Top 10 Best Cinematographers of All Time
Great cinematography does not just show you a movie. It controls how you feel inside it. You notice it in the hush before a reveal, the ache of a shadow crossing a face, and the way one slow camera move can make a room feel huge, lonely, dangerous, or strangely beautiful. Long after dialogue fades from memory, you still remember the glow, the texture, the framing, the color, and the sense that every shot knew exactly what it was doing.
That is the cinematographer's job. A cinematographer, also called a director of photography, is the person responsible for how a film looks on screen. You are seeing their choices in the lighting, camera angles, lens selection, movement, composition, focus, and visual tone of the entire piece. They work closely with the director to turn ideas into images, then build a visual language that fits the story instead of smothering it with pretty nonsense. In other words, they are not just pointing a camera at actors and hoping for magic. They are shaping light and space so the movie can speak before anyone opens their mouth.
When you think about the best cinematographers of all time, you are really thinking about artists who changed how you see film itself. Some create pictures so rich they feel almost unreal. Others strip everything down and make simplicity hit like a truck. The best ones can make a battlefield feel intimate, a bedroom feel epic, or a face say more than a full page of script. That is the standard here. Not flashy shots for the sake of showing off, but visual storytelling so sharp, so controlled, and so alive that you can feel the craft in every frame.
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Vittorio Storaro
Vittorio Storaro is an Italian cinematographer born in 1940 who studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome. He won Academy Awards for his work on Apocalypse Now, Reds, and The Last Emperor. His filmography also includes The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, and The Sheltering Sky.
He is the best cinematographer in the world because he is the god of chiaroscuro.
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Roger Deakins
Roger Deakins is an English cinematographer born in 1949 who trained at the National Film and Television School. He received Academy Awards for Blade Runner 2049 and 1917 after numerous previous nominations. His credits include No Country for Old Men, Fargo, Skyfall, Sicario, and The Shawshank Redemption.
The absolute master. When he needs to disappear into the background and let the story tell itself, he does so while maintaining well-formed images. When he needs to grab your attention, he does so with as much beauty and capability as any in his field.
His abilities with lighting are brilliant, and each shot is framed to perfection. He is able to slip through genres from thriller to comedy to war, and can wow whether in black and white or colour.
He is proficient in his trade, with a long list of notable films, from "The Shawshank Redemption," "Skyfall," and "No Country for Old Men," and has been working steadily in the industry for over 40 years. He is as reliable as they come, and continues to develop his craft, never being satisfied with relying on old techniques.
He is truly the master, and deserves to top this list.
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Conrad Hall
Conrad Hall was a cinematographer born in French Polynesia in 1926 and raised in the South Pacific before studying film in the United States. He won Academy Awards for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, American Beauty, and Road to Perdition. His other major credits include In Cold Blood, Cool Hand Luke, and Searching for Bobby Fischer.
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Christopher Doyle
Christopher Doyle is an Australian-born cinematographer born in 1952 who built much of his career in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia. He is widely known for his collaborations with Wong Kar-wai on films such as Chungking Express, Happy Together, In the Mood for Love, and 2046. His other cinematography credits include Hero, Last Life in the Universe, and Paranoid Park.
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Gordon Willis
Gordon Willis was an American cinematographer born in 1931 who became known for his control of shadow and low-key lighting. He shot The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, All the President's Men, and Manhattan. In 2009 he received an Honorary Academy Award for his body of work.
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Emmanuel Lubezki
Emmanuel Lubezki is a Mexican cinematographer born in 1964 who is often credited as Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki. He won Academy Awards for Gravity, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), and The Revenant in three consecutive years. His other major credits include Children of Men, The Tree of Life, Sleepy Hollow, and Y Tu Mamá También.
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Sven Nykvist
Sven Nykvist was a Swedish cinematographer born in 1922 who became closely associated with director Ingmar Bergman. He won Academy Awards for Cries and Whispers and Fanny and Alexander. His other notable films include Persona, Scenes from a Marriage, and The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
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Janusz Kamiński
Janusz Kamiński is a Polish cinematographer born in 1959 who later built his career in the United States. He won Academy Awards for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. He is also known for extensive collaborations with Steven Spielberg on films such as A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Minority Report, Munich, and Lincoln.
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Sergei Urusevsky
Sergei Urusevsky was a Soviet cinematographer and film director born in 1908. He is best known for photographing The Cranes Are Flying and I Am Cuba. He also worked on Letter Never Sent and was noted for his mobile camera style and expressive visual design.
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Vilmos Zsigmond
Vilmos Zsigmond was a Hungarian-American cinematographer born in 1930 who left Hungary after filming the events of the 1956 uprising. He won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. His other notable films include McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Deliverance, The Deer Hunter, and The Long Goodbye.
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Linus Sandgren
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Dan Laustsen
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Santosh Sivan
Santosh Sivan is an Indian cinematographer, director, and producer born in 1964. He became the first cinematographer from the Asia-Pacific region to receive the Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography award at Cannes. His cinematography credits include Roja, Dil Se.., Iruvar, The Terrorist, and Ashoka.
Eye-catching. Stunning. Unbelievable work by Santhosh Sivan. He is a gifted person in the field of cinematography. We can see it in his works. There is no doubt.
This Indian cinematographer makes movies look much bigger than their original budget. What tremendous beauty and graceful style they have!
Amazing. Tremendous. Extraordinary work in cinematography. He reveals the beauty of Indian culture and creates the vastness of art.
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Kazuo Miyagawa
Kazuo Miyagawa was a Japanese cinematographer born in 1908 who worked for studios including Daiei and collaborated with major Japanese directors. He photographed Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon and Yojimbo as well as Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu and Sansho the Bailiff. He also served as cinematographer on Yasujirō Ozu's Floating Weeds.
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Freddie Young
Freddie Young was an English cinematographer born in 1902 who worked on British and international productions across several decades. He won Academy Awards for Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, and Ryan's Daughter. His other notable credits include The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, You Only Live Twice, and Battle of Britain.
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John Toll
John Toll is an American cinematographer born in 1952. He won consecutive Academy Awards for Legends of the Fall and Braveheart. His other cinematography credits include The Thin Red Line, Almost Famous, The Last Samurai, and Iron Man 3.
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Néstor Almendros
Néstor Almendros was a Spanish cinematographer born in Barcelona in 1930 who worked extensively in France and the United States. He won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Days of Heaven. His notable films also include The Wild Child, Claire's Knee, Kramer vs. Kramer, and Sophie's Choice.
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Robert Richardson
Robert Richardson is an American cinematographer born in 1955 who studied film at the Rhode Island School of Design and the AFI Conservatory. He won Academy Awards for JFK, The Aviator, and Hugo. His filmography also includes Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Inglourious Basterds, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Robert Richardson maintains his own style of cinematography, making a powerful impact on the visuals.
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Ed Lachman
Ed Lachman is an American cinematographer born in 1948 who has worked in both narrative film and documentary. He received Academy Award nominations for Far from Heaven, Carol, and El Conde. His other notable credits include Erin Brockovich, I'm Not There, and Dark Waters.
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Gregg Toland
Gregg Toland was an American cinematographer born in 1904 who became one of the most influential figures in studio-era Hollywood. He won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Wuthering Heights. His other major credits include Citizen Kane, The Grapes of Wrath, The Long Voyage Home, and The Best Years of Our Lives.
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Wally Pfister
Wally Pfister is an American cinematographer born in 1961 who began his career working on documentaries and television before moving into feature films. He won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Inception. He is also known for his collaborations with Christopher Nolan on Memento, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises.
Why isn't he at the top? Haven't you people seen The Dark Knight?
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Matthew Libatique
Matthew Libatique is an American cinematographer born in 1968 who studied at the California Institute of the Arts. He is known for frequent collaborations with director Darren Aronofsky on films such as Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, Black Swan, and Noah. He also shot A Star Is Born, Straight Outta Compton, and Maestro.
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Carlo di Palma
Carlo Di Palma was an Italian cinematographer born in 1925 and the son of a still photographer. He worked with directors including Michelangelo Antonioni and Woody Allen. His cinematography credits include Red Desert, Blow-Up, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors, and Bullets Over Broadway.
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Willy Hameister
Willy Hameister was a German cinematographer born in 1882 who worked during the silent and early sound eras of German cinema. He photographed The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. His credits also include The Indian Tomb and Algol.
The cinematographer for the 1920 film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. I think he did some Nazi Olympics stuff too. Genius, but messed up.
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John Seale
John Seale is an Australian cinematographer born in 1942 who worked internationally on both dramas and large-scale productions. He won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for The English Patient. His other notable credits include Witness, Rain Man, Cold Mountain, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and Mad Max: Fury Road.
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Nicolas Roeg
Nicolas Roeg was an English cinematographer and film director born in 1928 who began his career in the British film industry as a camera operator. Before directing, he photographed films such as Fahrenheit 451, Far from the Madding Crowd, Petulia, and Performance. He later became known as a director of films including Walkabout, Don't Look Now, and The Man Who Fell to Earth.
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John Alcott
John Alcott was an English cinematographer born in 1930 who worked his way up from the camera department in British cinema. He won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Barry Lyndon. He also photographed A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and No Way Out.
What he did on Stanley Kubrick's movies is simply astonishing!