cinematographer

American  

[sin-uh-muh-tog-ruh-fer] / ˌsɪn ə məˈtɒg rə fər /

especially British, cinematographist

noun

• cinematographers
  plural

1. a person whose profession is video photography, especially for feature-length movies.

2. director of photography.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cinematographers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cinematographer

First recorded in 1895–1900; cinematograph + -er ¹

Explanation

The cinematographer on a movie set is the person with the camera. The cinematographer's job can include planning shots, lighting, and operating a camera. A cinematographer is also called the "director of photography," or the DP. On a large-budget film there may be several cameras being used at once — the cinematographer is the person who directs the camera operators, as well as overseeing the lighting on the set. The word comes from cinematograph, which is now obsolete and permanently shortened to cinema, from the French cínématographe, "motion picture projector and camera."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cinematographer cinematographers

That’s something the filmmakers Kazuo Hara and Sachiko Kobayashi seem to have understood since the early 1970s, when they first joined forces—he as director and cinematographer, she as producer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Jack Kelly, a marine biologist and cinematographer in County Galway, said they are "common all around Britain and Ireland during the summer months".

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

“We wanted the audience to be taken on a journey that felt familiar while exploring some new visual styles,” says cinematographer Andrew Wehde of “The Bear’s” Season 4 episode “Scallop.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Now, they’re festival peers — both had films at Cannes this year — and Kurosawa’s cinematographer on “Samurai” was Sasaki Yasuyuki, who had previously worked with Hamaguchi.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

A writer, like a cinematographer, manipulates the viewer’s perspective on an ongoing story, with the verbal equivalent of camera angles and quick cuts. the marital, the medical, and sometimes both at once.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

In photographing the interviewees, cinematographers Frederick Elmes and Joe Kelly favor odd angles and dramatic lighting uncharacteristic of traditional talking-head documentaries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026

“It’s nice to have an understanding of what each other does because it’s a hard job and making films isn’t easy,” said Durald Arkapaw of having two cinematographers under one roof.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026

Roles included in the study are: directors, writers, executive producers, producers, editors and cinematographers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 1, 2026

"The greatest directors and cinematographers are passing on their know-how," Kael said, citing "Rise of the Raven", a Hungarian co-produced historical TV series released this year.

From Barron's ● Nov. 30, 2025

“It’s even bigger than the one I showed you last time. It contains just about every movie ever released. Actors, directors, cinematographers, sound tracks, musical scores, the lot.”

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak