Degree Major Emphasis Institution Year
M.F.A. Photography - Art for Commerce Academy of Art University 2007
B.A. Photo Communications / Business Administration California State University, Fullerton 2004

Christopher Kern has been shooting and producing commercial photography projects since 2003. He holds an MFA in Photography from the prestigious Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA. Along with his freelance photography work, he has been utilizing his MFA as a photo instructor since 2009. His photographic work has been featured in the industry by; PDN, CMYK, IPA, and the APA. Photographically he is looking to create imagery that is – aspirational yet attainable. His true passion is for the people he encounters, whether as a portrait subject, fellow creative, student, or stranger. While his commercial work has taken him all over the United States and Internationally – He calls Riverside home, where he lives with his wife, Nikki, and daughter Eva James.

Visit us at www.cbuphotostudio.com.

Follow us on Instagram @cbuphotography.

PHO 105 - Digital Photography (The Camera)
PHO 110 - Commercial Photography
PHO 310 - Process & Practice
PHO 330 - Visual Storytelling
PHO 332 - Studio Lighting
PHO 350 - Digital Printing & Color Management
PHO 400 - Special Topics
PHO 415 - Context & Narrative
PHO 432 - Location Lighting
PHO 433 - Studio Practice
PHO 450 - Digital Asset Management
PHO 485 - Photography Business
PHO 499 - Portfolio & Gallery
DES 310 - Creativity: Collaboration and Context (Design Thought Practicum)

Photography Program Curriculum for Higher Education
Theory into Practice
Professional Practice
Portfolio Development
Marketing & Promotion
Industry & Networking
Creative Collaboration
Photography Facilities and Equipment

Canon Live Learning - Costa Mesa, CA
Academy of Art University - San Francisco, CA
Art Institute of California - Inland Empire - San Bernardino, CA
Art Institute of California - Orange County - Santa Ana, CA
Irvine Valley College - Irvine, CA

Featured in the Photography industry by; PDN, CMYK, IPA, and the APA.

Grove Men - The Grove Community Church (Riverside, CA)
Sandals Church - Hunter Park (Riverside, CA)

Youth Innovation Center at Arlington Park (Advisory Board)
Alvord Unified School District CTE Advisory Board
Riverside Unified School District CTE Advisory Board
Orange Unified School District CTE Advisory Board
Norte Vista High School CTE Digital Media (Advisory Board)
Elsinore High School CTE Digital Media (Advisory Board)
Patriot High School CTE TV/Video Production & Digital Photography (Advisory Board)
Martin Luther King High School CTE Photography (Advisory Board)
Houston Community College - Digital Communication (Advisory Board)
American Society of Media Photographers - Los Angeles (Professional Member)
American Photographic Artists - San Francisco + Los Angeles (Professional Member)
Society for Photographic Education - West (Chapter Member)

Family, Mentorship, Continued Education, Cultivating Relationships, Professional Networking, Community Service, Photography, History, Art, Culture

“We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Indeed only by myth-making, only by becoming ‘sub-creator’ and inventing stories, can Man aspire to the state of perfection that he knew before the Fall.” - J.R.R. Tolkien