James Van Hees Photography

03/07/2025

📸 Your Headshot’s Worth More Than You Think

Ever wonder why a plumber charges $150/hour to fix a drip, but a photographer’s $200 fee for a headshot raises eyebrows? It’s not just a photo—it’s your first impression, your brand, your edge. A 2022 Upwork study shows creatives like us earn 30% less than tech pros, despite the hustle. Why? People undervalue what looks “easy”—until they try it. Our lenses don’t just click; they craft your story.

Take my friend Joe: $1,200 for a 12-hour wedding shoot, 600+ timeless images. The florist charged $1,500—for petals that faded by cake time. Your headshot? That’s the image landing you a $100K gig or a packed inbox. PPA’s 2023 data proves it: Pros who value their craft (and charge for it) double profits. You’re not buying a snapshot—you’re investing in impact.

Need a headshot that screams value? I don’t shoot for peanuts—because you’re not one. Book a session that matches your worth. Call me.

02/04/2025

AVATAR VS HEADSHOT

I posted last week about the use of AI generated headshots, and one commenter asked: Any thoughts on aspiring career artists using avatars from games as a stand-in for photos?

My thoughts:

If your audience is more likely to hit “connect” with a funky avatar, well… okay then. Or if you’re trying to stay undercover or just pushing a faceless brand or skill, by all means, slap on Mario, Master Chief, Pikachu, Kratos, or Handsome Jack. Go wild.

But remember—social media is not only about how you project yourself, but your ability to make connections. You might think your quirky cartoon avatar screams “fun and charming,” but your viewers could be thinking, “Hmm, that’s a little sus… are they legit or just lacking enough confidence to show their real face?” The bigger question needs to be who are you trying to connect with, and what do they need to see? With AI making everything look real, fake, or somewhere in between, trust of the content you post is on life support. Soon, folks might just default to not believing anything they see. So the best hack is to be as genuine as possible.

If you’re in business, authenticity usually wins. People hire people, they buy from people, not cartoons. But hey, if your illustrated likeness can seal the deal better than your actual face—or a shot of you hard at work—then go for it. As for me, I’ve used faceless services now and then. But when I’m shelling out real money, I still like to see and trust the person behind the pixels.

12/14/2024

Send a message to learn more

10/12/2024

Just announced a new Sendit! By James release v7.3.0 is out and its awesome! Get your copy at http://
www.senditbyjames.com

https://youtu.be/DEDE-VNOOGk?si=8u08f-jKzSs5jrPM

Sendit! Version 7.3.0 is releasing and this is a sneak peak at the new features. Now enjoy Adobe 98 & SRGB colorspace selection, Advanced Cropping Tweaks, Ne...

07/30/2024

Want to learn more about using AI retouching for your image projects? I am hosting two 1-hour webinars this week for photographers who are using or are interested in checking out Evoto Ai's retouching platform. This Wednesday and Thursday at 7pm est. First we are going to be looking at the power of Evoto's presets that not only re-color, but completely retouch skin and faces, replaces backgrounds, fix clothes, and more. On Thursday we will be taking that knowledge and applying it to a live tethered session using Evoto. You will learn what the tether experience is like with Evoto, the pros / the cons, and how we put those powerful presets to work.

You can register at the following links:

Wed: https://lnkd.in/gMz4uJ_b

Thurs: https://lnkd.in/gTpcNu3p

Look forward to seeing you there!!!

04/24/2024

Just dropped version 6.0.7 .... explainer below! So happy with how responsive the community and dev team is. This has been awesome.

If you haven't picked up your copy yet ...tick tock ..... early bird pricing is almost over.

Two exciting changes we made to help you get more out of sendit! by James Van Hees. New recipe sorting feature and a better way to organized folders for thos...

04/18/2024

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes and for all the support with my new script

Sendit! is a photoshop script designed to help photographers by automating the last set before they deliver their work to the customer. Resize, crop, rename, organized, and do a little magic.

03/31/2024

Version 5 of Sendit is alive! Plus a free trial is now available too! Here is a quick explainer.

If you want to get yourself a copy goto: https://www.senditbyjames.com

If you want to try it for free (3hr trial): https://we.tl/t-74ztTBysKy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KftqOWsjXBk

Version 5 Release Notes and features. Thank you for your continued support!Get your copy here! https://www.senditbyjames.comNot sure and want to give it a tr...

03/14/2024

Exciting news: SendIt! launches soon! Be among the chosen few who get early access by signing up at

Sendit! is a photoshop script designed to help photographers by automating the last set before they deliver their work to the customer. Resize, crop, rename, organized, and do a little magic.

03/21/2023

Come join this incredible wirkshop experience. Learn my set up and lighting recipes, capture amazing images for your portfolio.