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Zettl Photography – St. Louis Photographer bio picture

St. Louis Wedding and Portrait Photographers

2009 St. Louis Wedding Awards Winner for Photography | Winner of 4 Accolades of Excellence 2010 from WPPI

We're proud of the fact that Zettl Photography is quickly becoming one of the most sought after wedding and portrait studios in St. Louis.  We're also excited  to show off some of the amazing work we've been producing via our snazzy blog.   Please feel free to check back as we post new images and some random rambling messages.  And don't forget to leave comments! We like to hear from you too.

Cheers,

Stephanie & Peter - St. Louis wedding and portrait photographers.

The Grand Gesture and The Quiet Moment

Whether it is a large formal affair or a small casual event, every wedding is a special day to the bride and groom. It’s their chance to publicly display their love, dedication and commitment to the world.

I love to photograph the excitement, the energy,  and the planned events of the day.  But even more so, I love the quiet moments that genuinely profess the couple’s love to one another.

This photo of Meghan and Mike is very special to me.  I was watching them carefully during the speeches.  Meghan leaned closer to Mike and Mike instinctively leaned into Meghan  until they touched.  It was only for a brief moment as it was soon interrupted by the raising and clinking of glasses.  But in that soft little moment, there was a love, a connection and a energy that made me realize how perfect the two of them are together.

July 30, 2010 - 5:57 am jo @ allegro photography - Wow! This image is stunning, Stephanie. Really, truly stunning.

Bluebells | St. Louis Children’s Portrait Photographer

(An observation:  I have some photos of me at the age of 3 with a silly outfit, grasping at a plastic apple and grinning as if to show every single tooth in my mouth.  I look at these photos and I wonder why in the world were these the photo that they paid a “professional”  for when the photos that mean so much to me are the photos that were taken in my house and with my parents.  I really wish those photos weren’t taken with a point and shoot and printed on crappy fading yellowing consumer paper.  What I find even more interesting is the idea that the cheapest price would be the final determining factor in creating a photo we would look at for the next 50 plus years.

50 years.  That’s a long time.  And it’s something I think about on every portrait session that I photograph.  “Will you be happy with these photos now and in 50 years?”)


I was photographing Erin in the tulips earlier this spring when her mom Jill started to tell me about her grandmother’s farm.  Every spring, an area in the woods is just filled with bluebells.  I could tell by the way she spoke about it that it was something very meaningful to her and that there were fond memories about the area.

So, like the adventurous “artist” that I am, I told her we had to plan a session with Erin in the bluebells and that it would also be an opportunity to get photos with her great grandmother.  (I still have a worn and yellowing photograph of me and my great grandmother in a green porcelain frame in my hallway that I think about every time I photograph generations together.)

It took a bit for everyone to arrange their schedules, but I believe we can definitely say it was worth the effort.

Thank you, Jill & Pat, for letting me have a part in  photographing your family.

May 1, 2010 - 7:30 am Jill Johnston - Thank you so much. I will cherish these photos forever. This truly is a place that means a lot to our family.

May 1, 2010 - 10:38 pm Jessie Cho Photography - what a cute baby girl!

May 2, 2010 - 7:53 pm Cherie - Wow! You've found the most amazing light. This photo will become an heirloom to this family. They will definitely still be proud of this one 50 years from now, who wouldn't?

May 10, 2010 - 6:36 pm Marius - Definitely worth the effort. I like the contrast between Erin's dress and the lush blue bells.

May 31, 2010 - 7:08 am Philip Hawkins - That was a really inspirational idea and has worked a treat! A lovely image and beautiful setting!

May 31, 2010 - 8:51 pm Jerrell Terrell - Indeed, a beautiful portrait and little girl. Great job!

July 1, 2010 - 12:59 am Adam Cavanagh - This is just gorgeous!

July 29, 2010 - 10:26 am Mark - Gorgeous shot! Lovely light and colours.

Guest Blogging about Digital Pinhole Cameras

Seeing as it was Worldwide Pinhole Camera Day last Sunday, I decide to participate by making a digital pinhole camera.  (Yes, it did start as just an excuse to not have to clean my house) My technical adventures were published on Neil van Niekerk’s Tangents blog.  It actually ended up to be a neat little project.  And while the images are not award winning, it still amazes me that I was able to take a photo without a lens and with the body cap on my camera.  Read about how you too can easily and inexpensively create a digital pinhole camera

April 30, 2010 - 11:23 pm Randall Murrow - Great article, and such a fun project! A friend and I did this a few weeks back but for some reason were too lazy to actually get out on World Pinhole Day to shoot with them.

May 4, 2010 - 9:22 pm Ryan Gladstone, - I saw this on tangents and did a double take since a few of these were shot around the corner from my home. Great work and a fun little project.

May 10, 2010 - 1:50 pm katy - Ah, what fun! We've been thinking about doing some pinhole stuff for a while, good to know it can be done on the DSLR!

July 1, 2010 - 1:00 am Adam Cavanagh - Wow very cool stuff! I'll have to try it out.

California Dreaming | St. Louis Wedding Photographers

Many of our brides choose to come back to their hometown of St. Louis to get married, but they still want to include a bit of their new home and city in their wedding plans.  We always include an engagement session in all our collections as a way to get to know our clients better and help them feel more comfortable in front of the camera. (Very few us spend our life in front of the camera.)  If travel plans can be made, we are always happy to photograph outside the St. Louis area.

This spring we made plans to extend our Las Vegas trip to include an engagement session in Los Angeles with Jamie and Bill.  We had so much fun with the two of them.   I am so very excited about their wedding.  Below is my favorite photo from the session.  I absolutely love how the two of them are so into each other.  I adore the way Bill is caressing Jamie’s hair.  Couples who are so well matched warm my heart.

(Note, it’s always a good idea to keep track of the Zettls’ travel plans as we rarely travel anywhere without taking photos of people.  We don’t charge travel fees if we are already on the road.  We’ll be in Chicago the weekend of May 15th shooting 2 engagement sessions and a bridal session.  We still have room for more portrait sessions.  Contact us if you’re interested in some stylish and creative portraits that show a more intimate and beautiful view of your life.)

May 5, 2010 - 7:38 am Jennifer Marie - Not your typical engagement picture. Bravo. Jennifer Marie of Gattie Photography

1950s Vintage Portrait Session | St. Louis Portrait Photographer

This past Sunday I invited a friend to model for me on a very specific personal project.   It was one of those “go shoot something you really want to shoot and don’t worry about getting paid for it” projects. (Falls also under the heading of dream, dream, dream, practice, practice practice.)  These projects are very important to artists for many reasons.  Personally, they help me develop my creative vision, allow for artistic freedom and hone my skills.

The shoot was inspired by a book I just recently bought about Norman Parkinson.
Norman Parkinson: A Very British Glamour

Thanks for looking.

April 21, 2010 - 2:40 pm sarah hennessey - Stephanie, these are GORGEOUS. Saw them on facebook and drooled a little bit. It only helps when the subject is this beautiful, but your photography skills take it to a whole 'nother level. :) P.S. That building with the stone pillars is where I work! :) Looooove WashU's campus.

April 21, 2010 - 9:28 pm Lauri - Absolutely gorgeous! This is my fave from the showcase tonight!

April 22, 2010 - 9:56 am Kent - Great work. I love the main image.

April 22, 2010 - 6:02 pm Alan - Great work! This was my favorite shot in the showcase yesterday.

April 26, 2010 - 10:03 pm Audra Colpitts - Vancouver Photographer - Oooooo... Stephanie these are amazing! Definitely in the dream, dream, dream category. Great portrait location too. :)

April 27, 2010 - 3:18 am Boundless Photos - Stunning images, great captures and super processing. Love number 10

April 28, 2010 - 11:18 pm Martin Gammon - These are beautiful images inspired by the great man himself. How refreshing to see modern vintage that is not 20s or 70s.

May 6, 2010 - 1:52 pm Creative Apertures - superb....truly inspirational,I absolutely love the vintage feel to this set of images.

May 9, 2010 - 5:36 pm Luca Ragogna - Wonderful portraits! Very elegant, and classy. I love what you've done here.

May 13, 2010 - 4:38 pm Seth Buchanan - Absolutely love these photos. The main image is stunning! Great light

May 24, 2010 - 3:12 am ebphoto | photographe mariage Bruxelles - Absolutely stunning work! They are all great but N°1-2 and 10 work best for me. Thanks for sharing, this is very inspiring.

June 8, 2010 - 10:47 am Doreen Kline - I loved all of your vintage photos. All the leading lines and architecture is wonderful. Great work. Doreen Kline

June 20, 2010 - 5:58 pm morningglory - Absolutely gorgeous!!! Yummy lip color and gaze intensity.

Spring Portrait Sale | St. Louis Portrait Photographers

The 72 hour sale!

It’s Spring, the tulips are in bloom and we are running an incredible promotional offer on all our portrait collections.

Receive $200 off all regular priced portrait collection gift certificates purchased from now until 12 midnight Tuesday April 13th (Sale priced collections start at $150.00)

Offer good for Children, High School Seniors, Family, and Engagement sessions.

Click here to purchase gift certificates

Portrait session price list (take $200 off the prices listed.)

Choose the portrait collection you would like the purchase, the discount will be taken at check out and we will send you a gift certificate to use anytime between now and November 1, 2010.

April 11, 2010 - 9:58 am kim - LOVE IT!!!!

April 23, 2010 - 8:56 am Rod Pascoe - These are just GORGEOUS! love it!

Viva Las Vegas!

Telling someone “You hung” tends to bring some strange looks.  But for photographers attending the annual convention for Wedding and Portrait  Photographers International (WPPI), it’s exciting news.  It means that their print earned an accolade of excellence in WPPI’s international print competition and will hang in the print gallery at the convention.

Any print scoring above an 80 in print competition is recognized as a print of excellent skill and craftsmanship.  Over 3500 prints were judged this year.  We entered 7 prints and had 4 prints receive accolades of excellence.  Two of our prints received additional recognition for superior craftsmanship by scoring an 85 and 91.

I consider it a special honor that our top scoring photograph was a print from my personal project , “Mentors and Muses.”  This is an on going project of mine to photograph all the people that have made a difference in my life and  taught me a valuable life lesson.

Below are the images that received honors:

(Personal side note:   Peter and I survived a 4200 mile road trip to  Las Vegas and Los Angeles, and back home to St. Louis  without arguing, killing each other or leaving one of us on the side of the road in Utah.  And  most importantly, we still like each other.  Seriously, I think that says something!)

April 12, 2010 - 9:54 am Philip Hawkins Edinburgh Wedding Photographer - Those are all fantastic photos especially the last one which is spectacular!

April 15, 2010 - 10:00 am katy, jackson hole wedding photographer - Congratulations, how fantastic!! LOVE that last shot!

April 18, 2010 - 6:21 pm Nicole Trinity Ridge Photography - You really nailed the lighting on these photgraphs, I am impressed.

April 22, 2010 - 9:58 am Kent - Man - just fantastic. I think B&W portrays so much more emotion than colour. Congratulations.

May 11, 2010 - 3:22 pm Chris Chambers - Wonderful black and white photographs, as mentioned above, so much emotion and expertly exposed and converted. Wow!

May 24, 2010 - 7:35 am Ricardo Buchner - Wow, great black and white series! The first and last ones are my favourites!

Mentor Series Workshop: Chuck Arlund & Stephanie Zettl in St. Louis – June 7 & 8

The Mentor Series Workshop with Chuck Arlund and Stephanie Zettl

June 7 & 8, 2010

How do you become a better photographer?  What makes a photograph dynamic and full of life?  Do you know where to find inspiration for your work?  Are you comfortable using all different types of light?  Do you want to connect better with your clients?  Do you need practice and advice on your work?

Discover the answer to these questions at an  intense two-day workshop and shootout with Chuck Arlund and Stephanie Zettl.  The workshop will be held June 7 & 8, 2010 at Stephanie Zettl’s studio in St. Louis, MO. It will focus on getting those creative juices flowing and giving photographers the opportunity  to apply what was learned.  We’ll be shooting a whole range of people and models and then finish the course with kind, helpful guidance and advice about the images shot during the two days.

The workshop is recommended to all photographers interested in portrait, fashion and wedding work.  Basic understand of how your camera works is required.

What you will take away from the workshop:

Knowing how to see, use and shape the light
Knowing how to use your flash on and off camera
Knowing how to find inspiration and apply it to your work
A review of your work and an understanding of what you can do to improve
Some sweet Photoshop techniques
Advice on how to make a better album and be time efficient.

More info…

(more…)

April 27, 2010 - 12:31 am Celestial Imaging - Portrait photography is an art and you are master in this. great work.

April 28, 2010 - 3:07 am Charleton - Your work is freaking amazing! I love it!

April 28, 2010 - 9:32 pm Lauri - Sounds like an awesome workshop! Stephanie, I apologize...I just found your comment from a couple weeks ago in my spam. Thank you! :)

April 29, 2010 - 2:53 am Bailie Photography - Any plans of coming to Australia? Real amazing stuff you've got here.

May 22, 2010 - 10:32 am dalisa - You're going to have a great time! Wish I could be there!

April 30, 2010 - 2:57 pm “Be inspired” » The Two Guys That Shoot - [...] Stephanie & Chuck Arlund will be teaching a workshop together June 7 &8 in St.  Louis, MO.  For more information on how you can  walk away from a workshop feeling like you were both inspired and mastered the technical application, please visit the Zettl Photography Blog. [...]

The 2009 Winners of the St. Louis Weddings Award for Photography

Peter and I are very proud to announce that we are the winners of The 2009 St. Louis Wedding Award for Photography.

What makes this award special and meaningful to us is that the contest was open to any photographer in the St. Louis area and was not restricted to a certain group of advertisers or members. It was a legitimate contest of skill and talent.   The photos were judged by out of state wedding photographers, photography professors, professional artists and other working professionals. We had to submit 15 images (45 total) from three different weddings to show consistency in our body of work.

This is our first big award in photography.  We owe a great deal of gratitude to our mentors, our fellow wedding vendors and our fabulous clients.  Without your support and trust in us, we would have never have come as far as we have in the past seven years.  We want to sincerely thank you from the bottom of hearts.

Other winners include:

Ellen Gutierrrez – Bride’s Vision Wedding and Events (incredible coordinator!)
Rich West – Rich West Designs
Shelli Alred – Alred Wedding Consultants
Randall Greg Shamel – Artistry Florist
Erin Horn Schulte – Exclusive Events
Megan Kniffen  – Chase Park Plaza
Jeff Hill – Westview Media
Pat Rutherford -Sugaree Baking Company (love love love this bakery!)
James Robert Schaefer – The Coronado – winner of the 2009 St. Louis Wedding Award’s Wedding Professional Hall of Fame

We also want to extend a special thank you to Ethan Woods and Nancy Slade of St. Louis Bride Magazine for all their hard work in creating these awards.

Below are the 45 photos we entered into the contest.

April 16, 2010 - 11:03 pm Kevin Curtis - Beautiful Work! Love the shot of the Flower Girl with the cake. Great capture of her expression. :o)

May 5, 2010 - 1:47 pm Ryan Gladstone - Congratulations! With so many pay-to-play contests, it is great to see an old-fashioned talent-takes-it competition.

And the winner is…

After totaling all the votes from the blog, email and facebook… The winner of my online People’s Choice Award contest is photograph number one of Megan and Mike!

Megan and Mike will be getting a 13×19 copy of the photo in the contest and a copy of their favorite photograph from the same shoot.

BUT WAIT!  There is a second winner from the contest.  We randomly chose one person  from all the votes cast for an extraordinary portrait session, a 13×19 art print from the session and a $300 print credit. (A $550 value.)  The winner is: Chrissy Stojan

Thank you all for entering.  We’re excited to see how our prints do next month at WPPI.

February 23, 2010 - 1:14 pm katy gray - I love it - the steam is wonderful and really adds to the urban feel - beautiful shot!

February 24, 2010 - 3:18 pm hal - Fantastic black and white image! Light, mood, and emotion; what great photography is all about

February 25, 2010 - 7:01 am Alex Beckett - Cambridge Wedding Photographer - Love the photo, especially love the steam and the way the light curls down her back. Congrats megan and mike

February 26, 2010 - 12:26 pm James Brown - Very lovely work, as always! Well done :)

February 26, 2010 - 7:52 pm Providence Wedding Photographer - Beautiful image. B&W photography really shows true emotion by allowing us to focus on the emotion of the photography

February 26, 2010 - 11:11 pm Carol Darby - West Australian wedding photographer - Congratulations to the winner. A beautiful image captued at the right moment. A great use of city and traffic lights and the steam around their feet. And a lovely romantic moment between the couple.

February 26, 2010 - 11:34 pm Luca Ragogna - This is such a great shot, I love the lighting, the pose and the way the steam is wrapping the couple. Beautiful.

February 27, 2010 - 5:38 pm RD Decker - Raleigh North Carolina - This is a really nice image. Hope it does well for you. It should.

March 3, 2010 - 7:45 am Robert Newman - Lovely work!

March 3, 2010 - 12:02 pm Guy Collier - Hampshire Wedding Photographer - This is such a wonderful shot. One to look back on in 40 years. Great work.

March 3, 2010 - 6:45 pm Michael Caswell New Orleans Wedding Photographer - Beautiful image, love the steam!

March 6, 2010 - 2:20 am Mike Lichtenwalner - A big congrats to both the winners! That shot is great, the scene sets the mood perfectly. :)

March 6, 2010 - 3:44 pm Carrie McCluskey~ San Diego Photographer - I love that image! Great work!

March 10, 2010 - 10:38 pm bärbel - Stephanie, i have been a long time fan of yours. The above engagement picture is probably my favorite of all I have seen. Your photography is stunning and your use of light fantastic. cheers. b

March 17, 2010 - 3:51 am Kim Cavanagh - Great shot! Love the black and white really beautiful!

March 17, 2010 - 6:25 pm Brandon- Portland Oregon Wedding Photographer - Great shot indeed. I love his expression.

March 22, 2010 - 8:17 am Gary - I love the location. Great light ... and the steam. Keep it up!

March 22, 2010 - 2:36 pm Kim Noel - Philadelphia Boudoir Photographer - Beautiful image. I love the expressions you captured!

March 23, 2010 - 10:11 am Ian - What a fantastic capture! Your photography is brilliant, I look forward to seeing the upcoming Wedding Photos for the new Season. Looks like St. Louis has some fantastic locations.

March 24, 2010 - 7:35 pm Scott Lane |Nashville Wedding Photography - Love that shot, I really like the emotion that is involved, and where can I get some smoke like that? Is that something I can pick up at BH? jk

March 31, 2010 - 1:33 am Mark Lean - wedding photographers cornwall - Fantastic image, I love the why you have captured the emotion & mood and the why you have creatively used the light.

March 31, 2010 - 10:17 am Lupe Aguilar - You have some outstanding B&W photos...Love this shot with the steam coming out of the ground.

April 2, 2010 - 8:59 am Philip Hawkins - Excellent image. It has just about everything - fun, romance, drama, plenty of impact!

April 16, 2010 - 11:06 pm Kevin Curtis - Great shot Stephanie. Love it!