James B. Wood
Director of Photography

Mr. Wood has been teaching for more than 25 years, while simultaneously running one of the largest West Coast commercial studios. He earned a BFA in photography with distinction from the Art Center College of Design. His client list tops 1000. To name a few; Life magazine, American Motors, Honda, IBM, Apple, Yamaha, Gallo, Levi's, Marlboro, Wells Fargo, Polaroid, Kodak, Nikon, Kraft and Toyota. Mr. Wood has the honor of being named one of the 65 best photographers in the world by Canon U.S.A.

Ryan Baldwin
Director, Digital Photography

Ryan Baldwin is a freelance photographer based in Santa Cruz, California. He specializes in digital fine printing and commercial photography. He holds a BA in color technology from Brooks Institute of Photography. His work has been published in magazines, calendars, national advertising campaigns and much more. He runs his own stock photo library in addition to image representation with leading stock agencies. Ryan's fine prints are sold to private collectors and represented in galleries across the United States.

With over 12 years experience in the industry, Ryan has succeeded in merging his traditional photographic background with the newest advancements in digital imaging. Ryan has been teaching at the Academy of Art University since Fall 2001.

Diane Choplin
Full-Time Instructor

Diane Choplin received her MFA in photography from the University of North Carolina in 2002 and now divides her time between personal projects and teaching. She is especially interested in fine art and documentary photography with emphasis on collaborative projects. Her work has been exhibited nationally and in Cortona, Italy.

James Goins
On-Line Photography Coordinator

James Goins is a fine art and freelance photographer based in San Francisco, California. He specializes in traditional, mixed media, and digital photography. He holds a BFA in Photography from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, an AAS in Advertising Design, and an AA in Photography from St. Louis Community College. His work has been published in several books and his fine artwork is represented in galleries in the Mid-West and the West Coast.

With over 8 years experience in the industry, James has successfully merged his traditional photographic background with both mixed media and digital imaging. James has been on the photography staff at the Academy of Art University since Spring 2005.