Speakers
This year’s lineup of over 60 speakers, returning vets and newbies alike, are here to deliver an incredible experience for all ShutterFesters!
Shutterfest 2027 Speaker Lineup
Ian Spanier
Specialty: Portrait and Lighting
Ian Spanier is an award-winning portrait photographer who began shooting at age six after receiving his first camera. After studying photography in college and working as a photo editor in publishing, he remained driven to create, teaching himself medium and large format as well as lighting. Deeply influenced by the original masters, Spanier embraces a self-directed “10,000 hours—and then some” approach to refining his craft. He photographs what he sees, without limiting himself to a single subject or style. Now based in Los Angeles, he regularly photographs celebrities, athletes and people of note while also working on personal work, book projects, and sharing his ideology and lighting techniques to photographers worldwide.
Follow Ian Spanier:
Ian Spanier’s Classes:
Class Description:
In an era where cameras do so much for us, the light meter remains one of the most powerful—and overlooked—tools a photographer can master. In this class, award-winning portrait photographer Ian Spanier breaks down exactly why a light meter is essential and how it can elevate your work at every level.
You’ll learn just how simple it is to use a light meter across all lighting scenarios—natural light, continuous light, and strobe—removing the guesswork and giving you total control over your exposures. More importantly, this session goes beyond the technical: it reveals how understanding light through metering transforms the way you see, shape, and craft your images.
Whether you’re just starting out or have years behind the camera, this class will unlock a deeper, more intuitive understanding of light—empowering you to create consistent, intentional, and professional-level photography every time you shoot.
What to Bring to Class:
I can supply an exact light of equipment needed for this demo. Students can bring their own meters but are not required to have any experience.
STROBE VS. CONTINUOUS LIGHT – HOW DO YOU CHOOSE?
Class Description:
Choosing between strobe and continuous light is one of the most important decisions a photographer can make—but it doesn’t have to be a confusing one. In this class, Ian Spanier breaks down the strengths, limitations, and real-world applications of both lighting types to help you confidently decide what’s right for your work.
You’ll gain a clear understanding of how each light behaves, how it affects your subjects, and how it influences your creative approach on set. From freezing motion with strobes to shaping mood with continuous light, this session explores the practical and artistic trade-offs that every photographer should know.
Designed for photographers of all levels, this class will give you the clarity and confidence to choose the right tool for any shoot—so you can spend less time second-guessing and more time creating powerful, intentional images.
What to Bring to Class:
I can supply an exact light of equipment needed for this demo. LED, Strobes and if possible the location has an option for natural light.
Class Description:
Light is only the starting point—how you shape it is what defines your voice as a photographer. In this class, Ian Spanier breaks down the essential tools and techniques used to modify light, giving you the control to craft portraits with depth, mood, and intention.
You’ll get an inside look at the go-to modifiers Ian relies on—from softboxes and reflectors to grids, flags, and beyond—and learn exactly how each one affects the quality, direction, and emotion of light. More importantly, he’ll walk you through how he decides which tools to use and why, based on the story he wants each portrait to tell.
Perfect for photographers at any level, this session will help you move beyond simply lighting a subject to shaping a narrative—so every image you create feels deliberate, powerful, and uniquely yours.
What to Bring to Class:
I can supply an exact light of equipment needed for this demo. LED, Strobes and if possible the location has an option for natural light.