This is a very good thread, and thank you to nilla for posting very good photos and a nice description of your "wants"
Let me preface my comments by stating the obvious.."A patient has both wants and needs, with regards to hairtransplantation"
In your case nilla, I do not believe you "need" a hair transplant (hair transplant)
However, at age 30, with some temporal thinning, I completely understand wanting to hit the frontal tuft and bring the temple regions forward a bit.
I believe before you go for a hair transplant you should be on Propecia for 6 months to 1 year--- if you have no side effects, I believe you could be a bit more aggressive in your goals.
If you do experience side effects, then you will need to decide what is the best way to proceed by working that out with your doctor/by gleaning information from the internet.
I would say that 1400 grafts would make you much happier with your look and allow you to reassess your situation 10-14 months down the road.
If you respond well to meds, 2000-2000 grafts would likely provide a very nice dense hairline, slightly lowered temples that will likely be age appropriate as you enter your mid to late 30's and beyond.
You could go with a higher graft count for more density, but in the long run, I do not know if you will see the benefit while planning for future loss.
I would like to caution you about using price as a guiding light in your search for a hair transplant surgeon...it can get you in trouble.
You should look at many doctors and choose the 3-4 who provide the results you desire, have great reputations and have consistant results for many years... THEN work out pricing between them.
The very BEST Doctors are 4-5.00 per graft for the first 2000 grafts and then offer a nice discount thereafter for any additional grafts.
Good Luck in your search,
Jason