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 pick my classes?
You will be able to register for classes IN THE SHUTTERFEST APP two weeks before the event (first come, first serve). The app is released about a month before ShutterFest. READ THE FAQ and/or monitor the private Facebook group for more details.
SF26 Class Lineup
Color as Character: Directing Emotion in Portraits
Speaker: 
Julie Gayler (Website) (Social Media)
Color isn’t just what we choose because it looks good. It’s communication.
In every portrait, color is already speaking…setting the mood, guiding the eye, and shaping how your subject is perceived. When chosen randomly, it can distract. But when designed with intention, color becomes a character in your frame, supporting and strengthening the story you’re telling.
In this class, you’ll learn how to make color work for you, whether you’re just starting out or refining your craft.
You’ll learn how to:
• Go Beyond the Basic Color Wheel Understand how tonal separation, balance, tension, and color relationships create impact, and how to apply them simply and practically in portraits.
• Shape Color With Light Use direction, contrast, and shadow depth to influence saturation and mood, not just add a gel, but build color intentionally.
• Refine With Purpose in Editing Adjust tone, temperature, and separation to enhance what you created in camera, not fix what went wrong.
This class breaks color down into clear, usable concepts you can apply immediately.
You’ll leave seeing color differently — with the confidence to direct it intentionally and create portraits that feel cohesive, expressive, and emotionally alive.
Primary Topics: Composition, Lighting – Creative and Special Effects, Portraits – Fine Art
Light • Pose • Story
Speaker: Julie Gayler (Website) (Social Media)
A great portrait isn’t just about where someone stands, and lighting them evenly — it’s about how light and body language together shape emotion.
In this guided photo walk, we’ll explore how small changes in pose, gesture, and light can transform a simple portrait into a moment that feels cinematic and full of story. Learn to direct your subject with intention and start creating portraits that feel like characters from a scene.
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Fix awkward poses instantly with natural placement and subtle movement cues
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Learn how to shape the body with angles and direction to create flattering, unique and dynamic poses
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Control the tiny details that matter most: hands, eye line, and expression to direct mood, confidence, and connection
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Learn how to position “motivated lighting” to make a scene look more natural, together with posing tweaks
Come shoot, experiment, and see how quickly a portrait can go from ordinary to powerful. You’ll leave with practical techniques you can use immediately to create portraits that feel more confident, cinematic, and alive
Primary Topics: Lighting – Off-Camera (Flash or Constant), Portraits – Fine Art, Posing