April 2025

The Defiant Ones — Ultimate in Mood Photography

This article originally appeared in AC Aug. 1958. The text is presented here as it was originally published. Mood, in motion pictures, is a visual thing. It is something that is established by the photography and sustained by the photography. It comes through from the screen with the greatest impact when the director of photography has an innate feel for creating mood through artful lighting and camera angles. This, of course, is something which all veteran directors of photography have, each in varying degrees — a talent developed during many years of photographing motion pictures. But, as with any endeavor, now and then one stands out above all the rest. In The Defiant Ones, being released this month, director of photography Sam...more