Year: 2023

            I expressed my admiration for long scenes that play out through single takes in last Friday’s post.  If you haven’t read that yet, you’ll find the background for this piece there.             Once again, I present an example from Joseph Losey’s brilliant 1963 film, The Servant.  You should see the entire movie to fully … Continue reading “A LONG TAKE IN ‘THE SERVANT,’ PART 2”

            I’m always going on about the effectiveness of a well-applied long, uninterrupted take, so here’s another example to support my case.  It appears in a fabulous British feature that was directed by Joseph Losey, called The Servant (1963).  Photographed in black and white and 1:66 aspect ratio by the legendary Douglas Slocombe, BSC, this … Continue reading “A LONG TAKE IN ‘THE SERVANT,’ PART 1”

As obsessed (possessed?) as I am with the art and craft of cinematography, I couldn’t help but look more closely at the photos I recently shot with the Konica 400mm lens (see last Tuesday’s post).  Below, you’ll find a zoomed-in detail from the first picture in the group.  Extracted from the same JPEG, it has … Continue reading “KONICA 400mm REDUX”

            In my July 21 post, I reported on the new lens that had fallen into my lap – a Konica f4.5 400mm.  It was in spotless condition and I was eager to put it to the test.  Below are some results.             All photos were shot from a tripod with a Canon 5D MkII…EI … Continue reading “IMAGES SHOT WITH THE KONICA 400mm”

Isamu Noguchi (1904 – 1988) was an American artist and landscape architect who enjoyed an incredibly varied and fruitful sixty-year career.  Look him up.  It’ll take you half an hour to get through his bio and resumé.             So, it’s with no small interest that I bring you this quote.  The man obviously knew what … Continue reading “KEEP AN OPEN MIND!”

            Beyond what little I learn each week from Google Analytics, I have no idea who reads this blog.  I suppose there must be a good number of students, or at least I hope so.  Much of what I post is oriented toward people in the early stages of their career; they’re my prime reason … Continue reading “CALLING ALL QUERIES…!”

I’m often asked by students: What’s the first thing I do when walking onto a set?  Thanks to Dennis Schaefer and Larry Salvato’s 1984 collection of interviews with prominent cinematographers, Masters of Light, Conrad Hall, ASC gave a more articulate answer than I’ve ever been capable of.             “The first thing I do is quake … Continue reading “CONRAD HALL, ASC ON DAY ONE OF PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY”

John Fulton, ASC, 1945 If you’ve seen any of, say, twenty studio films made before 1966, you’ve seen more of John Fulton’s work than any cinematographer you can name.  As a career special-effects cameraman, his contributions to the believability of the unreal and the advance of filmmaking are unmatched.  They resonate in everything we’ve seen … Continue reading “JOHN FULTON, ASC”

            See Friday’s post for the background.  Meanwhile, here’s the concluding part of Herb Lightman’s January 1970 American Cinematographer article, The Filming of Medium Cool.             It’s very interesting stuff…

I know Michael Cioni.  If you’re not aware of who he is, do a search.  Among his many talents, he’s an entrepreneur, artist and most important, one of the leading technologists of our time.  I can’t recall a single thing he’s observed about image creation that hasn’t come to pass.             Below, you’ll find his … Continue reading “MY MOST IMPORTANT POST TO DATE!”