Background
Christopher Zwirner was born in Augusta, Georgia. His father Alex Zwirner was a Captain (United States) in the United States Army. His mother is a painter, Dion Zwirner.
Zwirner is of German and Belarusian descent on his father"s side, Finnish and English on his mother"son
At age 11, his father was transferred and relocated the family to Presidio of San Francisco.
Education
There Zwirner attended Marina Middle School, Raoul Wallenberg Traditional High School and graduated from San Marin High School.
Career
He came to attention first as one half of the photo partnership Morand + Zwirner. There he gained notoriety for his lighting on fashion editorials for International Magazines such as Blink, Oyster (magazine), Lucier, and Prestige Hong Kong, and for photographing celebrities such as Kerli Kõiv, Olivia Wilde and Dita Von Teese as well as shooting for clients such as Island Def Jam and Epitaph Records. The family relocated permanently in San Francisco after his retirement from the service.
Christopher Zwirner began his career taking photography classes at City College of San Francisco as well as Santa Rosa Junior College.
In 1992, at the urging of an old roommate, he came to Los Angeles to work on a Japanese television show being produced there Ultraman. Afterwards he relocated permanently to Los Angeles and worked full-time as a lighting technician.
He gained experience on many B-movies and low-budget films, many produced by Roger Corman at his then Venice, California. studio. He eventually gained acceptance as a journeyman lighting technician into International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 728.
Union membership made it possible to work on movies and television shows such as, Manitoba On The Moon, I Am Sam, White Oleander, and Deadwood and work with people such as Norman Jewison, Miloš Forman, Roger Deakins, John Bailey (cinematographer), David Milch, and Dante Spinotti.