Things I LOVE About ShutterFest

Welcome to the lobby of the Union Station Hotel in St. Louis. I ran across this image recently, and it's the perfect example of a whole series of things I've grown to love about ShutterFest.

• The location is perfect! The Union Station Hotel is loaded with history and it's the perfect place for networking, shooting and expanding your skill set. This shot was from the balcony overlooking the lobby.
• There are a lot of opportunities for hands-on shooting. From classes to just taking advantage of the "Rent a Human" program and getting your own model, the conference is loaded with time to build your skill set. In the image above there are four different hands-on sessions taking place, some with instructors, others just made up of photographers working together.
• This is only one section of the hotel. Because of the history of the building, the hotel is loaded with great locations to photograph, both inside and out. It's also filled with places to just talk with other photographers and share new ideas and techniques. And, because Sal and Taylor Cincotta along with the whole ShutterFest team have worked to develop a terrific venue, their conference rooms are terrific for their platform speakers as well as smaller hands-on sessions.
• You never know who you're going to bump into at ShutterFest. Anybody know Kevin Gilbert? He's a Panasonic Luminary, great photographer, past president of the Whitehouse Press Photographers Association and an all around great guy. This is like playing "Where's Waldo" but he's walking across the lobby in the picture above and just one of the industry's leaders you should get to know.

• Great instructors all come together to help you learn! Check out the lineup for this year's program and you'll see what I mean. Plus, the trade show and the vendors who choose to exhibit, give you an opportunity to expand your network and be on top of what's new in technology, marketing and business.

No one convention or trade show can give you everything you need, but ShutterFest is coming the closest! It's a boutique conference loaded with opportunities to grow your skills and your network. Plus, it's the perfect time to charge your battery one last time before heading into the real start of the season.  Just click the banner below to find out more!