We are excited to host a series of on-site, face-to-face portfolio reviews with top Industry and Academic Professionals. Critical review as our seniors present their year-long projects and embark into the professional workspace.
Reviews by Industry and Academic Professionals:
Zach Cordner - Photographer & Creative Director, Riversider Magazine - Riverside, CA
Veronica Cotter - Education Development USA, Hahnemühle FineArt - Los Angeles, CA
Wendy Fisk - Freelance Project Manager + Producer, Executive Director - APA San Diego, CA
Dennis Keeley - Former Chair of Photography and Imaging, Art Center College of Design - Pasadena, CA
Tony Pinto - Creative Director, Vim & Vigor - Anaheim, CA
Sonya Singh - Director of Lancer Media Group & Freelance Multimedia Journalist - Riverside, CA
Bill Thompson - Founder, Principal Photographer, Pencilbox - Orange, CA
Billy Yarbrough - Studio Manager, La Jolla Group - Irvine, CA
Thankful to these professionals for offering their precious time to the Program and the next generation of Photographic Professionals.
Zach Cordner is a Photographer and Creative Director who has been documenting the underground music scene since the '90s. Zach has also shot everything from hip-hop and pop artists to celebrities throughout his career. An in-demand commercial photographer, the California-based music head has worked with such companies as Simon & Schuster, Vans, and PETA.
Veronica Cotter is the Education Development and Western Region Manager, Hahnemühle USA. Veronica has been in the Photo & Imaging Industry for thirty-plus years. Her career began in analog, working for companies that produced high-end B&W films and papers. Her current position with Hahnemühle USA provides the opportunity to connect with image-makers to discuss the importance of printing and paper choice.
Wendy Fisk has worked in various roles within the San Diego creative industry for over 15 years managing projects, marketing, and production for various clients. She has also served as Executive Director for a non-profit photography organization (American Photographic Artists) for over 5 years.
Dennis Keeley works as an artist, photographer, teacher, and writer. His photographs have been exhibited in numerous one-person and group shows and he is published internationally in books and studies concerning the urban circumstance. He has works in the permanent collections at LACMA, MOCA, the J. Paul Getty Center Trust, and Conservation and Research Institutes and was commissioned by the California African American Museum in Los Angeles. In 2016 he was chosen by Month of Photography Los Angeles (MOPLA) to exhibit his portraits of musicians in a solo exhibition entitled, “25 Years of Music.”
Dennis Keeley is former Chair of the Photography and Imaging Program at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and has served on the Board of Directors at Angel's Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro, CA for more than ten years.
Tony Pinto is an art director/designer with over 20 years of professional experience. He’s worked for Grey Advertising, Lois/EJL, Ayzenberg Group, and Walt Disney Company, and has completed projects for companies and organizations in almost every business sector. His experience encompasses retail and business communications, including web design, magazine, and publication design, advertising (print and broadcast), packaging, and direct mail. A long-time member of AIGA and has served on the board of the Orange County chapter in recent years. He’s lectured on art and design at various conferences and holds an MFA from California State University, Los Angeles.
Sonya Singh’s work has appeared in Los Angeles magazine, Rogue magazine, NME, and Nylon, among others. She has photographed artists from clubs to stadium stages, told stories from inside maximum-security prisons, and interviewed hundreds of people from U.S. ambassadors to Slash. Her story on NBC's "Parks and Recreation" star Aubrey Plaza was featured on the cover of Rogue magazine's summer 2017 issue, and her interview with musician James Bay was featured on the summer 2019 cover.
A graduate of Pepperdine University, where she served as the executive editor of the weekly newspaper, Singh is a journalism educator, college media adviser, and multimedia reporter who specializes in culture coverage, especially anywhere live music can be found. She previously worked as an editorial assistant in London and interned in television development at BBC Worldwide in Los Angeles.
Bill Thompson is a design photographer who specializes in shooting people for clients in the automotive, financial, healthcare, medical device, and non-profits/foundations industries. He is the founder of Pencilbox Studios a collaborative studio of creative principals and partners who work together to create concept-driven communication solutions that extend beyond the expected while building strong partnerships with clients. And board member of AIGA-OC.
Billy Yarbrough is the Studio Manager of La Jolla Group in Irvine, California, where he oversees the Photo/Video Studio management of staff and operations. As a commercial photographer, he considers himself an expert in Canon cameras, Adobe Master Suite, Capture One, and various professional lighting equipment brands. Previous Clients include Lithia Motors, SavrPak (Time Magazine Best Innovation 2021), Framework Computer (Time Magazine Best Innovation 2021), Sambazon Acai, Article One, Billabong, Quiksilver, DC Shoes, Element skateboards, Roxy, Vonzipper, Richer Poorer, Ethika, Sony Music, Flex Brand, Coopers Spirits, Dandy Del Mar, Nomadix, Unique Vintage, Lively Root, Ernie Ball, Urban Cowboy Hotels.