Layers of Love
Reviews
“Lots of take-aways from this course! I loved all of the instruction from light to composition to the cinematic approach. I appreciate the behind the scenes videos on Iris in action. I have some new tools in my tool box to add variety to my images and some things to keep practicing as I revisit these lessons and my notes. Iris is so sweet and I love that she is soft spoken and thoughtful... watching her behind-the-scenes showed me my sessions don't always have to feel so rushed and chaotic. I also loved seeing others work in the discussions and Iris's feedback since I was a silent student. One of my favorite activities was the imagining games! I've never done that before and I think doing activities like that will help me look for those things during a live session and be prepared with ideas”
-Brittany Porter
“Iris' cinematic approach to family photography opened a new creative door for me in envisioning scenes for family shoots that capture the family's authentic story and love. The way the course is broken down by shoot locations (nature, in-home and urban) made practicing the application of Iris's philosophy feel approachable in any setting. I feel lucky to have gotten a seat in this course and gain Iris's feedback on my assignments - she is an incredibly talented photographer and great teacher!”
-Whitney Devato
“This course has lit a fire under me. I've always felt a pull towards documentary, but I quickly feel cinematic photography will be a close second in its capability to pull out the personalities of my clients and how it can be unique for every client interaction. I can see myself popping back into the course to review and applying what I've learned. SO MANY GREAT TAKEAWAYS!
”- Kari Fellabaum
“Layers of Love has given me wonderful insight into how Iris achieves her wonderful, cinematic family images. I have taken new inspiration into my shoots and am already seeing a positive change and trend towards a more considered and patient composition. Iris is a wonderful artist and a wonderful teacher who has opened my eyes to how I can incorporate these different approaches into my work to create more striking images. Thank you Iris!”
-Belinda Dorman
“I am very happy that I attended this course. I absolutely love Iris's photos and now I know she has a great philosophy, values and engagement behind them. The structure and modules were very well thought out, interesting, and understandable. I felt very inspired studying each module and doing homework. Recently, I experienced burnout. This course returned my inspiration, and curiosity to the study of space and light. I remembered that it is important to be yourself. I am truly grateful for this experience. It was a great learning experience. Iris is a talented photographer and mentor”
- Alina Kostetska
“This course has lit a fire under me. I've always felt a pull towards documentary, but I quickly feel cinematic photography will be a close second in its capability to pull out the personalities of my clients and how it can be unique for every client interaction. I can see myself popping back into the course to review and applying what I've learned. SO MANY GREAT TAKEAWAYS!
”- Kari Fellabaum
“Layers of Love has given me wonderful insight into how Iris achieves her wonderful, cinematic family images. I have taken new inspiration into my shoots and am already seeing a positive change and trend towards a more considered and patient composition. Iris is a wonderful artist and a wonderful teacher who has opened my eyes to how I can incorporate these different approaches into my work to create more striking images. Thank you Iris!”
-Belinda Dorman
“I am very happy that I attended this course. I absolutely love Iris's photos and now I know she has a great philosophy, values and engagement behind them. The structure and modules were very well thought out, interesting, and understandable. I felt very inspired studying each module and doing homework. Recently, I experienced burnout. This course returned my inspiration, and curiosity to the study of space and light. I remembered that it is important to be yourself. I am truly grateful for this experience. It was a great learning experience. Iris is a talented photographer and mentor”
- Alina Kostetska
“Iris's cinematic approach to family photography opened a new creative door for me in envisioning scenes for family shoots that capture the family's authentic story and love. The way the course is broken down by shoot locations (nature, in-home and urban) made practicing the application of Iris's philosophy feel approachable in any setting. I feel lucky to have gotten a seat in this course and gain Iris's feedback on my assignments - she is an incredibly talented photographer and great teacher!”
-Whitney Devato
“Lots of take-aways from this course! I loved all of the instruction from light to composition to the cinematic approach. I appreciate the behind the scenes videos on Iris in action. I have some new tools in my tool box to add variety to my images and some things to keep practicing as I revisit these lessons and my notes. Iris is so sweet and I love that she is soft spoken and thoughtful... watching her behind-the-scenes showed me my sessions don't always have to feel so rushed and chaotic. I also loved seeing others work in the discussions and Iris's feedback since I was a silent student. One of my favorite activities was the imagining games! I've never done that before and I think doing activities like that will help me look for those things during a live session and be prepared with ideas”
-Brittany Porter
I knew I needed to take this course the moment I saw it offered. I related so well to Iris’ natural documentary style but I needed help with melding both documentary and lifestyle. Knowing how to guide people is why I took this course and it met my needs exactly. Iris’ work is inspiring and it was a honor to be in a course instructed by her. She gave it her all and shared so much of her process. You won’t regret taking this course!
Jennie Morel
Thank you so much for this course! It took me three times to get into the class, and I was so excited I was able to not only get into the class but to have sessions to practice. I've realized that I have a lot of fear and overthinking I need to work on during situations I'm not used to, so not scouting the places was a challenge for sure. I will take what I have learned into my sessions and use it for motivation to conquer that fear!
Bianca Schneider
First of all, Iris, I just want to thank you wholeheartedly for everything you’ve poured into this course. Every module is packed with incredibly valuable content, and I’ve learned so much more than I expected. But above all, I’m grateful for your presence — your thoughtful, detailed, and always prompt replies to every single comment have made a real difference. At first, I was a bit unsure about doing the course from Spain, but it ended up working out beautifully.
I also want to thank my fellow students. I’ve seen so much talent and creativity here, and sharing these three weeks with you has been truly enriching. It’s also helped me realize that many of the doubts I thought were uniquely mine are actually shared challenges — and through your questions and Iris’s responses, I found a lot of clarity and support.
Thank you so much for all your thoughtful feedback! I’d love to stay in touch and keep following your progress and successes as photographers. Go team!
On a more personal note, I now feel that this course will be my roadmap moving forward. It’s time to put everything into practice and adapt it to each of our personal styles. It’s a bit overwhelming at first — like learning a new language or how to drive — there are so many things to keep in mind in the beginning, but with practice, they become second nature. That’s the goal.
And I have to confess, Iris — at some point during the course, while looking at your photos, I had full-blown Stendhal syndrome moments. You are pure inspiration and creativity. Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
Thank you Iris! This course exceeded every expectation I had. I feel like it wasn't only about learning how to shoot cinematic family photos-it was about learning how to stop and observe the possibilities in our environment. The content was incredibly thoughtful, every module felt carefully crafted with great examples. I especially loved the urban settings breakdown as that is where I spend a lot of time shooting. I cannot wait to revisit the information and practice. Thanks again Iris you truly are so talented!
Thank you so much, Iris! I have loved the class. First, let me say that you are truly gifted in the way you are able to look at a scene and figure out how to place subjects for such interesting compositions and connections. I do think your ability is extraordinary. With that said, you also did a great job breaking it down for us to learn how to begin to see a scene and compose the subjects to bring out an interesting story. I do feel like what you shared is something I can learn over time with a good bit of practice. It really has helped me begin to think about space differently. I appreciate that you shared that you think of something and after trying it, you were not happy with the results and just moved on. It's good to know that sometimes it is trial and error. I am excited to keep practicing. The material in the class was excellent and I will continue to review it and keep working. Thank you for including so much content. It was truly jam packed with great information. I loved what you shared about sessions not always being smooth. You would never know that from your images.
The one thing that I feel like would be wonderful for the class would be if there was a place to post daily/weekly practice for sharing with the classmates. This is something the teacher does not have to spend any extra time on just an opportunity to share and learn from each other. It is something that I found myself wishing I could ask a classmate, which image do you think is stronger and why, or just get feedback from others on the skills we are learning. Thank you again for all that you shared. It was wonderful to participate in your class!
Joy Knox