Event Overview

Monday, April 6th, 2026

2:00PM – 8:00PM: Registration Opens

Arriving Monday evening? Grab your badge early and beat the Tuesday morning lines.

7:15PM – 8:15PM: Newbie Walking Tour

Hosted by Bethany Ellen, Joyce Geiser, Jocey Wright, and Ted Anderson. Meet at the Grand Hall Prefunction area and tour all the important areas that you need to know about before the event officially starts. So you will be ready to rock on day 1! We will cover classroom areas, shooting areas, non-shooting areas, and answer your questions along the way. 

Tuesday, April 7th, 2026

7:00AM – 4:00PM: Registration
Pick up your badge – you’ll need it to walk through the trade show floor and get to your classes.

9:00AM – 10:30AM: Welcome & Opening Keynote with Sal Cincotta
An opening you won’t want to miss!

9:00AM – 4:30PM: Rent-A-Human (RAH)
Find yourself with a free class slot, or even just 30 minutes of time? Head to the Rent-A-Human station and request a model to work with. You can do RAH by yourself or with a group of 2-5 photographers and shoot all over Union Station.

10:45AM – 12:45PM: Class Time (90 min/120 min hands on)
See the full class lineup at: https://shutterfest.com/classes/

12:00PM – 4:30PM: Lunch, Vendor & Hands-On Time
No classes, but that doesn’t mean no learning! During this down-time, you can:

  • Visit the vendors on the trade show floor for product demos, photo walks, and more.
  • Grab a model from Rent-A-Human and head anywhere in Union Station – including the Creator Lab or Nanlite Boudoir Bays for some hands-on shooting time.
  • Check out the local St. Louis food trucks we’ve brought in (final lineup below) or one of the many food options in and around Union Station.
  • Got a photoshoot idea? “After hours” shoots are allowed from 1PM -3PM with any models NOT scheduled to be in RAH, so let your creativity go wild.

4:30PM – 6:30PM: Class Time (90 min/120 min hands on)
See the full class lineup at: https://shutterfest.com/classes/

4:30PM – 6:30PM: Creator Series LIVE
Join us in the Creator Lab to watch photographers compete live in the Creator Series challenge, hosted by Sal Cincotta. Participants will be required to audition and contestants will be selected before ShutterFest – more details coming soon.

8:00PM – Midnight: Mob Bosses & Mob Wives Theme Party
The opening night party is held in the Union Station Grand Hall. All attendees are welcome! Costumes are not required, but always enjoyed 🙂

Wednesday, April 8th, 2026

8:00AM – 12:00PM: Registration

9:00AM – 4:30PM: Rent-A-Human (RAH)
Find yourself with a free class slot, or even just 30 minutes of time? Head to the Rent-A-Human station and request a model to work with. You can do RAH by yourself or with a group of 2-5 photographers and shoot all over Union Station.

9:00AM – 10:30AM: Class Time (90 min)
See the full class lineup at: https://shutterfest.com/classes/

10:45AM – 12:45PM: Class Time (90 min/120 min hands on)
See the full class lineup at: https://shutterfest.com/classes/

12:00PM – 4:30PM: Lunch, Vendor & Hands-On Time
No classes, but that doesn’t mean no learning! During this down-time, you can:

  • Visit the vendors on the trade show floor for product demos, photo walks, and more.
  • Grab a model from Rent-A-Human and head anywhere in Union Station – including the Creator Lab or Nanlite Boudoir Bays for some hands-on shooting time.
  • Check out the local St. Louis food trucks we’ve brought in (final lineup below) or one of the many food options in and around Union Station.
  • Got a photoshoot idea? “After hours” shoots are allowed from 1PM -3PM with any models NOT scheduled to be in RAH, so let your creativity go wild.

4:30PM – 6:30PM: Class Time (90 min/120 min hands on)
See the full class lineup at: https://shutterfest.com/classes/

6:00PM – 9:00PM: Creator Lab & Boudoir Bays After Hours
Bring a model and create after hours magic in the Creator Lab or Nanlite Boudoir Bays with access to all the shooting bay sets and gear from Westcott, Nanlite, Intuition, and more. Just remember to share and play nice with your fellow photographers 🙂

8:00PM – Midnight: Bada-Bing UNO
An UNO tournament in Ballroom C with Cincotta house rules and prizes for the winner!

Thursday, April 9th, 2026

9:00AM – 10:30AM: Class Time (90 min)
See the full class lineup at: https://shutterfest.com/classes/

9:00AM – 4:30PM: Rent-A-Human (RAH)
Find yourself with a free class slot, or even just 30 minutes of time? Head to the Rent-A-Human station and request a model to work with. You can do RAH by yourself or with a group of 2-5 photographers and shoot all over Union Station.

10:45AM – 12:45PM: Class Time (90 min/120 min hands on)
See the full class lineup at: https://shutterfest.com/classes/

12:00PM – 4:30PM: Lunch, Vendor & Hands-On Time
No classes, but that doesn’t mean no learning! During this down-time, you can:

  • Visit the vendors on the trade show floor for product demos, photo walks, and more.
  • Grab a model from Rent-A-Human and head anywhere in Union Station – including the Creator Lab or Nanlite Boudoir Bays for some hands-on shooting time.
  • Check out the local St. Louis food trucks we’ve brought in (final lineup below) or one of the many food options in and around Union Station.
  • Got a photoshoot idea? “After hours” shoots are allowed from 1PM -3PM with any models NOT scheduled to be in RAH, so let your creativity go wild.

4:30PM – 6:30PM: Class Time (90 min/120 min hands on)
See the full class lineup at: https://shutterfest.com/classes/

8:00PM – Midnight: Closing Party

Send off another great ShutterFest with new & old friends, a DJ, and good vibes in the Grand Hall of Union Station.

Friday, April 10th, 2026

9:00AM – 4:45PM: SF+ classes
SF+ is an additional day with smaller classes geared to more advanced learning. Learn more at https://shutterfest.com/sf-plus/

SKILL LEVELS

Beginner: Just starting out or relatively new to a given subject matter. Basics will be covered and the course will move at a slower pace. The instructor will spend a little more time trying to explain concepts to ensure everyone is following. On a scale of 1-10 consider this level a 1-3 on the given topic.

Intermediate: Has a grasp of some basic concepts. This course level will move at a faster pace and assume you have basic knowledge covered on the given subject matter. On a scale of 1-10 consider this level a 4-6 on the given topic.

Advanced: You have working knowledge of the given subject matter, but are looking for more fine-tuning and some advanced topics to take your work to that next level. DO NOT expect instructors to explain basic concepts in this course. On a scale of 1-10 consider this level a 7-10 on the given topic.

Class Types

Hands-On

These are shooting courses. You will be shooting and working. Bring your camera, gear, or whatever you need for the course and to create create images. Expect to have some level of shooting.

Live Demonstration

These are instructor-led courses where you will see a live demonstration of what the instructor is teaching. You can still bring your camera to these courses and you can photograph, but the goal of the course is NOT for you to shoot or to ensure you get a shot. The goal is for you to see how and why the instructor does what he/she does in order to get the final result.

Lecture

These are non-shooting courses. Typically classroom-based, bring your laptop and notepad and focus on learning!