Roger Deakins
- StudioPeel
- Jun 9, 2023
- 3 min read
The Master of story telling, lighting & composition...
Being fascinated by the role that lighting plays in photography / filmmaking / CGI and previously writing about Gregory Crewdson’s work, it seemed only natural to talk about another ‘deep dive’ I have taken to continue on the path to learn about lighting and its influence and effect on storytelling within image making.
Learning about lighting and not exploring the work of Roger Deakins is kind of an oxy moron! He is a highly acclaimed British cinematographer, widely regarded as one of the most talented and influential cinematographers of his generation. Some may even say one of the greats of cinematography, he has worked on too many films to mention and has cemented himself as a key ‘film great’ who has been pushing forward how we feel and see a movie for close on 40 years. This influence is important because he has developed a visual language that has ‘subliminally’ been absorbed by people who have watched the films he has worked on and inspired many others. The culmination of all of this is that we have become unconsciously familiar with how we feel when we view an image.
Deakins is known for his meticulous attention to detail, his ability to create stunning visuals that are both beautiful and emotionally resonant, and his willingness to experiment with new techniques and technologies.
In particular his use of light and shadow has become synonymous him and the atmospheric and evocative imagery he creates. He often works with natural light and practical sources, and has a talent for creating striking images that are both naturalistic and visually arresting.
Overall, Roger Deakins is widely regarded as one of the greatest cinematographers of all time, and his work has had a significant impact on the world of cinema. His ability to create powerful and emotive images has helped to elevate countless films to new heights, and his influence can be seen in the work of many contemporary cinematographers and image makers.
Learning not necessarily the techniques but more the approach from the experience of people like Roger Deakins is fascinating to me and I am constantly trying to challenge myself with the work I produce. With lighting and how it's used being so critical to the final output of an image.
Constantly striving for development and progression with every project I work on and the images I make is simply an exciting thing to do everyday.
Looking at images, breaking them down and analysing films, tv and visiting galleries for inspiration is something I do a lot, whether it’s specific research or more general, I can't help but be tuned into it.
The more we create the more intuitive the process becomes, the more intuitive it becomes the more the feeling of the image comes through. That’s really what you're striving for - to create the feeling.
Head over to his podcast (link on his website) ‘Team Deakins’ - if you want to learn a bit more, hours of listening and learning to be had. Also - as a side note - with such a great voice, I wonder why he hasn’t done any voice overs or audio books!!
If you want to explore a bit more for a deeper dive here are a few other people to check out. The Wandering DP focuses on tutorial breakdown the film making DP process. A lot to absorb here, amazing content and it taught me a different way to think about how to use light - the power and emotion of lighting.
Light Pondering - Jeremy Vickery sharing his knowledge and experience about lighting. His content is a little different from what I typically get inspired by - but that’s a good thing! I learnt a slightly different approach to thinking about lighting from learning from his videos.
