Spotlight on: STJ Creative

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We spent the day with Anne of STJ Creative. Join us as we give you a behind-the-lens look at a-day-in-the-life of one of St John’s top photographers.

STJ Creative is the professional identity of Anne Bequette. A professional photographer for over 6 years – Anne moved to St John the first time in 2005, left to finish college in 2006, and returned in 2012 to launch STJ Creative, a life-long dream of hers. Since then she’s been using her creative eye to capture subjects with a modern mix of formal, candid, and photo-journalistic styles. Whether she’s shooting for a wedding, family portraits, commercial / real estate / or shooting an event – Anne manages to capture the beauty in every moment and convey it as a compelling image.

Anne’s day starts at 6am. A quick look at the day’s weather forecast and “flight check” of her equipment.



”I try to shoot during the magical times of the day: morning and dusk.” – Anne

Packing a dizzying array of photographic equipment into her black duffle, she’s off early to scout the location of her morning shoot. In this case – beach portraits for a family from Massachusetts visiting St. John on vacation. The location: world-famous Trunk Bay Beach on St John’s beautiful North Shore. Black volcanic rocks jut out over sugar-soft sand juxtaposed to the aquas and blues of the bay. The sun is just beginning to pull soft shadows. A quick survey of the light, shadows and natural forms, perfect! Anne is satisfied that the eastern end of Trunk will be ideal; and we head off to meet the family at the entrance.

The shoot combines her photographic skills with a honed ability to get the best from her subjects without inducing stress. We watched as she lead them through various poses; combining the natural forms and colors of St John with the characters and dress of a couple with two young girls. Between smile inducing humor and professional “tricks” for keeping people from blinking, Anne was pure professional. The shoot lasted just over an hour and a half – and culminated in some pictures that were decidedly fun and spontaneous.

“It’s amazing what can come out of these casual end-of-session images!” – Anne

Next stop Cruz Bay to shoot head shots for one of the busiest wedding planners on the island. The drive back to “town” was along St. John’s North Shore Road. We talk about Caneel Bay Resort and share a story or two about the crazy driving on these winding island roads. The commercial shoot shows off Anne’s wide range of specialties behind the lens. She slips into the creative, selecting props and lighting to bring the images to life. A few hours will pass as she wraps up her second shoot, and heads home to begin the post production process of all the images taken today. Just another day in paradise for those of us that live and work on this exquisite little rock!

To view the results of Anne’s morning shoot, as well as her portfolio, please visit her site at www.stjcreative.com.
Interested in having STJ Creative capture your special St. John memories?
Give Anne a call at 314.258.9120 or email her at anne@stjcreative.com