear Fluffy, What if my kids just won't cooperate? What if I forget to bring an outfit? What if my son falls and needs 15 stitches across his nose on the way to the shoot? What if I bring my dog and he pees on your floor? What if I'm so stressed out by the time I get to your studio that my head explodes all over your dressing room? What if I fight with my husband on the way to the shoot and he refuses to ever talk to me again?
A.) Just get the kids here and we promise to take care of the rest. And remember, we've seen it all. Sometimes twice.
Q.) Dear Fluffy, What is the best age to have KidCapers portraits made?
A.) At the risk of sounding trite, every age is the right age. A lot of parents stop getting professional portraits of their kids after they're two or three. But they are portrait-worthy at every age -even when they're missing teeth, sporting braces, and when their elbows and knees are the widest parts of their bodies.
Q.) Dear Fluffy, Why do I have to make my selections at my design consultation to get the 15% off?
A.) Your proofs are just raw material. The size, treatment, and layout possibilities for your portraits are daunting, to say the least, without our design consultant and our finished, framed samples to help you make your selections. Simply put, client satisfaction is highest among those who choose their portraits at their design consultation. Those who spend a long time agonizing over their choices are the ones who have regrets later. And an added plus for us is that it helps us maintain our production schedule, guaranteeing all our clients our best possible work, delivered in a timely fashion.