Golden hour is the most important hour!

If you have ever booked a session outside with any photographer, that photographer has probably mentioned golden hour. Ever wonder why we say that? Golden hour is the hour before the sun is about to go down. This is the prefect time to shoot a session outside in my opinion.The sunlight is nice and even.

Photographing outside offers a variety of backgrounds and a variety of issues. When shooting outside a photographer needs to do so many technical things to make your photograph the best it can possibly be. From poses to the direction of light to camera settings a lot of things come into play. Please think about that next time you hire a professional family photographer like me! Let’s talk about a few things!

Lighting is very important to a photograph. It can make or break that photo. If your lighting is too harsh, it gives your clients red looking eyes almost to the point of using a flash. It also leaves very dark and harsh shadows too. Eww. By having that nice even lighting you don’t have to worry about the harsh light, and how to get around it.

Posing is very important as well. I pose my subjects with the sun to their back. This way the harsh sunlight isn’t in their eyes causing them to squint. There are some cases when I change it up and pose front facing. I do this just before the sun will go down or if I am shooting in the shade. Shooting in the shade is always great. This makes posing easier as most of the time the lighting is great and soft.

Camera settings are very important. They can make the photos or break the photos as well. Believe or not, it is easy to mess up your settings. This is why hiring a professional photographer is always best. They know the light. They know their camera and which settings to use in each situation. Each situation is completely different, we do more than push a button.

Sunsets are always beautiful in photos. Shooting in golden hour, you usually get those amazing sunsets. You can also get the warm glow in the background of the photo that the sun provides. You also can get some amazing sun rays or light leaks too.

All these things help to make the perfect photograph that you see. Next time your photographer suggests golden hour photos, you will know that photographer wants you to have the best images possible for your family.

Tips for booking and planning sessions.

Time for a new blog post. I wanted to hop on here and talk about a few things! Let’s talk about some tips for sessions. Tips for booking sessions and tips to help your session run smoothly. We could always use some tips to help out and make things easier. I know I sure could!

When you book a session, if you are me, as a mom, my head starts spinning. I start to think about what type of session I need, which date and time and clothing choices. Oh, what are the going wear? Will the kids behave? I am thinking about everything as a mom. I know I could definitely use some tips to help me prepare.

Here are some tips to help you prepare for booking.

1. I recommend booking your session in advance. By booking in advance you can save money, ensure you have a session spot, and help you when scheduling the prefect time for you and your family.

2. Think about which days and times you have available to schedule a session. Make sure on the day you choose that you do not have a bunch of other things planned for that day. You don’t want to rush to getting to and from the session.

Here are some tips to help you prepare for the session.

1. Always schedule out in advance the directions and see if your session takes place during traffic busy times. This way you can plan to leave earlier if it’s rush hour.

2. Give your self and your family enough time to get ready. I say as a good rule of thumb to give each person at least 20 minutes of getting ready time.

3. Have clothes, shoes, jewelry, and possibly coats out the night before ready to go to make things even easier.

4. If you have a diaper bag, pack it the night before! Don’t forget to include water and snacks for the little kids.

5. Let the photographer know ahead of time what makes your little ones smile.

6. Relax. If you are relaxed then the kids will relax. You got this!

Every family deserves those beautiful photographs for their family. I love being able to watch families grow, it’s the best part of my job. I am so happy that I am able to meet new families each year, I am definitely a people person! I hope this blog helps you have a great session!

Behind the scenes with CJP Inc.

Good morning! What a week! Whew! It has been busy. I have been shooting, editing, and doing some behind the scenes things. The life of a photographer never stops, but I love it! I was asked to show some behind the scenes things so I want to hop on here, and show you.

I’ve been a professional newborn photographer for 11 years, will be 12 in December! I absolutely love what I do. I love being able to meet new families, being apart of their journey, and watching them grow. I adore watching little ones grow and seeing their personalities shine through. It is truly amazing.

Being a Edwardsville Illinois photographer, I get to meet kids of all ages. I photograph families with older children and young children. I specialize in family photography as well! I enjoy photographing families and having those interactions. Seeing the family connection, watching the emotions grow, and the love. Showing this in my work is very important to me.

Whether I am shooting outdoors or in studio, I try to have my assistant take behind the scenes photos so you can see what I do. Not all the time do I have an assistant, but when she is there I make sure to have her be on her game to get the shots.

I tend to edit true to color, as it is my style. I love color. I love black and white photos too but color for me, is my personal preference. I have a in home studio. My studio is filled with props and backdrops. I also off digital backdrops as well. But we will save that for another post.

Here are some behind the scene photos from various sessions. I am so happy I can show you photos of me doing what I love!

5 ways to save money with Conner James Photography.

Hey, Hey it is blog writing time today. I thought I would write about saving some money. As a business owner, inflation sucks. There I said it. As a consumer, inflation sucks. I know I am always telling my family to try to save money and shop smarter. During these times we have to. Have you seen the price of eggs? Wow!

We need to save money, but also we still want be able to do the things we want. You can still spend money. All it takes is being a little smarter with money. We all want photos. We need photos of our family. Memories do not stop just because we do not have money. If anything over the last few years we have learned that photos are very important. I am sure you have heard the saying. “You never know how important a photo can be until it is all you have left.” For me, this statement rings very true. I cherish the photos of my son, Conner very much.

In my family there are five of us. Six of us if you include our dog, Buddy, which I do. Lol. When having a big family things get expensive fast. I know you feel it too. I have been shopping smart and with more intention than ever. So if I see a bargain or sale. I’m on it! I have been posting sales and promotions since November last year. If you have been paying attention, you may have already scored some big savings! This is great! If you haven’t then start reading to save some money for your beautiful family!

5 ways to save money with Conner James Photography Edwardsville Professional Photographer!

One. Referrals! We have recently started a referral program. Refer a friend or family member and you will receive a $50.00 credit! The credit can be used to save money off of sessions! You can use the credit one at a time or save them up and use all at once for a FREE session. Everyone has friends and family. Why not refer them? You can save money and they can start saving money. It is a win win for everyone. Another way you can refer is by commenting on the post on Facebook and Instagram when they ask for photographer recommendations. Just have them mention your name when they book, and you can earn credits!

Two. Black Friday Sales. In November I have my Black Friday sales. This sale is ONE day only. The sales are amazing and you can save ALOT of money. It is my biggest sale of the year.

Three. Promotions. I tend to run promotions. The promos don’t last forever so when you see them I would book them! I personally love promotions. Right now I have book a newborn session and receive a free maternity mini session. Another promo I have going is purchase a detailed 1st birthday session and receive a free milestone session.

Four. This year I added a new way to save. My customer Thank you sale. I like to thank my clients. This year I offered $100.00 off a session. This sale will change every year, will not be as big of a sale the years to come. This sale can not be combine with any other promotions or sales but is an amazing deal! Essentially it is a surprise sale that I wanted to do. This year I celebrated 11 years in business!

Five. Model calls. Sometimes throughout the year I offer model calls. I do because I want to try something new or test something out to see if I like it. These model calls book up so fast! If you see it, jump on it quick.

There are so many ways you could be saving so much money and/or potentially be earning free sessions with Conner James Photography. Yes, your memories are priceless. But saving your hard earned money is important too.

Frequently ask questions about newborn sessions with Conner James Photography Inc

Hi! Happy Tuesday! A new year with new beginnings and a fresh start. It is so wonderful to get a fresh start. I know I can always use a new perspective on things! I want to start off the year by going over some frequently asked questions I get often.

I have been a professional photographer for over 11 years! My first session was a…. Yep newborn session. As a photographer I have been asked all kind of questions. From can you fix my kid’s drool? …to can my dog join in the session too?

No question is a dumb question. We ask questions because we want to know and learn. As a professional newborn photographer I expect questions. Here are a some questions I get asked the most.

1. When is the best time to book a session?

2. Do your newborn sessions include siblings?

3. Where are you located?

4. Do you provide the props?

5. What if my baby is fussy or won’t sleep?

6. How can I prepare for the session?

The best time to book your newborn session is when you are in your second trimester. By booking then, you are ensured you get a session spot. I can only take a limited amount of newborn sessions each month. Newborns have their own time frame. Some newborns arrive early while others arrive late. This way I have ability to can change your session date if needed. Booking early also allows me time to plan for your session as well!

My newborn sessions do include siblings! If you purchased my Full Newborn Session, then yes you can get sibling photos too! I will choose the best poses to suit your children’s ages.

I am located in Glen Carbon Illinois. I have a in home studio! I do not travel to client homes. My clients come from all over the St.Louis metro area. I am literally 2 minutes from Edwardsville.

I do provide props for the session! I have tons of wraps, headbands, hats, and bonnets. I have baskets, bowls, buckets, and more! I have a lot backdrops too!!

Babies cry. It happens. It is not the end of the session. I have over 11 years of experience. I know how to soothe your baby and make magic happen. Did you know that some poses the baby doesn’t have to be asleep to pose? We will get adorable poses! Don’t worry! I got this!

Yes, you can prepare for the session! Having a new baby & leaving the house can be stressful, especially for new parents. The best way to minimize stress is to be prepared. Make sure the diaper bag is packed the night before. Make sure your alarm is set. Wake up early enough to get not only you ready but the baby fed & changed too. I recommend to give yourself a hour and half of time. Please account for the drive time too. It is always better to be early than to be late. I have a newborn session parent prep guide that is located on my website for you to use as well!

The hospital’s newborn photographer or a professional newborn photographer?

Hey all! This blog is for all the moms! When going to the hospital to have a beautiful baby, we are thinking about so many things. Did I remember this? Did I forget that? Do I have chapstick? Come on ladies, we need that chapstick! But after everything is said and done. We have our amazing baby in our arms and the world stops. 

Our bodies are filled with all kinds of emotions. Our bodies are amazing but also stressed, tired, and sore. At this point we are filled with adrenaline, even though we are so tired. Looking at the baby, holding the baby, taking care of the baby from our bed. We’re still doing all the things even when we just had a baby.  

That first night goes by and we barely slept because we decided to keep the baby in the room and need to feed the baby & look at what we made in complete awe. Nurses coming in every hour to check on us, getting our vitals, and the baby didn’t help us sleep either. That 5am wake up call for doctor rounds they do, okay maybe it’s not 5am but it sure felt like it. 

Then in comes the hospital newborn photographer introducing themselves wanting to know if you would like newborn photos done. Most come in at the worse times. Some times they leave you a pamphlet and sometimes they do not. They always come back in and ask again for photos, even if you said no thank you the first time. 

These hospital photographers are not trained in newborn photography. They are only trained to use the camera, and now some aren’t even train in that. The poses they use are not safe or are not done properly. They do not clone out scratches or blemishes. They do not fix skin tones. They do not help to pose you so you look your best. They just don’t care and don’t have time for that. But they surely want to charge like they do! 

They have to get a certain amount of poses in a certain amount of time. They also have to try and upsell you on everything more than once. I am sure you have heard of the pushy car salesman. They are the same but with cameras. 

I’ve been there! I have bought the newborn hospital photos. I have spent hundreds of dollars on them because I didn’t know better and it’s my baby’s photos. Looking back I was tired, stressed, had emotions filling my body and just wanted to be at home in my own bed with my new baby. I would have said yes to anything, especially a pushy hospital photographer. 

Now let’s get some things straight. It’s not the fault of the photographer, they are just doing the job that the company hired them to do. They need to work too. It is the companies that are allowed to do this. It is a skeezy thing to do to new families in my opinion. 

I recommend booking a newborn photographer in your second trimester. This way you have enough time to find a newborn photographer whose work you love, who is trained in newborn posing & safety, and is within your budget. I am a certified newborn photographer trained in newborn posing and safety. I have continued my newborn photography education every year. I keep up to date on my photography education & my camera gear.

I am a professional newborn photographer located in Glen Carbon, Illinois. I have an in home studio fully stocked with props & backdrops for use during your session. I am also an Edwardsville photographer as I sometimes work in Edwardsville, Illinois on location. 

As a newborn photographer I have done it all. Newborn babies from 3 pounds to 11 pounds. I’ve photographed NICU babies. I have even photographed babies with heart problems and broken clavicles and/or needing to be on oxygen. I’ve photographed twins, triplets and cousin newborns together. I have photographed a 4 day old baby to 9 weeks old baby! Heck, I even photographed 12 week old triplets as a newborn session! 

I have a ton of experience in posing, safety, photography, and editing. 11 years of experience. I do not rush through sessions. I take my time and get the poses right. I do not force the baby or child into the pose because of time. I slow down and use patience. These are you memories. I want to you to love your images and cherish them for years to come. I want you to share your images with your next generation and still remember the joy that time brought you. I would love to be your professional newborn photographer. 

Who is ready for another promotion?

Last year, I released my new Detailed 1st birthday sessions! These sessions went off with out a hitch! Detailed 1st birthday sessions are now my most popular 1st birthday session. These sessions have a detailed backdrop that you get choose. When booking the session, you will answer questions about the theme you would like or colors you would like. I will then email you with options for you to choose from. Some clients let me choose, and say “I trust you”, which is great too!  

Did you hear that I currently have a promotion going on? It is for newborns and maternity mini sessions. If you buy a newborn session you get a FREE maternity mini session. Well now I decided to do an even better promotion! Who wants to save some money! I know I do! 

Buy a Detailed 1st birthday session and get a FREE milestone session!!!  A Detailed 1st birthday session includes some portraits at the beginning of the session and a cake smash. These sessions are so much fun! I keep things fun, friendly, and fast! I will keep moving things along to keep your baby happy and engaged during the session. 

With the rising cost of inflation, who doesn’t want to save some money right now? Save money and get two sessions! The free milestone session is perfect for babies ages 3 months to 10 months. Babies grow up so fast so this is perfect time for you to get some portraits of your little one at this age. I would recommend at 6 1/2 months  - 7 months is best. This way your little one is sitting up unsupported for at least 1 - 2 minutes. By waiting for them to sit up you can get a variety of poses!! Also they tend to smile smile more too, which is always a bonus. 

If my kiddos were still little I would be all over this promotion! I don’t know how long I will keep this promotion, so I would book soon before it’s gone! 

Booking sessions and Saving money!

I am booking for all sessions! YAY! 2023 will be here before you know it. Newborns, Milestones, 1st Birthdays, Maternity, Family and Extended family sessions. I only take a certain amount of sessions each month to ensure I have focus and time for each session.

Have you see my new program going on? I have a new referral program! Refer friend and family and get $30.00 off per each referral. How amazing is that? Essentially you could earn a free session! I appreciate all of you so much. I am so happy to create memories for you!

Also while I got you here, Did you know that Conner James Photography offers gift cards? You can buy a session for friends or family and show them how much you love them! You can even save money by being a part of my email newsletter. I post all my sales by email newsletter FIRST! You even get the chance to book your sessions at your desired session time first! If you are not apart of my newsletter, you are missing out!

Hiring a photographer? What about me?

Today picking a photographer isn’t easy. Photographers are everywhere. You can type up a IOS photographer post on a Facebook group and get hundreds of comments in minutes. How do you know who to choose? Well most of this depends on the type of session you would like and your budget. But just because they are in your budget doesn’t always mean that is the best professional photographer for you.

When I hire a photographer I want to see behind the scene photos of them working. I want to see them doing their thing! Yes, even photographers need photographers. I want to see where they work, how they taking safety precautions, experience, and their style! Style can be such a game changer! Each photographer definitely has their own style in terms of backdrops, props and editing! Some are light and airy, some moody and dark, some true to color, and some are bold and vibrant.

My style is true to color but colorful! I love color and the tone it creates. But don’t get me wrong, I like neutrals too! I love working in my in home studio. I have a 1 room studio. In my in home studio I can create loads of art & magic. I create memories for families and future generations. I have a prop room as well. The prop room has all of my props for sessions all organized and pretty. I have so many props that I had to create an extra room for all of it. Lol.

Here are some behind the scenes photos of me working in my studio! Safety is huge for me! Whether in studio or outdoors this is not something I take lightly. I am trained in newborn safety and posing. I have been a photographer for over 11 years. I definitely have experience. I also have an assistant for my sessions on the weekends and non school days. She is my beautiful daughter, Montanna. She has helped both in the studio and outdoors for going on 2 years now! Montanna knows how I like things in the studio and can work a camera in manual mode as well. She can look at a baby and in 5 seconds tell me if they are jaundice! She is 12 ya’ll. That is skill right there!

Let’s talk editing! You want a photographer who can edit well. Someone who knows Photoshop! A professional photographer who can if need be do a composite, cloning, edit skin, or a head swap on an image. I can do all this, but some photographers can’t. It is important to find a photographer who best suits your need as a client. Just because they are in your budget doesn’t mean they know everything, or can suit your needs. Do not be afraid to ask your photographer questions. That is what we are here for.