Field Notes

Observations from a career behind the camera.

Preparation Creates FreedomThe point of preparation is not control. It is the confidence to stay flexible when the day starts falling apart.Preparation is not about avoiding mistakes. It is about preparing for adversity.Know When the Sunset Is Worth Fighting ForWaiting ninety minutes for five minutes of sun clarified the difference between perfectionism and conviction.Do not fight everything. Fight for what cannot be replaced.Small MovesMost days, great cinematography is refinement—small decisions that keep pushing the frame toward the story.Great cinematography is usually a series of small moves in service of story, performance, and message.The First Five MinutesBefore I light a face, I learn the room from the subject’s side and build a map of how they take light.Before I light a face, I try to build a three-dimensional map of it in my head.The Nimoy RuleA pair of glasses changed the lighting problem—and every interview workflow that followed.Prepare for the person, not the stand-in.