Bringing Stories to Life at St. Louis Union Station

This year’s Shutterfest Photo Conference was extra special for me. It was my 4th time attending, and I finally got to stay right at the historic Union Station Hotel in St. Louis. It made such a difference to have my cozy room nearby to rest in between sessions and not have to lug all my photo gear around all day. (Bonus: the beds were so soft—my shoulder felt better than it usually does after a full day of shooting!) I even had the energy to join in on some fun after-hours photo shoots and games like Uno.

One of my favorite photo sessions this year was with Darlene. We explored St. Louis Union Station together, taking portraits of her near the train and in front of the grand architecture. But what made this shoot even more meaningful was learning that Darlene is passionate about the history of Union Station and is currently working on a book about it.

Once I found that out, I knew we had to create images that captured her in her element. Some of my favorite photos from the session were of Darlene sitting at a desk surrounded by her research, deep in thought and writing. We also found a cozy chair in one of the beautifully historic corners of Union Station where I captured her reading about Union Station’s history.

I absolutely love creating lifestyle portraits and branding photos like this for business owners, authors, and creatives. There’s something magical about on-location photo sessions that bring someone’s story to life with a mix of natural settings, meaningful props, and authentic expressions.

✨ If you’re an aspiring author or creative entrepreneur, I’d love to help tell your story through imagery too.

And if you’ve been dreaming of writing a book, you should definitely check out my friend Karen Gruber’s Soul Writer program I’ll be there taking lifestyle, headshot, and behind-the-scenes photos of the participants as they dive into their writing journey. It’s going to be so inspiring!