I love the NHL playoffs!          Like most professional sports of our time, the regular season bores me.  When things get serious at the end of April, I become the biggest fan who ever lived.  I don’t care what teams are playing; any match-up is good enough.  It’s great that the fight for the … Continue reading “HOW’S THIS FOR OUT OF LEFT FIELD?”

         It’s been awhile since I’ve posted one of these, but the advice – however simple – never goes out of style.  Give it some consideration and make it part of who you are when you step onto a set.  I promise, especially in this day and age, anything above the minimum effort will be … Continue reading “STUDENT QUICK-TIP #24”

         This’s what happens when you set a one-hundred-twenty-pound Great Dane loose inside the ASC Clubhouse.  He was in high gear that morning, having completed nine or ten laps around the Board table before I got into the room.  This dog cracks me up all day long and I really appreciate how happy he looks … Continue reading “CLEAR THE WAY!”

         As far back as I can remember, I have been in love with the natural light that reaches us during the month of June.  Although its effect actually extends through July 10th or so, I’m always surprised by the power of what it evokes within me.  Often, the emotions arrive out of nowhere like … Continue reading “LOVE STORY”

         I’m continually shocked at how little appreciation many younger cinematographers have for the great ones who came before us.  Maybe it’s the speed of modern life, but there’s no excuse not to be familiar with the work of such relatively recent giants as John Alonzo, Conrad Hall, Victor Kemper, Laszlo Kovacs, Owen Roizman, Haskell … Continue reading “IRMIN ROBERTS, ASC (1904-1978)”

         Pardon me if I have a moment of self-awareness as the proprietor of this blog: Who else relates the sort of information you’re about to read?          The Beatles at Shea Stadium (1966) is the appropriately-titled documentary that memorializes the most significant show of the band’s record-setting 1965 tour.  Directed by Robert Precht, the … Continue reading “INSIDE SCOOP”

         Jeff IV…  Himself…  Photographed on an iPhone 12 Pro Max on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 4:20PM at the ASC Clubhouse in Hollywood.          You might be wondering why he’s named Jeff IV.  The answer is simple.  He’s the fourth dog I’ve owned whose name is Jeff.

         Anyone who has spent time working in the film industry understands that it can occasionally reveal a fascinating incongruity.  Well, here’s a good one for you.          Did you know that in 1961 the great cinematographer George Folsey, ASC – recipient of the ASC Lifetime Achievement Award, holder of thirteen Oscar nominations and winner … Continue reading “WE’LL NEVER KNOW WHY”

         This article I wrote was first published in slightly edited form in Issue 26 (March\April 2025) of Cinematography World.  Though I’m at peace with the total loss visited by the Palisades fire, it’s worth remembering a day that seems to have already disappeared from most people’s consciousness.  Still, I wish I had a camera … Continue reading “NEVER DWELL, BUT NEVER FORGET”