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.

ShutterFest 2027 Classes

Class Search Form

Build a Marketing System That Works While You Don’t

Speaker: (Website) (Social Media)

Hands-On   

Most photographers don’t have a marketing problem. They have a system problem.
They’re constantly posting, creating new content, chasing the algorithm, running on a constant hamster wheel and wondering where their next inquiry will come from. But what if more of your marketing could happen automatically?
In this hands-on class, photographers will learn how to build a simple marketing ecosystem using tools and content they already have. We’ll look at how email marketing, lead magnets, automated nurture sequences, past-client communication, referrals, and evergreen content can work together to move people from discovering your business to inquiring, booking, and coming back again.
Attendees will map their existing marketing, find the biggest opportunities for automation while keeping the human touch, and build a realistic 90-day plan focused on creating systems instead of constantly creating more content.
The goal isn’t to give you 47 new marketing tasks. It’s to help you build a marketing system that keeps working even when you’re not.

What to Bring to Class:

Primary Topics: Business, Client Communication, Marketing

So You Want to Teach? Turn What You Know Into What You’re Known For

Speaker: (Website) (Social Media)

Lecture   

You’ve spent years building your photography business, developing your skills, and figuring out what works. Now, you’re ready to turn that experience into something you can teach.
In this class, you will learn how to identify what they want to be known for, develop clear teaching pillars, and turn their expertise into a class that is organized, valuable, and action focused.
We’ll cover how to choose the right topic, structure a presentation, create a clear transformation for your audience, and teach without cramming everything you know into 90 minutes.
We’ll also look at the bigger opportunity behind education. One great class can lead to speaking opportunities, podcasts, workshops, mentorship, courses, brand partnerships, and new revenue streams.
Attendees will leave with a clear “known for” statement, teaching topics, and a framework for turning what they know into what they’re known for.

What to Bring to Class:

Primary Topics: Business, Networking

The Leaky Inquiry Pipeline

Speaker: (Website) (Social Media)

Lecture   

When bookings slow down, the immediate reaction is usually, “I need more inquiries.”, “I need to post more”,
You can spend enormous amounts of energy generating leads, worrying about the state of the industry all while unknowingly losing potential clients at multiple points between discovery and booking. A confusing website, weak call to action, slow response, generic inquiry email, overwhelming pricing guide, missing follow-up, disconnected marketing, or lack of nurturing can quietly cost bookings long before a client ever says no.
In this class, we’ll walk through the complete journey a potential client takes with your business and uncover the five most common places where connection, confidence, or momentum can break down.
You’ll learn how to recognize the leaks in your website and messaging, inquiry process, initial response, pricing and sales experience, follow-up, and nurturing, and how simple systems and automation can create a smoother path toward booking.
You’ll leave knowing what to look for in your own client journey, where potential clients may be slipping through the cracks, and which changes to prioritize first.
Before you work harder to generate more inquiries, let’s make sure your business knows what to do with the ones you already have.

What to Bring to Class:

Primary Topics: Business, Client Communication

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There's still time to get

Early Bird Tickets

April 22-25 2024 | St. Louis MO.

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!