Cinematography

Most people think photography is about the camera. It’s not.

It’s about how you see!

The difference between a good photo and one that makes you feel something often comes down to presence. Slowing down long enough to notice the way light hits a surface, how someone shifts when they think no one’s watching, or the emotion underneath a moment.

I’ve learned that the best images don’t come from forcing anything - they come from paying attention. From trusting your instinct when something feels worth capturing, even if you can’t explain why yet.

Anyone can learn settings. What takes time is developing your eye, your taste, your perspective. That’s where your voice as a photographer really lives.

If you’re working on your craft right now, focus less on perfection and more on awareness. The technical side will follow.

The way you see the world is the whole point!

For those of us who follow this category closely, last Sunday was a night worth remembering.

Autumn Durald Arkapaw won Best Cinematography at the 98th Academy Awards for Sinners, becoming the first woman and first Black person to ever win the award. She is also of Filipino and Creole descent, and had already made history simply by being the first woman of color nominated in the category. Only three women had ever been nominated before her -- Rachel Morrison for Mudbound in 2018, Ari Wegner for The Power of the Dog in 2021, and Mandy Walker for Elvis in 2022 -- and none had won. Until now.

The win was also a technical milestone. Sinners is the first film ever produced and released in both IMAX 65mm and Ultra Panavision 70, making Arkapaw the first female cinematographer to shoot a feature using both formats.

Her acceptance speech was one of the most memorable of the night. She acknowledged the women who had been nominated before her and had not won, and at one point asked every woman in the Dolby Theatre to stand.

This is the kind of win that means something beyond the trophy. For anyone working in cinematography -- especially those still building their careers -- it is a reminder that the field is changing, even if it has taken far too long.

What did you think of her work in Sinners? And for those who saw the film in IMAX or on the large format presentation -- how did the visual experience land for you?

https://youtu.be/GP5VDnr0lVc

I was talking to a friend today about the latest feature he worked on as First AD, and he told me the project was shot full frame. Now, I don't know about you, but I have a hard time making this transition to FF when it comes to feature work. True, full-frame offers a wider field of view, shallower depth of field, and better low-light performance due to its larger surface area compared to Super 35 (approx. 1.5x crop). But for me, S35 is the traditional cinema standard, offering a more controlled, "classic" look with a wider, cheaper lens selection, whereas full-frame provides a more immersive, modern feel.

What side do you land on? Let me know in the comments.

There was a time when shooting with anamorphic lenses was all the rage. EVERYONE was doing it, and some were doing it whether it served the project or not. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a wide frame, but I've never been a huge fan of anamorphic lenses. I don't like what can happen at the edges of the frame when shooting wide, and when pulling focus with anamorphics, it looks like a "jerking" of the image rather than a shift in perspective.

When I do shoot a 2.4:1, I use spherical lenses. There's a comfort in it. I like the look, and depending on the glass set, I feel the lens is an extension of my own eyes rather than a tool.

Where do you land on the spherical/anamorphic fence? Let me know in the comments.

Hey, my DP friends! As an actors' director, I'm often in AWE at how much one has to juggle technically in order to achieve that "cinematic" look - and I know one strong reason for the decline of that "cinematic" look is because we're not filming on film stock any longer.

But why do YOU think movies don't look like movies anymore?

Found this brief video about why, but I'd love to know your thoughts. Especially with steadily decreasing budgets and readily available technology - how can we keep films "cinematic"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwTUM9cFeSo&t=13s

I purchased a set of these probably a year after they first came out, and then I filled it out with a Schneider-Kreuznach 28-70 Cine-zoom (T3). These 7 lenses have been my go-to for small and even some large-scale productions.

What is your favorite lens set? Is there a special lens out there that you think everyone is missing? What's your "go-to" lens? Tell me in the comments.

What did you think of the Oscar winners?

I, and the rest of us Brazilians, were sad that we didn't win any Oscars in 2026; we were rooting so hard for "Secret Agent"!

But winning or losing, it was good to have one of our films nominated for an Oscar, because when a Brazilian film is nominated/wins an Oscar, it changes the entire national market, as people all over the world can then see Brazilian culture and all the good it has to offer!

Hey cinametogs! I want to know whether I’m being cleverly minimalist or just plain cheap and delusional.

I’m after a slow move from a dark, gloomy passage between buildings out into an open street with a proper shift in light. I do not want the camera helpfully “fixing” the exposure for me like some over-eager youTuber with a content-creator complex. I want the passage to stay underexposed and murky, and the street properly exposed when I come out into it.

So: can a pocket cam or action cam actually pull that off if you lock things down and don’t shoot like a caffeinated baboon, or do I quit pretending and drag out the full cine rig?

I’m looking at a GoPro 13 Black with the anamorphic mod, but I’m really wondering is if anyone with an action or pocket cam has pulled this off? Has anyone got this sort of shot to work without the camera doing something “helpful” and bollocking it, or am I trying to make a Swiss Army knife perform brain surgury?

With the Oscars this Sunday, March 15, the Best Cinematography race is as compelling as it has been in years -- and this week gave us a lot to talk about.

At the 40th ASC Awards on March 8, Michael Bauman took the top theatrical feature prize for One Battle After Another, making him the current front-runner heading into Sunday. But the race has been genuinely split all season. Adolpho Veloso won the Spirit Award for Train Dreams, and Autumn Durald Arkapaw dominated the critics' circuit for Sinners. No single film has locked it up.

The historical angle is worth paying attention to. If Sinners wins on Sunday, Arkapaw would become the first woman ever to win Best Cinematography at the Oscars. That is not a small thing for this category.

The ASC ceremony also honored some names worth acknowledging. Robert Yeoman received the Lifetime Achievement Award, M. David Mullen took Career Achievement in Television, and Guillermo del Toro received the Board of Governors Award. Del Toro used the moment to speak directly about the value of the cinematographer's craft in an era of AI-generated imagery.

The 98th Academy Awards air this Sunday at 7 pm ET / 4 pm PT on ABC and Hulu.

Who do you think takes it? And does Arkapaw making history change how you are thinking about the outcome?

As a photographer of two years, I’m constantly growing, creating, and giving myself grace too. One thing I’ve found is that stepping into new places to shoot really opens my heart and sparks fresh creativity. I get used to my usual spots, but exploring somewhere new always gives me unexpected inspiration.

I’d love to hear from you - what do you do to open yourself up creatively? Do you have little rituals, favorite places, or practices that help your ideas flow?

Creativity grows when we share, explore, and stay curious together!

Best Cinematography Nominees: Frankenstein, Train Dreams, Sinners, One Battle After Another, Marty Supreme

Cinematography often becomes one of the most talked about categories during awards season because it’s where the visual language of a film really shines. Lighting choices, camera movement, composition, and how the cinematography supports the story can completely shape how an audience experiences a film.

Which film do you think will ultimately take Best Cinematography?

Are there any movies here that you think stand out for their visual style or technical execution?

Do you tend to gravitate toward bold, stylized cinematography, or the kind of work that feels invisible but perfectly serves the story?

And are there any films in this lineup you think might surprise people or build momentum as the season unfolds?