The World Through Rose-Tinted Glasses
One thing people first notice about me is my rose-tinted glasses. Albeit stylish, they are a medical device as they treat deutan color blindness. When I was in college, the industry was still in the genesis of digital cinema, lights were full spectrum, and DoP’s had very limited color control. Colorblindness was not a dealbreaker – pick your film stock, then light and expose. Within the span of a few years, the competitive landscape was completely disrupted:
LED/Fluorescents, which don’t properly render color, became mainstream
PC’s became powerful enough to manipulate color
Video supplanted celluloid and cinematographers are expected to color match film
Cameras started to record “RAW”
Suddenly my disabilities felt like handicaps. To avoid dealing with color, I transitioned away from being a DoP to being a camera operator. I embraced the athletic aspects of the art of camera operation, which over time helped me overcome another disability that I have: a break in my lumbar. I also began producing content as not to waste my management and leadership skills. In 2018, I took a chance on a pair of Enchroma glasses and suddenly, I was able to pursue being a cinematographer once more.
A colorblind cinematographer with a spinal injury. Just saying that makes me smile as I reflect on what I have overcome and what I aspire to accomplish. I cannot overstate the importance and healing power of art and the humanities. It’s what drives me – the need to strive for perfection through creation knowing it will never be achieved. In is the pursuit of perfection we perfect ourselves.
Proficiency
Over my 14 years in the industry, I have been involved with over 1000 different productions across every genre and sub-genre including, but not limited to: narrative, episodic, comedy, commercials, promos, branded content, documentary, music videos, table-top, live/studio broadcast, reality, aerials, fashion/beauty, runway, cooking, live event, theater, sports, high-speed, motion control, EPK/BTS, immersive-VR, VFX, wire-work, car-to-car, industrial, sitcom, concerts, infomercial, underwater.
Professional Affiliations + Training
IATSE Local 600 Cinematographers Guild
Disguise Virtual Production Accelerator
Open Water Certified Scuba Diver
Certified AWP Operator
Boy Scouts of America - Eagle Scout
Education
B.S. Communications/Media Studies with Dual Concentrations in Film & Video, Minor: Music
Leadership Honors, Magna Cum Laude
Fitchburg State University 2009