Classes

Union Station provides the perfect backdrop for hands-on learning and spacious classrooms for lecture and live demo classes.
With over 100 classes, there’s something here for everyone!

How do I register for a class?
You will be able to select classes 
IN THE SHUTTERFEST APP two weeks before the event (first come, first serve). READ THE FAQ and/or monitor the private Facebook group for more details.

SF24 Class Lineup

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Behind The Curtain – The Magic Of Santa® Look

Speaker: Chris Fritchie

Lecture   

Intermediate, Advanced   

Unleash your editing prowess in the captivating world of Santa photography with our groundbreaking course, led by Chris Fritchie. Prepare to immerse yourself in the secrets behind Chris’s award-winning Santa images as he unveils his meticulously developed editing techniques. Delve into his coveted workflow, meticulously fine-tuned over years of experience, that has revolutionized the industry with its unparalleled speed and efficiency. Discover how to achieve breathtaking results while optimizing your editing process. Under Chris’s guidance, you’ll acquire invaluable skills that will elevate your photography to new heights, empowering you to create captivating Santa images that command attention and admiration

Beyond Branding Photography | Expanding Your Offerings To Grow Your Business

Speaker: Shelly Niehaus

Lecture   

Advanced   

You’ve delivered your clients their personal branding images; now what? Does your client know how to use these images in their marketing plan, or will they just collect dust on their hard drive?

Educating your clients on effectively using their images after the session is the key to a full-service branding photography experience and will keep them coming back for more!

In this class, you will learn how to leverage the power of adjacent products and services to grow your personal branding photography business. You’ll discover the secrets of upselling and cross-selling your services, identifying relevant and valuable add-ons, and teaching your clients how to use their branding photos for social media and marketing. You’ll also explore how partnerships and collaborations can help you expand your reach and offerings, giving your business the boost it needs to succeed.

Don’t just focus on your photography skills—level up your business game too! This class will equip you with actional steps that can be implemented to turn your branding photography into a lucrative business while still keeping it fun and fabulous!

Beyond Shutter Drag | Next Level Creative Exposures In Camera

Speaker: Seth Miranda

Live Demonstration   

Intermediate   

This class is great for those looking to level up but also for beginners to understand how different light sources effect our images. Learn how one press of the shutter can get you more than one type of exposure by using lighting of all types mixed together. More importantly learn WHY and HOW all these effects happen so you can apply them where and when you see fit. Go beyond just using slow shutter for gimmicks but how to apply it to optimize certain situations. Learn how to balance flash with constant lighting and even wild effects with random light sources you can find from a dollar store.

This demo goes from practical techniques for multiple images, shutter drags, ghosting techniques and more to work with motion all the way to wild stylized flares, streaks and other things to make your images dynamic to jump out at the viewer. While these techniques are nothing new its important to understand how they actually work as a fundamental foundation for elevating your images.

Blogging 101 For Photographers

Speaker: Myrna Daramy

Lecture   

All Skill Levels   

Back by popular demand! Wonder if blogging is worth it or not for your business? With #AllTheThings that you have to manage when it comes to digital marketing (social media, google ads, SEO, reviews, etc.), tacking on one more time-consuming task can seem daunting. But with AI, blogging can be manageable.

In this session, we will discuss the importance of blogging and how it can impact your business. In addition, we will also review 5 WINNING how-to tips for photographers that will change your blogging game and attract more clients.

Boudoir Bride Radiance: Embracing Sensuality In Romantic Portraits

Speaker: Ivan Duran

Hands-On   

Intermediate   

In this class, we will explore the unique blend of romance and sensuality that defines boudoir photography for brides. Through expert guidance and hands-on demonstrations, you will gain the skills and knowledge needed to create breathtaking portraits that highlight the radiance and allure of the bride on her special day.

Discover the art of crafting a romantic and intimate atmosphere through lighting, composition, and posing techniques. Learn how to create a safe and comfortable space that allows your brides to embrace their sensuality and showcase their inner radiance. We will focus on building trust, communicating effectively, and guiding your subjects to bring out their most confident and alluring selves.

Throughout the course, you will explore various wardrobe choices, styling options, and props that enhance the romantic ambiance and evoke a sense of intimacy.

Boudoir Strategy = More Sales From A Session!

Speaker: Scott Detweiler

Hands-On   

All Skill Levels   

It is common to see boudoir sessions that focus on posing and the flow of the sessions. However, we can easily double or triple our sellable images by adding a lighting strategy! This method can quickly create additional images that satisfy the requirement of not looking like all of the other shots from a session but are different enough that a client will feel the need to purchase them. This session will focus on utilizing one light and possibly mixing in available light to produce a much larger body of work to present to the client in the sales session. Without losing the client connection, I will show how to incorporate additional lighting and how to use it to quickly create alternatives that are as sellable as the primary shots. During the demonstration, you will see how to add in additional lighting, work creative angles to maximize the body of sellable work and work with the lighting to resolve common body issues and maximize the female form, all with the addition of one or two strobes. I will also discuss some sales tactics during the session, as having a product goal is often something we don’t think about before a shoot.

Branding Beyond The Headshot | Building A Kickass Business With Personal Branding Photography

Speaker: Shelly Niehaus

Lecture   

Intermediate   

Are you interested in expanding into the personal branding genre but unsure how to start? Are you unsure how to market yourself as a personal branding photographer? Do you aspire to establish yourself as a respected and sought-after personal branding photographer in your community?

This class teaches you to go beyond the standard headshot and build a thriving personal branding photography business. From understanding the genre to identifying your target audience and developing a unique selling proposition, we’ll cover all the necessary steps to attract clients, price your services for profitability, and close the deal. You’ll also gain insights into creating a marketing plan using social media and email strategies.

Snap up your business potential with invaluable takeaways and actionable steps, empowering you to succeed!

Bridal And Couple’s Boudoir – Let’S Turn Up The Heat!

Speaker: Alain Martinez

Hands-On   

All Skill Levels   

Let’s take some hot photos the bride and groom CAN’T show mom and dad. Come and shoot some HOT boudoir photos of a couple, and a bride alone. I’ll show you how to get classy and elegant sexy portraits that the bride and groom will cherish privately more than the wedding photos. This is a great add-on to your bottom line with opportunities to make thousands of extra dollars by selling albums and wall art. But you gotta get those HOT pictures first, and it’s about to get hot in St. Louis!

Building a 12-Month Marketing Plan

Speaker: Sal Cincotta

Lecture   

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, All Skill Levels   

Struggle with marketing? We all do. In this course, Sal is going to put together a 12-month marketing plan for you so that you can walk out of this class ready to execute. No matter what genre you are focused on this class will give you marching orders for the upcoming year.

Topics Covered // Social Media Best Practices, SEO Content Creation and Marketing, What services to market and when, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and more.

Business Mastery: Strategies For Success In The Competitive Market

Speaker: Matthew "The Body" Kemmetmueller

Lecture   

Beginner, Intermediate   

In this comprehensive class, we will explore the essential aspects of running a successful photography business in today’s competitive market. From understanding the industry landscape to implementing effective marketing strategies, this course is designed to equip photographers with the knowledge and skills required to thrive as entrepreneurs.

Celebrating Cultures with Headshots!

Speaker: Zsa'nee Gaines

Hands-On   

All Skill Levels   

When you look at the world, what do you see?

Isn’t it amazing how much people are the same and yet so different?cWe can attend the same functions, work in the same environment, attend the same schools, and yet have a completely different upbringing. In this class, we will photograph HEADSHOTS with people of various ethnicities. There will be props for culture-specific attire.

You will learn headshot lighting, beauty lighting, creative lighting, as well as accentuating, and highlighting the characteristics of a culture.

Bring your gear! This is a hands-on class that I will walk everyone through.

My goal is for you to walk away with the knowledge and ability to create something stunning for ALL of YOUR CLIENTS and appreciate their differences.

Color Masters

Speaker: Hernan Rodriguez

Lecture   

Beginner, Intermediate   

Commercial / Editorial Beauty Photography

Speaker: Jeremy Braggs

Live Demonstration   

Advanced   

Have you ever walked into a Sephora and noticed the images used in the store? Or seen those elaborate makeup campaigns and wondered how they do that? This course will teach you the ins and outs of setting up these types of shoots. We will demonstrate how to capture the commercial, clean look that companies look for, as well as have fun creating the editorial makeup looks that will get you noticed. We will also learn the preparation needed before the shutter is snapped, so you can execute your look.

Conceptual Portraits

Speaker: Scott Detweiler

Hands-On   

All Skill Levels   

Approaching unique situations and creating a story, that is the goal of this hands-on class. We will have several models, each with a very unique look. We will discuss the thoughts behind lighting each one. This is an open-minded class we explain exactly why we do what we do, and the goals behind the light, pose, and purpose. This is an ideal session for wedding and portrait photographers, as the challenge of the environment often comes up in our work. Everyone gets a chance to shoot, but more importantly, learns a mindset on how to get more sellable images in fewer clicks of the shutter. Please note that may be a body painted model in this class, so partial nudity should be expected.

Cranking The Volume To 11: Efficient Workflow And Exceptional Results For School And Sports Photographers

Speaker: Matthew "The Body" Kemmetmueller

Lecture   

Beginner, Intermediate   

In this specialized class, we will delve into the world of volume photography, focusing on capturing high-volume events such as yearbook photos, team and individual portraits, and other group sessions. Whether you’re a seasoned volume photographer or just starting in this field, this course will equip you with the knowledge, techniques, and business strategies to excel in this unique genre.

Create A Senior Experience They’ll Talk About!

Speaker: Jenn Lewis

Lecture   

All Skill Levels   

Jenn is going to give away the secrets to how she provides an amazing client experience for her high school seniors. She’ll discuss what she does and provides, as well as what the kids want from their photo session, how to get them talking, and how to get them to share on social media. Jenn will break down the way Gen Z thinks and how to connect with them. These methods will help set you up for sales success!

Create Stunning High-Fashion Dresses On A Budget!

Speaker: Monique Hoppe

Hands-On   

All Skill Levels   

You don’t have a huge budget for your client closet? No problem! Create your own unique high-fashion dresses for your clients.
NO SEWING SKILLS ARE NEEDED!

Creating a Studio On Location

Speaker: Hernan Rodriguez

Hands-On   

Beginner, Intermediate   

Creating An Irresistible Brand

Speaker: Isaac Coffy

Lecture   

Beginner, Intermediate   

You’ve got the camera, you’ve got the portfolio and maybe even a logo, but how do create a brand that will be so desired that it basically does the selling for you? My studio has gone through countless rounds of brand reconstruction – with plenty or failures and successes in between. I’m going to show you the very recipe I’ve refined after 10 years of photography business. Through very real, attainable steps you’ll be able to refresh or launch your business and put yourself on a trajectory of success in your community.

During this class, we’ll identify the makings of a quality brand image and how to create a true VIP client experience.

Creating Dramatic Images Using Motion

Speaker: Mariea Rummel

Hands-On   

Intermediate, Advanced   

At times we get so caught up in posing that we forget to create movement in our photos. Motion in images grabs your attention. In this demo to hand-on course you will learn multiple motion scenarios with our models and then the class will break into smaller groupings for a more intimate shooting experience. We will have continuous lights on hand to add the drama to the motion.
You will learn:

– How to address your model
– Camera settings
– The flow of the shoot
– Dramatic motion

Creating Images Is Nothing More Than Simple Cooking

Speaker: Craig La Mere

Live Demonstration   

Intermediate, Advanced   

I will show you my approach to creating any image. To me creating images is nothing more than simply organizing different ingredients to create any image you want.

Creating Narrative & Atmosphere With Light | Cinematic Character Portraits

Speaker: Seth Miranda

Live Demonstration   

Intermediate   

Go beyond pointing a light and praying it looks good. Create images that actually connect and mean something.. from virtually nothing in the space. Lighting can be language that shapes perception to bring out and define the character of our subject but it does not stop there. Build a scene using light, make any space into an environment with an atmosphere your viewer can feel. Using tools you have seen to create scenes in films you will learn what story to tell and how to tell it on a deeper level visually. Manifest the atmosphere, build the scene, create the narrative, and take things a step further.

Creative Beauty Portraits With Artistic Light

Speaker: Ray Alvarez

Hands-On   

Beginner, Intermediate   

At SF23 We had so much fun creating with Kay Alvarez and our two models. This time we are adding a twist of color, a pop of makeup and a splash of gels. We are also going to shape, modify and bend light with GOBOS. Didn’t attend our class last year? That’s okay, I will guide you every step of the way. With multiple stations, attendees will have the chance to photograph the models with different artistic angles and light setups. Godox/Flashpoint triggers will be provided. Everyone will have an opportunity to shoot. Let’s play with light!

Attendees will learn:
Camera settings to apply for the creative portraits
Lights, tools & lens that work best for a portrait setup
Placement of light, reflectors and modifiers

Creative Inspiration: Where To Find It & How To Apply It

Speaker: Ric Lewis

Live Demonstration   

All Skill Levels   

Taking a client’s photo can be so much more than just a standard portrait or headshot. It can be as creative and wondrous as you’d like to make it. It can be a reflection of your client and their uniqueness, hobbies, and individuality. Or it can be something in you personified and transparent made tangible through an image. In this class I go over how I find my creative inspiration, whether it’s my own or a reflection of the client, the resources I use to source creative props and sets, and finally, the lighting set-up used to achieve that specific look.

Creative Sessions: Inception To Execution

Speaker: Heather Larkin

Hands-On   

All Skill Levels   

Do you have a dream shoot but you struggle to bring it to life? In this class you’ll learn to:
-come up with a theme
-expand on your ideas
-throw out what doesn’t work
-use that plan to build your sets
At the end of this class we will use the set we built as a team to create some killer images.

Dare To Be Different: Standing Out In Group Shoots

Speaker: Kerri Jean

Hands-On   

Beginner   

Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or a beginner, group shoots are an excellent opportunity to build your network, creative exploration, and expand your portfolio. However, are you tired of taking the same shots as everyone else during group photoshoots? It can be tough to stand out when everyone is using the same sets and poses. But why settle for ordinary shots that blend in with the rest? Join me to learn techniques to make your images unique and stand out from the rest!

Design An Album, Sell An Album! It’s That Easy!

Speaker: Raph Nogal

Lecture   

Intermediate   

Want to make an extra $30-40K with album sales? It starts with a design that sells. I’ll take you through my method of designing an irresistible album that clients want to buy. We’ll also do a live design demo so you can see it all in action!

Discovering Hard Light

Speaker: Yvens B

Lecture   

All Skill Levels   

This presentation demonstrates the creative potential behind using hard light in your work. Discover how hard light can create impactful visual imagery, attract new clients, and learn the key principles to integrate hard light in your work.

Dive Into The Dark Arts – How To Create Stunningly Eerie Images

Speaker: Brittany Munn

Hands-On   

All Skill Levels   

Are you interested in learning how to create dark and eerie images? If so, this dark arts photography class is perfect for you. In this hands-on course, you will learn the basics of dark art photography, including composition, lighting, development, and post-processing. After a basic demonstration, You will have the opportunity to experiment with different creative techniques and develop your own style. Be prepared to create with fake blood, special effects and some pretty unique props, resulting in stunningly eerie dark imagery. Please bring camera if you would like to participate in the hands on portion, as you will have the opportunity to shoot each model/concept.

Dominate Your Editing – Unleash Lightroom Mobile’S Power!

Speaker: Jen Stitt

Live Demonstration   

Intermediate   

Ready to take this show on the road? Grab your tablet and Jen will help get you out from behind the desk and ready to edit anywhere. These simple and repeatable steps will allow you to harness the power of “editing-on-the-go!” Jen will show you how to leverage Lightroom Mobile to deliver your sessions and imagery fast while establishing a good work/life balance all through technology you probably already subscribe to. Plane, train, bus, or beach. Let’s goooooooo!

Here’s what you will learn:
1. How to share your Lightroom Classic Catalog to your mobile device
2. Easy steps to cull on the go
3. Tips for basic editing on your tablet
4. Tips for advanced editing on your tablet
5. Installing presets and profiles for consistent results across devices

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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!