ESSAYS & THOUGHTS

The Journal of Light

Reflections on cinematography, photography, and production.

February 1, 2026

The Lens Is a Lie (and That's Why I Trust It)

The first time I understood the camera was a weapon, I was standing in good light and bad faith—both of which flatter the subject.

January 31, 2026

The Queen's English of Light: An Etiquette Guide for Shadows

There is a mannerly way to ruin a photograph: elegant, restrained, utterly correct—and dead.

January 30, 2026

Gonzo Pre-Production: Planning Like a Madman Without Looking Like One

Pre-production is where you decide what you're willing to die for.

January 29, 2026

Analog Hunger in a Digital World

Digital is abundance. Film is appetite. Film forces a kind of hunger that makes you sharper.

January 28, 2026

The Sexy Violence of a Clean Frame

A clean frame is not a sterile frame. It's a frame that knows what it wants and refuses to apologize for it.

January 27, 2026

Cameras Don't Make Images. People Do (Unfortunately)

Gear talk is a religion for people who fear taste. I say this with love, as someone who has absolutely worshipped at the altar of a new lens.

January 26, 2026

Color Grading as Therapy

Color grading is where you admit what you really felt on set. On set, you lie. You smile. You reassure. In the grade, the truth leaks out.

January 25, 2026

The Myth of "Natural Light"

Natural light is not natural. It's just light you didn't pay for. It has moods. It has rules. It can be generous, or it can be vicious.

January 24, 2026

Directing Talent Like a Gentleman Thief

Directing people is theft, but done politely. You're stealing posture, vulnerability, the best angle, the most convincing version of someone's confidence.

January 23, 2026

Set Design: The Quiet Dictatorship of Objects

Objects are politics. A chair says who has power. A glass says who is fragile. A wall says what you can't escape.

January 22, 2026

Sound Is the Most Honest Department

Cinematography gets the glory. Sound gets the truth. You can fake a sunset. You can fake a skyline. But you cannot fake the way a room breathes.

January 21, 2026

The Editor as Executioner

Editing is where you kill your favorite shots. If you can't cut a gorgeous frame that doesn't serve the story, you're not an editor—you're a collector.

January 20, 2026

Lighting People Don't Believe in God. They Believe in Flags.

Flags are theology: subtraction, restraint, discipline. If you want cinematic, stop adding light and start shaping darkness.

January 19, 2026

AI as a Crew Member: Hire It, Don't Marry It

AI is not your muse. It's a department. Treat it like any hire: give it a clear brief, a deadline, and a lane.

January 18, 2026

The Pornography of Resolution

We're drowning in detail and starving for meaning. 8K, 12K, RAW everything—like more pixels will redeem our lack of point of view.

January 17, 2026

Wardrobe: The Body's Legal Document

Clothes are testimony. A suit says, 'I'm safe.' Leather says, 'I'm not.' A white shirt says, 'I want to be forgiven.'

January 16, 2026

Cinematic Movement: Walk Like You Mean It

Camera movement is language. Handheld is a heartbeat. Steadicam is a predator. Dolly is inevitability. Lock-off is judgment.

January 15, 2026

The Ethics of Beautifying Reality

A camera can elevate. It can also erase. If you're photographing real people, real places, real pain—be careful.

January 14, 2026

The Return of Discipline

The future isn't more tools. It's more discipline. The winners will be the ones who can do less and mean more.

January 13, 2026

Hope, Through a Viewfinder

I'm not optimistic. Optimism feels like a corporate memo. I'm hopeful in a dirtier way—like someone who has seen the worst of human taste and still insists on making a beautiful frame.