total beginner help

[dadopic]

hello,
I am totally new to all of this, I am just a photographer trying to save a few bucks and want to have a better looking webpage+blog then what smugmug has been giving me for years now.
I decided to try wordpress.com but every template I was trying out ended up looking not exactly what I had in mind, until I found studio press and after going trou the templates here I found one or two that I really like.
my questions are these:
1) I don't self host the wordpress site, willI be able to install the genesis+child theme by myself on my WP website account on line that I want to create? or do i need a web designer or I need to have the site hosted someplace else?
2) can I use just the child template without the Genesis Framework?
3) the template I really like is called Clip Cart and it resemble very much the apple site, but that's not why I like it, i like it because it is very streamline looking and clean with lots of white and light tray here and there, but it is presented to be perfect for a site selling things on line, will it be suitable for a simple photographer site? I don t need carts or paypal or anything like that can I disable those features or they wil still show ?
4) most importantly as a photographer I will need the use of galleries and slideshows in a portfolio formats, can Clip Cart allow me to do that? and last but probably most important I want a CLIENT LOGIN field so that my clients can log in to see proofs of theirs pics in private, can I do that with Clip Cart.
Thank you all so much and if this is not the right place to ask this question please forgive me and please redirect the question to the right forum or help centre.
Danilo Piccioni
www.theitalianeye.com
dadopic@gmail.com