Happy New Year! Conner James Photography has some exciting things in store for 2022 and I can’t wait to share them with you. Keep reading to find out how Conner James Photography will continue to be your favorite Edwardsville family photographer!

First things first, I’m building a new prop room! Because I have an in-home studio, storage space is currently limited and all of my props are beginning to take over the studio, reducing available shooting space. I will be hiring a local contractor (support small businesses!) to help construct this new addition to the Conner James photography studio as we plan to add shelving, new paint, and new doors to both the prop room and studio. These doors will be a great addition because they can also be used as a backdrop. The prop room will be able to store my growing collection of props for posed newborn sessions, including bowls, buckets, beds, boxes, stuffies, furs, and decorative wooden shapes. I’m also excited to be able to organize the multitude of different colored wraps, headbands, tie backs, sleepy hats, bonnets, animal sets, and newborn and infant outfits that I have at my disposal. Having somewhere to easily view and sift through all of these props will make customizing any type of session that much easier! Creating a separate space to keep all of my props will also open up more room for parents in the studio. Parents have the luxury of watching me photograph their little one as the images show up on the big screen in real time. This makes the experience of getting your baby’s photos taken that much more personal and intimate.

I am also ecstatic to let all of my clients know that I will be expanding my photography knowledge even further with the help of world-renowned newborn and maternity photographer, Ana Brandt. Ana is one of my all time favorite photographers and a personal role model and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to learn from her. Although I’ve been steadily growing in photography for the past ten years, I am a firm believer that there is always room to grow. Educating myself on all of the most up-to-date newborn photography styles and safety measurements is always at the top of my list; to be able to learn one-on-one from someone so established is a great start to the new year!

Some of my other goals for this year are to add to my collection of backdrops, which currently includes grey, white, creme, and wooden brown as well as to be able to give different lighting options when shooting in the studio. I’m also hoping that I will be given the opportunity to shoot more studio maternity sessions. The best part about these sessions is when a client comes in for their maternity session and the next time I see them, I’m shooting their newborn session! Watching this transformation in a mom’s life is magical, and being able to capture it on camera is even better. Remember, it’s never too early to book your session!

Finally, I wanted to remind everyone that I am currently booking sessions for all of 2022! Booking your session locks in your allotted time slot along with the current price, so don’t wait any longer. This is your sign to book now! Thank you all for your continuous love and support of Conner James Photography. I truly would not be able to follow my dreams if it wasn’t for each and every client and I am so grateful. Here’s to another amazing year as your local newborn photographer in Edwardsville!

Welcome to Conner James Photography! My name is Christine, and I’d like to tell you a little bit about what I do. I am a Edwardsville photographer and I’ve been in the professional photography business for ten years, but I’ve been obsessed with photography for as long as I can remember. Having cultivated my newborn photography skills continuously over the years, newborn sessions are my main specialty, (check out my blog Why Hire a Newborn Photographer? for more information on why newborn photography is a specialized form of photography that requires advanced knowledge and specific skills). I recommend booking your newborn session with me as soon as possible! Newborn sessions tend to fill up fast, especially since I only book a limited number of newborn sessions each month so that you get my full attention and energy during your session. Additionally, babies have their own time frame, as some arrive earlier or later than planned. Spacing sessions out this way ensures that the session date can be adjusted accordingly.

Although newborn sessions are my specialty, I love doing all sorts of other types of sessions as well. For instance, my milestone sessions offer a perfect way to watch your little one grow as we can set up several sessions over the course of their first year. In addition to newborn, I offer 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months sessions; these are usually the important milestones in your baby’s first year as they are quickly growing and changing. Each milestone session is purchased separately, allowing you to choose one or all of them as you wish. My personal favorite milestone session is at 6 months old, when the baby can sit up on their own and they are usually very happy and giggly!

I also enjoy doing one year sessions, which include portraits and a cake smash. I recommend booking these sessions at least two weeks before the child’s birthday to ensure you will receive the edited gallery by their birthday. In my experience, some little ones love their cake while others want nothing to do with it, (Pro-tip: try having them taste some a few days beforehand to get them a bit more used to the sweetness) but, either way, these photos always turn out adorable!

Not many clients know this, but I also offer maternity sessions. They are so wonderful. Maternity sessions capture a beautiful time. Maternity sessions are usually photographed around 32 weeks or later. I offer in studio maternity sessions or outside as well.

Family sessions are also one of my favorite sessions to shoot. I thoroughly enjoy meeting new families and being able to capture the unique love that each family has for one another. The main goal in this session is to create a photo that accurately documents the specific personalities and dynamic of the family in a way that expresses the fun, playful, and loving feeling that the family has when they are with each other. From a multitude of styles and locations to choose from, ranging from Glen Carbon & Edwardsville, to St. Louis, to Collinsville, if you’re looking for a family photographer, I’m your girl!

If you’re looking for something a bit less formal and more affordable, I also offer a variety of different types of Mini sessions throughout the year, such as themed Spring Minis, Fall Minis, and Christmas Minis, to name a few. Christmas Mini sessions & Spring Mini sessions are definitely my most popular. Christmas Mini sessions start booking in July and are typically filled very quickly. Mini sessions offer a great way to receive a small gallery of high-quality, memorable photos at a great value.