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.

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SF26 Class Lineup

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Headshots That Shine: Opening Doors in Dance, Cheer & Gymnastics

Speaker: Sheryl Bashore (Website) (Social Media)

Live Demonstration   

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced   

What if your portrait skills could unlock an entirely new market — one that brings steady bookings, weekday work, and stress-free post-production? Headshots aren’t just keepsakes; they’re a powerful gateway to building relationships, boosting sales, and escaping the unpredictability and weekend grind of traditional portrait or event work.

The best part? As a portrait photographer, you already have the foundation — posing, lighting, and client interaction. With a few workflow tweaks, you can adapt those skills into a streamlined, volume-friendly system that produces stunning, consistent results parents can’t resist.

In this high-energy session, Sheryl Bashore reveals how to create captivating headshots that athletes love while avoiding time drains like inconsistent lighting, complex posing, and high-touch client management. You’ll discover how to position headshots as a premium, scalable add-on, and how they can become your golden ticket to landing dance studios, cheer teams, and gymnastics gyms.

Key Takeaways:
• Proven lighting and posing techniques for consistent, high-impact results at scale
• Strategies to position headshots as a must-have, high-value product that boosts sales
• How to seamlessly adapt portrait skills to the volume market without burnout
• Ways to use headshots as your foot in the door to win over studios, gyms, and schools

Primary Topics: Dance Photography, Volume Photography

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Early Bird Tickets

April 22-25 2024 | St. Louis MO.
  • Learn from 80+ top speakers
  • Trade Show Access
  • Work with over 200 models
  • Save over 40% on tickets - for a limited time only!
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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!