Cinematography ·
Getting the shot in the snow
This photograph was taken in 2017. Nine years later, it still speaks to my willingness to get the shot—and to how much experience can add to that willingness.
Read noteJournal category
Cinematography
Journal notes by James Alton about cinematography, image-making and the work around it.
Follow this category by RSS3 notes
Read every note in this category.
Cinematography ·
Testing old lenses and Black Pro-Mist for black and white
Before filming Last of a Dying Breed, I thought I wanted the softness and character of vintage lenses. We put Roark Critchlow on a couch and compared older glass, modern lenses and Black Pro-Mist in black and white. Watching the test changed my mind: I wanted a modern, sharp, crisp, high-contrast image, with diffusion added only where we wanted it.
Read note
Cinematography ·
Lighting The Older Bastard Brother
The Older Bastard Brother is one of the older pieces I still come back to because the lighting is doing practical work: holding Dave MacKinnon's face, keeping the room tense, and letting the western feeling stay contained.
Read note