From the black-and-white romance of Cold War to the vivid nation-building of Black Panther, cinematographers don’t just light the way, they also serve as visual translators — gauging a director’s intent, working with production designers to bring spaces to life, and making room for actors to step into their roles. “I think it’s different for each of us, of course, but it’s that sort of magical collaborative environment,” says If Beale Street Could Talk cinematographer James Laxton. To get to that point, these pros become not only seers but eavesdroppers. “There’s a lot of listening that goes on,” explains BlacKkKlansman’s Chayse Irvin. When the process gels, adds Black Panther’s Rachel Morrison, “You almost become a family, especially with the people that you have a shorthand with.”
At the invitation of…
