Cinematography, History of

Cinematography is the art of photographing motion pictures. All photographing of motion pictures is, in its broadest sense, → cinematography, but it is the special combination of aesthetics and technology that distinguishes the term. It is the art of the cinematographer that makes cinema compelling, the skillful blending of → Photography, lighting, composition, and the capture of motion that creates the essence of what is memorable in cinema. The cinematographer, also known as the director of photography (DP or DoP) or sometimes lighting cameraman, makes real a director's creative vision, establishing a sense of place, character, emotion, and drama, through the essential visualizing of the moment (→ Visual Communication).