OAW Founder and Executive Director teaches classes at photography event
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 10, 2023
OAW team members and volunteer photographers gather for a meal together in St. Louis.
St. Louis, Missouri: On Angels’ Wings team members spent the first week of April 2023 in St. Louis attending the 9th annual Shutterfest photography conference, held at Union Station. Conference festivities began Monday evening, April 3, and classes and events were held through the evening of April 6. Tuesday evening, OAW volunteers from several service areas joined OAW board members for dinner, providing an opportunity to foster relationships and camaraderie in this difficult but worthwhile work they do.
OAW is able to provide accommodations and care for its staff and volunteer photographers that attend Shutterfest as a part of the Supporting our Network of Area Photographers program (SNAP), which is funded in part by a grant from Hospice Foundation of the Ozarks. The impact of attending in tangible.
“I personally get so much out of attending Shutterfest each year,” says Julie Stoecker, owner of Stoecker Media in Springfield, MO and OAW volunteer photographer for nearly four years. “Not only does my skill level improve by learning new techniques, but my confidence grows as we get to immediately put that knowledge to practice. Shutterfest is a community like no other where we learn and grow together. Using the skills and techniques I learn there each year only help me serve my clients and OAW recipients better.”
OAW team members that attended, but aren’t photographers themselves, still learned a lot from the business and marketing classes offered.
“Attending Shutterfest when you’re not a photographer can be a little intimidating,” admits Connie Bumb, OAW Service Coordinator, who aids in planning photo sessions for the organization. “Being surrounded by so many people speaking a language I didn’t quite understand was a little challenging at first. However, I quickly felt welcomed and didn’t feel like an outsider at all. The speakers at Shutterfest truly love what they do and want everyone to learn something. I left this week feeling motivated and uplifted after watching a community of vastly different people come together to reach a very common goal: Serving people through incredible photography. I cannot wait to go again next year.”
In addition to attending, founder and executive director, Michelle Cramer, served as a speaker for the conference for the first time, teaching three classes:
- Giving Back in a Way You Never Thought You Could: Navigating Bereavement Photography
- Heartfelt Posing for Infant Bereavement Photography
- Creating Emotion in Low Ambient Light With No Flash
In her Giving Back class, Cramer spoke on what it is like to work in bereavement photography and answered many questions about how OAW approaches this service. In her Infant Bereavement Posing class, she utilized life-like dolls and gracious models to demonstrate the best poses under traumatic circumstances to provide families with images they will cherish. Both classes appealed to a select group of individuals willing to learn about hard, emotional avenues for using their talents within their communities.
“I felt encouraged and supported after listening to Michelle speak in her Navigating Bereavement Photography class,” says Brianna Buchholz, owner of Brianna Buchholz Photography and volunteer photographer for OAW in St. Louis. While Buchholz has provided beautiful journey sessions for OAW recipients, she’s been apprehensive about providing a bereavement session for the organization, understanding the difficult task it can be. “Giving back with my photography has always been a part of me, but learning how I can make an impact in someone’s life that truly carries more than words can say has left me wanting to do more. Going into my first Shutterfest as someone who started their business not too long ago, I knew I needed a new business strategy. I was nervous about what Shutterfest had to offer, but now I have a clear-cut plan of how I want to make changes in my business, and serve the community through my talent.”
Cramer’s Ambient Light class was full, with nearly 50 attendees. The OAW team was there to assist and support Cramer as she ventured into new territory within her photography and philanthropic career as an instructor.
“I train new volunteer photographers regularly on the work that On Angels’ Wings does, but I have never taught photographic technical skills in a classroom type setting with so many people hanging on every word,” Cramer admits. “In concept, it was intimidating, and it took some encouragement and pushing from my team for me to even apply, but once I was teaching, it all felt very natural. I came out of the full class feeling very empowered, encouraged, and confident in the fact that I’m doing exactly what I’m meant to be doing!”
Cramer’s team members were there to assist and observe as she conducted her classes. Their attendance at the event was critical in helping them to learn more aspects of how OAW works.
“It was truly inspiring to watch Michelle transfer into the speaker role at Shutterfest,” says Bumb. “She is always teaching, coaching, and encouraging those that she comes in contact with one-on-one, but speaking at Shutterfest is unlike her normal day-to-day. Watching her help others learn and/or improve on this craft was not only exciting, but rewarding. I was honored to be a part of it.”
“I am in awe watching Michelle, not only behind the camera, but teaching and sharing her passion for photography,” says Michelle Slavens, OAW Vice President and Support Coordinator, who also attended Shutterfest. “I was inspired seeing her take time throughout her class to look at the images other photographers were capturing, using her experience to give them feedback and advice.”
Cramer and Slavens also took time while in St. Louis to meet with two local hospitals: Barnes Jewish and Cardinal Glennon. The organization already has a strong working relationship with Cardinal Glennon’s Footprints Department, but the meeting brought up new opportunities for expanding services there. Additionally, while the organization has provided a few sessions sporadically for Barnes, that meeting solidified the organization’s partnership with the hospital on a regular basis.
“Getting the opportunity to meet in person with hospitals we partner with in other areas is of vital importance,” Cramer says. “It gives them the opportunity to bring in staff to ask questions and have a stronger understanding of the breadth of services we provide. To physically see the faces that are behind all of the phone and text conversations when sessions are arranged also establishes a stronger trust in that working relationship.”
Overall, the week was a success for the organization and the individuals that attended. “Watching Michelle share about OAW and what our photographers do made me understand more deeply not only how important OAW is to our community, but how passionate Michelle is about making sure our photographers are taken care of,” Slavens says.
“It truly is an honor to do this work,” Cramer adds. “As the organization celebrates 10 years in 2023, it’s befitting to take every aspect of what we do to the next level, including having our team attend and teaching at a nationally recognized photography conference like Shutterfest. It was well worth the trip and we all look forward to doing it again next year.”
L to R: Brianna Buchholz, Connie Bumb, Michelle Cramer, Michelle Slavens, Julie Stoecker
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On Angels’ Wings is a Missouri non-profit organization that seeks to improve the mental health and wellness of families with medically fragile children (regardless of race, ethnicity, class status or orientation) through therapeutic photography and grief recovery services, free of charge. oawphoto.org
Hospice Foundation of the Ozarks is a Missouri non-profit organization that awards grants to organizations which are involved in end-of-life services and education. The Foundation supports hospice, palliative care, advance directives, grief and bereavement services, educational programs and other activities which nurture informed personal choices and respect for diverse cultural identities in the end-of-life experience. hospiceozarks.org