1800–1877 · United Kingdom · Photographer
William Henry Fox Talbot
Early calotype studies of buildings, objects and light at Lacock Abbey.
The Pencil of Nature, 1844Source: Wikipedia
MASTERS · PEOPLE
A hundred who made the photograph. A hundred who lit the film.
In order of birth, from Talbot's paper negatives to today's digital sets. For each: the work they are known for, how they saw, what they shot with, and the page it is checked against.
Photographer
1902–1984 · United StatesAnsel AdamsMoonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941Photographer
1908–2004 · FranceHenri Cartier-BressonBehind the Gare Saint-Lazare, 1932Photographer
1820–1910 · FranceNadarSarah Bernhardt, 1864Cinematographer
1899–1976 · United StatesJames Wong HoweSweet Smell of Success, 1957Photographer
1931–2016 · Hong KongFan HoApproaching Shadow, 1954Cinematographer
born 1940 · ItalyVittorio StoraroApocalypse Now, 1979
1902–1984 · United StatesAnsel AdamsMoonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941Photographer1908–2004 · FranceHenri Cartier-BressonBehind the Gare Saint-Lazare, 1932Photographer1820–1910 · FranceNadarSarah Bernhardt, 1864Cinematographer1899–1976 · United StatesJames Wong HoweSweet Smell of Success, 1957Photographer1931–2016 · Hong KongFan HoApproaching Shadow, 1954Cinematographerborn 1940 · ItalyVittorio StoraroApocalypse Now, 1979200 people
BEFORE 1850 · 6 PHOTOGRAPHERS BEFORE 1850 · 0 CINEMATOGRAPHERS
The first fixed images
Paper negatives, glass plates and the first studios.
1815–1879 · United Kingdom · Photographer
Julia Margaret Cameron
Soft-focus, close-cropped Victorian portraits and allegorical scenes.
Julia Jackson, 1867Source: Wikipedia
1820–1910 · France · Photographer
Nadar
Plain-backdrop studio portraits that let a face carry the whole picture.
Sarah Bernhardt, 1864Source: Wikipedia
1822–1896 · United States · Photographer
Mathew Brady
Studio portraiture and organised battlefield coverage on an industrial scale.
Abraham Lincoln (Cooper Union portrait), 1860Source: Wikipedia
1829–1916 · United States · Photographer
Carleton Watkins
Mammoth-plate landscapes of the American West, vast and precise.
Yosemite (mammoth-plate series), 1861Source: Wikipedia
1830–1904 · United Kingdom · Photographer
Eadweard Muybridge
Sequential studies of motion made with banks of cameras.
The Horse in Motion, 1878Source: Wikipedia
1850–1899 · 19 PHOTOGRAPHERS 1850–1899 · 6 CINEMATOGRAPHERS
The camera learns to move
Pictorialists, the first newsreels and the silent studios.
1852–1934 · United States · Photographer
Gertrude Kasebier
Soft-focus Pictorialist portraits of mothers, children and sitters at rest.
The Manger, 1899Source: Wikipedia
1857–1927 · France · Photographer
Eugene Atget
Patient, empty-street records of old Paris before modernisation.
Avenue des Gobelins, 1927Source: Wikipedia
1864–1946 · United States · Photographer
Alfred Stieglitz
From Pictorialism to sharp modernism, with a deep belief in photography as art.
The Steerage, 1907Source: Wikipedia
1872–1944 · United States · Cinematographer
Billy Bitzer
Silent-era pioneer of lighting, close-ups, iris shots and matte photography.
The Birth of a Nation, 1915Source: Wikipedia
1874–1940 · United States · Photographer
Lewis Hine
Direct, dignified portraits of working children and labourers.
Young Doffers in the Elk Cotton Mills, 1910Source: Wikipedia
1876–1964 · Germany · Photographer
August Sander
Typological portraits of every class and trade, frontal and calm.
Face of Our Time (Antlitz der Zeit), 1929Source: Wikipedia
1879–1973 · United States · Photographer
Edward Steichen
Painterly early work, then glossy modern fashion and celebrity portraits.
The Flatiron, 1904Source: Wikipedia
1883–1976 · United States · Photographer
Imogen Cunningham
Sharp-focus studies of plants, bodies and industrial forms.
Magnolia Blossom, 1925Source: Wikipedia
1886–1958 · United States · Photographer
Edward Weston
Sharp, sensual close-ups of peppers, shells, nudes and dunes.
Pepper No. 30, 1930Source: Wikipedia
1886–1981 · United States · Cinematographer
Karl Struss
Soft-focus pictorial photography carried into film, and early 3-D.
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, 1927Source: Wikipedia
1890–1969 · Germany · Cinematographer
Karl Freund
The 'unchained camera' of German Expressionism, later studio Hollywood polish.
The Last Laugh, 1924Source: Wikipedia
1890–1976 · United States · Photographer
Man Ray
Surrealist experiment: photograms, solarisation and staged portraits.
Le Violon d'Ingres, 1924Source: Wikipedia
1890–1976 · United States · Photographer
Paul Strand
Hard-edged modernism and quiet portraits of rural communities.
Wall Street, 1915Source: Wikipedia
1891–1973 · Peru · Photographer
Martin Chambi
Portraits and landscapes of the Peruvian Andes, lit with natural light.
The Giant of Paruro (Juan de la Cruz Sihuana), 1925Source: Wikipedia
1893–1977 · Germany · Cinematographer
Eugen Schufftan
Mirror tricks turned into poetic, smoky realism.
The Hustler, 1961Source: Wikipedia
1894–1985 · Hungary · Photographer
Andre Kertesz
Lyrical small-camera observations with unusual angles and humour.
The Fork, 1928Source: Wikipedia
1894–1954 · France · Photographer
Claude Cahun
Surreal, gender-fluid self-portraits and photomontages.
Aveux non avenus, 1930Source: Wikipedia
1895–1965 · United States · Photographer
Dorothea Lange
Humane documentary portraits of the dispossessed.
Migrant Mother, 1936Source: Wikipedia
1895–1946 · Hungary · Photographer
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy
Camera-less photograms, bird's-eye views and hard light treated as a material.
Malerei, Fotografie, Film (Painting, Photography, Film), 1925Source: Wikipedia
1896–1942 · Italy · Photographer
Tina Modotti
Modernist photography that turned increasingly political.
Roses, 1924Source: Wikipedia
1897–1985 · Germany · Photographer
Germaine Krull
Dynamic modernist pictures of steel, machines and cities.
Métal, 1928Source: Wikipedia
1898–1991 · United States · Photographer
Berenice Abbott
Crisp large-format views of a city being rebuilt, and scientific images.
Changing New York, 1939Source: Wikipedia
1898–1978 · United States · Cinematographer
Lee Garmes
Sculpted studio lighting across silent and sound eras.
Shanghai Express, 1932Source: Wikipedia
1899–1984 · France · Photographer
Brassai
Night photographs of Paris streets, bars and nightlife.
Paris de nuit, 1933Source: Wikipedia
1899–1976 · United States · Cinematographer
James Wong Howe
Low-key lighting, deep shadow and wide-angle lenses.
Sweet Smell of Success, 1957Source: Wikipedia
1900–1929 · 32 PHOTOGRAPHERS 1900–1929 · 31 CINEMATOGRAPHERS
Documentary and deep focus
Picture magazines, the Depression and the sound stages.
1901–1988 · Japan · Cinematographer
Asakazu Nakai
Kurosawa's camera for rain, mud and vast colour battlefields.
Seven Samurai, 1954Source: Wikipedia
1901–1996 · United States · Cinematographer
John Alton
Hard shadows and pools of light that defined film noir.
T-Men, 1947Source: Wikipedia
1901–1974 · United States · Cinematographer
Leon Shamroy
Bold Technicolor of the Fox studio era.
Leave Her to Heaven, 1945Source: Wikipedia
1901–1983 · United States · Photographer
Lisette Model
Frank, close-up street portraits with a blunt humanism.
Promenade des Anglais, 1934Source: Wikipedia
1902–1984 · United States · Photographer
Ansel Adams
Sharp black-and-white landscapes of the American West with full tonal range.
Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941Source: Wikipedia
1902–1998 · United Kingdom · Cinematographer
Freddie Young
Sweeping, lush widescreen colour.
Lawrence of Arabia, 1962Source: Wikipedia
1902–2002 · Mexico · Photographer
Manuel Alvarez Bravo
Poetic, quietly surreal views of Mexican life.
Striking Worker, Assassinated, 1934Source: Wikipedia
1902–2000 · Italy · Cinematographer
Otello Martelli
Neorealist grit that opened up into Fellini's nocturnal spectacle.
La Dolce Vita, 1960Source: Wikipedia
1903–1993 · Mexico · Photographer
Lola Alvarez Bravo
Modernist portraits and street pictures of postrevolutionary Mexico.
Galería de Arte Contemporáneo (Frida Kahlo exhibition), 1953Source: Wikipedia
1903–1975 · United States · Photographer
Walker Evans
Frontal, plain-spoken records of American vernacular life.
American Photographs, 1938Source: Wikipedia
1904–1983 · United Kingdom · Photographer
Bill Brandt
High-contrast social documentary, then distorted nudes and stark landscapes.
The English at Home, 1936Source: Wikipedia
1904–1948 · United States · Cinematographer
Gregg Toland
Deep focus, with near and far planes sharp at once.
Citizen Kane, 1941Source: Wikipedia
1904–1999 · Argentina · Photographer
Grete Stern
Surreal photomontages and modernist portraits.
Los Sueños (for Idilio), 1948Source: Wikipedia
1904–1971 · United States · Photographer
Margaret Bourke-White
Bold industrial and reportage images with a monumental sense of scale.
Fort Peck Dam (first Life cover), 1936Source: Wikipedia
1906–1980 · United States · Cinematographer
Boris Kaufman
Poetic realist black and white.
On the Waterfront, 1954Source: Wikipedia
1906–1985 · United States · Cinematographer
Robert Surtees
Studio craft across epic spectacle and modern drama.
Ben-Hur, 1959Source: Wikipedia
1907–1997 · France · Photographer
Dora Maar
Surrealist photomontage and street photography.
Portrait of Ubu, 1936Source: Wikipedia
1907–1997 · Mexico · Cinematographer
Gabriel Figueroa
Framing and chiaroscuro of Mexican cinema's golden age.
Los olvidados, 1950Source: Wikipedia
1907–1977 · United States · Photographer
Lee Miller
Surrealist photography and fearless war reportage.
Portrait of Space, 1937Source: Wikipedia
1908–2004 · France · Photographer
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Candid 35mm street photography built on geometry and timing.
Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, 1932Source: Wikipedia
1908–1999 · Japan · Cinematographer
Kazuo Miyagawa
Light through trees, long takes and ink-wash greys.
Rashomon, 1950Source: Wikipedia
1909–1990 · Japan · Photographer
Ken Domon
Strict realism, from social documentary to Buddhist temples.
Hiroshima, 1958Source: Wikipedia
1909–1968 · United States · Cinematographer
Robert Burks
Elegant suspense photography for Alfred Hitchcock.
Vertigo, 1958Source: Wikipedia
1910–1937 · Germany · Photographer
Gerda Taro
Front-line reportage from inside the Spanish Civil War.
Spanish Civil War (Barcelona, with Capa and Chim), 1936Source: Wikipedia
1911–1992 · Australia · Photographer
Max Dupain
Clean modernist photography of bodies, light and architecture.
Sunbaker, 1937Source: Wikipedia
1912–2012 · United States · Photographer
Eve Arnold
Intimate, unforced photojournalism about women and public figures.
Marilyn Monroe on the set of The Misfits, 1961Source: Wikipedia
1912–2006 · United States · Photographer
Gordon Parks
Humane photojournalism about race and poverty, and pioneering film direction.
American Gothic, Washington, D.C., 1942Source: Wikipedia
1913–2016 · United Kingdom · Cinematographer
Douglas Slocombe
From Ealing comedy to the Indiana Jones adventures.
Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981Source: Wikipedia
1913–2009 · United States · Photographer
Helen Levitt
Lyrical street photography of New York children and neighbourhoods, later in colour.
In the Street, 1948Source: Wikipedia
1913–2012 · India · Photographer
Homai Vyarawalla
Press photography of India's leaders across the end of colonial rule and the early republic.
Bombay Chronicle (start of career), 1938Source: Wikipedia
1913–1954 · Hungary · Photographer
Robert Capa
Close, physical war reportage taken from inside the action.
The Falling Soldier, 1936Source: Wikipedia
1913–1981 · United Kingdom · Cinematographer
Robert Krasker
Tilted angles and shadowy, wet streets.
The Third Man, 1949Source: Wikipedia
1913–2000 · Japan · Photographer
Shoji Ueda
Staged, surreal figures arranged on the Tottori sand dunes.
Sand Dune series, 1949Source: Wikipedia
1914–1978 · United Kingdom · Cinematographer
Geoffrey Unsworth
Soft, diffused light and large-scale visual effects work.
2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968Source: Wikipedia
1914–2013 · United Kingdom · Cinematographer
Gilbert Taylor
Crisp black and white and clean, bright science fiction.
Star Wars, 1977Source: Wikipedia
1914–2009 · United Kingdom · Cinematographer
Jack Cardiff
Painterly early Technicolor, from silent film to colour masterpieces.
Black Narcissus, 1947Source: Wikipedia
1915–1987 · France · Cinematographer
Henri Decae
Sober night photography and the first New Wave realism.
The 400 Blows, 1959Source: Wikipedia
1915–2014 · United Kingdom · Cinematographer
Oswald Morris
Inventive colour treatments across six decades.
Fiddler on the Roof, 1971Source: Wikipedia
1917–2007 · United Kingdom · Cinematographer
Freddie Francis
Rich black and white and finely judged period colour.
The Elephant Man, 1980Source: Wikipedia
1917–2009 · United States · Photographer
Irving Penn
Austere studio portraits and still lifes of great formal precision.
Small Trades, 1950Source: Wikipedia
1918–1978 · United States · Photographer
W. Eugene Smith
Dramatic, deeply printed photo essays built around human dignity.
Country Doctor, 1948Source: Wikipedia
1919–2009 · United States · Photographer
Roy DeCarava
Deep-toned, intimate pictures of Harlem life and jazz musicians.
The Sweet Flypaper of Life (with Langston Hughes), 1955Source: Wikipedia
1919–2001 · France · Cinematographer
Sacha Vierny
Formal, painterly compositions and stylised colour.
Last Year at Marienbad, 1961Source: Wikipedia
1920–1966 · Italy · Cinematographer
Gianni Di Venanzo
Luminous modern black and white.
8 1/2, 1963Source: Wikipedia
1921–2001 · Mali · Photographer
Seydou Keita
Elegant studio portraits of Bamako residents with patterned backdrops.
Bamako-Koura (first studio), 1948Source: Wikipedia
1922–2015 · United States · Cinematographer
Haskell Wexler
Documentary-inflected realism and political engagement.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1966Source: Wikipedia
1922–2006 · Sweden · Cinematographer
Sven Nykvist
Simple, soft natural light and intense close-ups of faces.
Persona, 1966Source: Wikipedia
1923–1971 · United States · Photographer
Diane Arbus
Square, frontal portraits of people on the margins, made with their consent.
Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, 1962Source: Wikipedia
1923–2021 · Italy · Cinematographer
Giuseppe Rotunno
Rich, panoramic colour for Visconti and Fellini.
The Leopard, 1963Source: Wikipedia
1923–2002 · Austria · Photographer
Inge Morath
Literate, warm documentary pictures from many cultures.
Fiesta in Pamplona, 1956Source: Wikipedia
1923–2004 · United States · Photographer
Richard Avedon
Stark white-background portraits and kinetic fashion photography.
Dovima with Elephants, 1955Source: Wikipedia
1923–2013 · United States · Photographer
Saul Leiter
Painterly colour street photography seen through glass, snow and reflections.
Early Color, 2006Source: Wikipedia
1923–2005 · Italy · Cinematographer
Tonino Delli Colli
From Italy's first colour film to Pasolini and Leone.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, 1966Source: Wikipedia
1923–2014 · India · Cinematographer
V. K. Murthy
Shafts of light and deep shadows in Hindi cinema's golden age.
Pyaasa, 1957Source: Wikipedia
1924–2016 · France · Cinematographer
Raoul Coutard
Handheld, available-light photography of the French New Wave.
Breathless, 1960Source: Wikipedia
1924–2019 · United States · Photographer
Robert Frank
Loose, grainy, personal pictures of America seen from the road.
The Americans, 1958Source: Wikipedia
1925–2004 · Italy · Cinematographer
Carlo Di Palma
Colour used as emotion: painted landscapes for Antonioni, warm Manhattan interiors for Woody Allen.
Blowup, 1966Source: Wikipedia
1926–2003 · United States · Cinematographer
Conrad L. Hall
Bold, poetic use of flare, rain and silhouette.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969Source: Wikipedia
1926–2009 · United States · Photographer
Vivian Maier
Unseen-for-decades street photography of Chicago and New York.
Vivian Maier: Street Photographer, 2011Source: Wikipedia
1928–2001 · Cuba · Photographer
Alberto Korda
Fashion photography turned revolutionary portraiture.
Guerrillero Heroico, 1960Source: Wikipedia
1928–1984 · United States · Photographer
Garry Winogrand
Restless, tilted street pictures of American public life.
The Animals, 1969Source: Wikipedia
1929–1991 · Czech Republic · Cinematographer
Jaroslav Kucera
Bold, experimental colour and texture of the Czech New Wave.
Daisies, 1966Source: Wikipedia
1929–2018 · Poland · Cinematographer
Witold Sobocinski
Atmospheric, painterly Polish cinema of the 1970s.
The Wedding, 1972Source: Wikipedia
1930–1959 · 36 PHOTOGRAPHERS 1930–1959 · 37 CINEMATOGRAPHERS
The new waves
The street, colour, and the new waves in European and Asian film.
1930–2018 · South Africa · Photographer
David Goldblatt
Quiet, analytical documentary of South African society under and after apartheid.
On the Mines (with Nadine Gordimer), 1973Source: Wikipedia
1930–2014 · Nigeria · Photographer
J. D. 'Okhai Ojeikere
Sculptural black-and-white studies of Nigerian women's hairstyles.
Nigerian hairstyles (series), 1968Source: Wikipedia
1930–1992 · Spain · Cinematographer
Nestor Almendros
Natural window light and magic-hour exteriors.
Days of Heaven, 1978Source: Wikipedia
1930–2012 · Japan · Photographer
Shomei Tomatsu
Dark, fragmentary images of postwar Japan and American occupation.
Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Document, 1961Source: Wikipedia
1930–2001 · India · Cinematographer
Subrata Mitra
Natural bounce light and quiet realism.
Pather Panchali, 1955Source: Wikipedia
1930–2016 · United States · Cinematographer
Vilmos Zsigmond
Pre-flashed, muted colour and atmospheric haze.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977Source: Wikipedia
born 1931 · Brazil · Photographer
Claudia Andujar
Lyrical, often experimental images of the Yanomami people.
Yanomami: The House, The Forest, The Invisible, 1998Source: Wikipedia
1931–2016 · Hong Kong · Photographer
Fan Ho
Geometric light-and-shadow street scenes of 1950s and 1960s Hong Kong.
Approaching Shadow, 1954Source: Wikipedia
1931–2014 · United States · Cinematographer
Gordon Willis
Top light and deep underexposure that earned him the name the Prince of Darkness.
The Godfather, 1972Source: Wikipedia
1933–2004 · United States · Photographer
Eddie Adams
News photography of war, politics and celebrity.
Saigon Execution, 1968Source: Wikipedia
1933–2024 · Japan · Photographer
Eikoh Hosoe
Theatrical, erotic and mythic black-and-white collaborations.
Barakei (Ordeal by Roses), 1963Source: Wikipedia
1933–2007 · United States · Cinematographer
Laszlo Kovacs
Loose, natural-light American New Wave photography.
Easy Rider, 1969Source: Wikipedia
1934–2001 · United States · Cinematographer
John A. Alonzo
Naturalistic, cinema verite-inspired photography of the New Hollywood.
Chinatown, 1974Source: Wikipedia
born 1934 · United States · Photographer
Lee Friedlander
Dense, layered frames of the social landscape, full of reflections and poles.
Self Portrait, 1970Source: Wikipedia
1934–2012 · Japan · Photographer
Masahisa Fukase
Dark, personal black-and-white work driven by loss and obsession.
Karasu (Ravens), 1986Source: Wikipedia
1934–2015 · Czech Republic · Cinematographer
Miroslav Ondricek
Painterly period colour and warm candlelight.
Amadeus, 1984Source: Wikipedia
born 1935 · United Kingdom · Photographer
Don McCullin
Unflinching war and famine reportage in dark, heavy prints.
Shell-shocked US Marine, Hue, 1968Source: Wikipedia
1935–1996 · United States · Cinematographer
Jordan Cronenweth
Smoky shafts of light and neon-lit darkness.
Blade Runner, 1982Source: Wikipedia
1935–2016 · Mali · Photographer
Malick Sidibe
Joyful black-and-white pictures of youth culture and parties in Bamako.
Nuit de Noël (Happy Club), 1963Source: Wikipedia
1935–2017 · Germany · Cinematographer
Michael Ballhaus
Restless, circling camera and long tracking shots.
Goodfellas, 1990Source: Wikipedia
1935–2020 · United States · Cinematographer
Michael Chapman
Lurid night colour and stark black-and-white fight scenes.
Taxi Driver, 1976Source: Wikipedia
1936–2023 · United States · Cinematographer
Owen Roizman
Gritty, realistic New York of 1970s cinema.
The French Connection, 1971Source: Wikipedia
born 1938 · Japan · Photographer
Daido Moriyama
Grainy, blurred, high-contrast street pictures of Japanese cities.
Stray Dog, Misawa, 1971Source: Wikipedia
born 1938 · Czech Republic · Photographer
Josef Koudelka
Stark, high-contrast black and white of exile, Roma life and ruins.
Prague 1968 (Warsaw Pact invasion), 1968Source: Wikipedia
born 1939 · United States · Photographer
William Eggleston
Saturated colour pictures of the ordinary American South.
William Eggleston's Guide, 1976Source: Wikipedia
born 1940 · United Kingdom · Cinematographer
Chris Menges
Documentary-trained naturalism in natural light.
The Killing Fields, 1984Source: Wikipedia
1940–2015 · United States · Photographer
Mary Ellen Mark
Empathetic documentary portraits of people living on the margins.
Ward 81, 1979Source: Wikipedia
born 1940 · Japan · Photographer
Nobuyoshi Araki
Diaristic, often erotic photography of Tokyo life, love and death.
Sentimental Journey, 1971Source: Wikipedia
1940–2018 · Netherlands · Cinematographer
Robby Muller
Natural colour, available light and open roads.
Paris, Texas, 1984Source: Wikipedia
born 1940 · Italy · Cinematographer
Vittorio Storaro
Colour as meaning, built on a theory of light and its psychology.
Apocalypse Now, 1979Source: Wikipedia
1942–2020 · United States · Cinematographer
Allen Daviau
Warm, glowing backlight and childhood wonder.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, 1982Source: Wikipedia
born 1942 · Mexico · Photographer
Graciela Iturbide
Black-and-white studies of Indigenous Mexican life, ritual and identity.
Nuestra Señora de las Iguanas, 1979Source: Wikipedia
born 1942 · Australia · Cinematographer
John Seale
Lyrical landscape and kinetic multi-camera action.
The English Patient, 1996Source: Wikipedia
1942–1999 · India · Photographer
Raghubir Singh
Dense, warm colour pictures of Indian street life.
Ganga: Sacred River of India, 1974Source: Wikipedia
born 1943 · Italy · Cinematographer
Dante Spinotti
Cool, controlled urban night and glossy period noir.
Heat, 1995Source: Wikipedia
1944–2018 · Iran · Photographer
Abbas
Reportage on religion, revolution and conflict.
Return to Mexico, journeys beyond the mask, 1992Source: Wikipedia
born 1944 · Germany · Photographer
Candida Hofer
Empty, symmetrical colour interiors of libraries, theatres and museums.
Libraries, 2005Source: Wikipedia
1944–2025 · Brazil · Photographer
Sebastiao Salgado
Monumental black-and-white documentary of labour, migration and wild nature.
Workers, 1993Source: Wikipedia
born 1945 · France · Cinematographer
Philippe Rousselot
Elegant natural light across European and American cinema.
A River Runs Through It, 1992Source: Wikipedia
born 1945 · Poland · Cinematographer
Slawomir Idziak
Coloured filters that wash a whole film in one emotional tone.
Three Colours: Blue, 1993Source: Wikipedia
born 1946 · Canada · Photographer
Jeff Wall
Staged, cinematic tableaux shown as large backlit transparencies.
The Destroyed Room, 1978Source: Wikipedia
born 1946 · Hungary · Cinematographer
Lajos Koltai
Warm, sensual colour in period drama.
Mephisto, 1981Source: Wikipedia
born 1947 · Brazil · Cinematographer
Walter Carvalho
Sun-bleached, humane realism of Brazilian cinema.
Central Station, 1998Source: Wikipedia
born 1948 · United States · Cinematographer
Ed Lachman
Period-accurate colour and texture inspired by the films of each era.
Far from Heaven, 2002Source: Wikipedia
born 1948 · Japan · Photographer
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Long-exposure, large-format meditations on time and light.
Seascapes, 1980Source: Wikipedia
born 1948 · United States · Photographer
James Nachtwey
Grave, compassionate photojournalism of war and famine.
Inferno, 1999Source: Wikipedia
born 1948 · United States · Photographer
Susan Meiselas
Collaborative documentary that returns pictures to the people in them.
Carnival Strippers, 1976Source: Wikipedia
born 1949 · United States · Photographer
Annie Leibovitz
Theatrical, carefully lit celebrity portraits.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono (Rolling Stone cover), 1980Source: Wikipedia
born 1949 · United Kingdom · Cinematographer
Roger Deakins
Restrained, motivated light and precise composition.
The Shawshank Redemption, 1994Source: Wikipedia
born 1951 · France · Cinematographer
Agnes Godard
Sensual attention to bodies, skin and landscape.
Beau Travail, 1999Source: Wikipedia
born 1951 · United States · Photographer
Nick Ut
Wire-service news photography.
The Terror of War, 1972Source: Wikipedia
born 1951 · United States · Photographer
Sally Mann
Large-format, often wet-plate black and white of family and the American South.
Immediate Family, 1992Source: Wikipedia
born 1952 · Australia · Cinematographer
Christopher Doyle
Saturated, improvised colour for Hong Kong arthouse cinema.
In the Mood for Love, 2000Source: Wikipedia
born 1952 · United States · Cinematographer
John Toll
Sweeping natural landscapes and battle epics.
Braveheart, 1995Source: Wikipedia
1952–2025 · United Kingdom · Photographer
Martin Parr
Satirical, saturated colour documentary of leisure and consumption.
The Last Resort, 1986Source: Wikipedia
born 1953 · United States · Photographer
Carrie Mae Weems
Staged and archival photography on race, gender and power.
The Kitchen Table Series, 1990Source: Wikipedia
born 1953 · United States · Photographer
Nan Goldin
Diaristic colour snapshots of friends, love and loss.
The Ballad of Sexual Dependency, 1986Source: Wikipedia
born 1954 · France · Cinematographer
Caroline Champetier
Austere, luminous images across more than a hundred films.
Of Gods and Men, 2010Source: Wikipedia
born 1954 · United States · Photographer
Cindy Sherman
Staged self-portraits that interrogate roles, stereotypes and images.
Untitled Film Stills, 1977Source: Wikipedia
born 1954 · Taiwan · Cinematographer
Mark Lee Ping-bing
Natural light on real film and graceful camera movement.
In the Mood for Love, 2000Source: Wikipedia
born 1955 · Germany · Photographer
Andreas Gursky
Huge, digitally composed colour views of global systems and crowds.
Rhein II, 1999Source: Wikipedia
born 1955 · United Kingdom · Cinematographer
Anthony Dod Mantle
Digital, kinetic and handheld, rooted in Dogme 95.
Slumdog Millionaire, 2008Source: Wikipedia
born 1955 · France · Cinematographer
Darius Khondji
Dense, dark, textured colour and rich shadow.
Se7en, 1995Source: Wikipedia
born 1955 · Mexico · Cinematographer
Guillermo Navarro
Rich, dark fairy-tale colour.
Pan's Labyrinth, 2006Source: Wikipedia
born 1955 · United States · Cinematographer
Robert Richardson
Hot top-light halos and bold mixed formats.
JFK, 1991Source: Wikipedia
1956–2015 · Australia · Cinematographer
Andrew Lesnie
Painterly fantasy landscapes on a vast scale.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001Source: Wikipedia
born 1957 · China · Cinematographer
Gu Changwei
Bold, saturated colour of the Fifth Generation.
Farewell My Concubine, 1993Source: Wikipedia
1957–2012 · United States · Cinematographer
Harris Savides
Minimal, soft available light and long takes.
Elephant, 2003Source: Wikipedia
born 1957 · Iran · Photographer
Shirin Neshat
Black-and-white photographs and video on gender and power in Iran.
Women of Allah, 1993Source: Wikipedia
1958–1981 · United States · Photographer
Francesca Woodman
Blurred black-and-white self-portraits in decaying interiors.
Eel Series, Roma, 1977Source: Wikipedia
born 1959 · United States · Cinematographer
Ellen Kuras
Documentary-rooted camera in fiction, documentary and music video.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2004Source: Wikipedia
born 1959 · Poland · Cinematographer
Janusz Kaminski
Desaturated, high-contrast light with blown-out windows.
Schindler's List, 1993Source: Wikipedia
born 1959 · Netherlands · Photographer
Rineke Dijkstra
Large frontal colour portraits of adolescents and people in transition.
Beach Portraits, 1992Source: Wikipedia
1960 ON · 7 PHOTOGRAPHERS 1960 ON · 26 CINEMATOGRAPHERS
Working now
Large sensors, digital sets and the people shooting today.
born 1960 · Australia · Photographer
Tracey Moffatt
Staged photographs and films on Indigenous Australian history and memory.
Something More, 1989Source: Wikipedia
born 1961 · India · Photographer
Dayanita Singh
Book-objects and mobile museums of black-and-white photographs.
Myself Mona Ahmed, 2001Source: Wikipedia
born 1961 · United States · Cinematographer
Wally Pfister
Grounded, film-based realism in large-scale genre cinema.
Inception, 2010Source: Wikipedia
born 1961 · China · Cinematographer
Zhao Fei
Formal, disciplined compositions of Fifth Generation cinema.
Raise the Red Lantern, 1991Source: Wikipedia
born 1962 · South Korea · Cinematographer
Hong Kyung-pyo
Precise framing and a unified, stylised visual tone.
Parasite, 2019Source: Wikipedia
born 1962 · Nigeria · Photographer
Samuel Fosso
Theatrical self-portraits in costume.
Tati series, 1997Source: Wikipedia
born 1963 · Australia · Cinematographer
Mandy Walker
Lush, energetic colour in large productions.
Elvis, 2022Source: Wikipedia
born 1964 · Mexico · Cinematographer
Emmanuel Lubezki
Long, roaming takes in natural light.
Children of Men, 2006Source: Wikipedia
born 1964 · France · Cinematographer
Helene Louvart
Intimate, textured film naturalism for European and international directors.
Happy as Lazzaro, 2018Source: Wikipedia
born 1964 · India · Cinematographer
Santosh Sivan
Lush colour and fluid movement across Indian languages and genres.
Roja, 1992Source: Wikipedia
born 1965 · Chile · Cinematographer
Claudio Miranda
Digital pioneering and bright, clean large-scale imagery.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, 2008Source: Wikipedia
born 1965 · United States · Cinematographer
Kirsten Johnson
Observational documentary camera shaped by questions of ethics.
Derrida, 2002Source: Wikipedia
born 1965 · Mexico · Cinematographer
Rodrigo Prieto
Bold, texture-driven images that shift with the story.
Brokeback Mountain, 2005Source: Wikipedia
born 1968 · Belgium · Cinematographer
Benoit Debie
Saturated, hallucinatory colour and restless camera.
Irréversible, 2002Source: Wikipedia
born 1968 · Australia · Cinematographer
Dion Beebe
Stylised colour and pioneering digital night photography.
Chicago, 2002Source: Wikipedia
born 1968 · United States · Cinematographer
Matthew Libatique
Subjective, kinetic camera close to the character.
Requiem for a Dream, 2000Source: Wikipedia
born 1968 · Germany · Photographer
Wolfgang Tillmans
Intimate snapshots, abstractions and installations of mixed sizes.
Freischwimmer, 2003Source: Wikipedia
born 1970 · Ireland · Cinematographer
Robbie Ryan
Handheld naturalism and wide-angle period strangeness.
The Favourite, 2018Source: Wikipedia
born 1970 · Thailand · Cinematographer
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom
Patient, natural-light 35mm imagery.
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, 2010Source: Wikipedia
born 1971 · Netherlands · Cinematographer
Hoyte van Hoytema
Handheld work, shot primarily on film.
Oppenheimer, 2023Source: Wikipedia
born 1972 · Japan · Photographer
Rinko Kawauchi
Soft, light-filled colour pictures of small, everyday moments.
Utatane, 2001Source: Wikipedia
born 1972 · South Africa · Photographer
Zanele Muholi
Black-and-white portraits and self-portraits of Black LGBTQIA+ South Africans.
Faces and Phases, 2006Source: Wikipedia
born 1973 · United States · Photographer
Lynsey Addario
Conflict and humanitarian reportage focused on women's lives.
It's What I Do (memoir), 2015Source: Wikipedia
born 1974 · United Kingdom · Cinematographer
Lol Crawley
Monumental imagery and intimate independent drama.
The Brutalist, 2024Source: Wikipedia
born 1975 · Australia · Cinematographer
Greig Fraser
Textured light, shadow and silhouette.
Dune, 2021Source: Wikipedia
born 1977 · United States · Cinematographer
Bradford Young
Low-light, underexposed images that honour darker skin tones.
Arrival, 2016Source: Wikipedia
born 1977 · United States · Cinematographer
Reed Morano
Intimate, often handheld, emotional camera.
Frozen River, 2008Source: Wikipedia
born 1978 · Denmark · Cinematographer
Charlotte Bruus Christensen
Naturalistic light attentive to the female gaze.
The Hunt, 2012Source: Wikipedia
born 1978 · United States · Cinematographer
Jarin Blaschke
Austere period darkness and black and white for Robert Eggers.
The Lighthouse, 2019Source: Wikipedia
born 1978 · United States · Cinematographer
Rachel Morrison
Naturalistic, emotionally grounded light.
Mudbound, 2017Source: Wikipedia
born 1980 · United States · Cinematographer
Erik Messerschmidt
Precise, controlled digital monochrome and cool colour.
Mank, 2020Source: Wikipedia
born 1981 · Poland · Cinematographer
Lukasz Zal
Austere black and white and fixed, unblinking frames.
Ida, 2013Source: Wikipedia
born 1984 · Australia · Cinematographer
Ari Wegner
Composed, painterly frames with a stillness that builds tension.
Lady Macbeth, 2016Source: Wikipedia
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