Painting with Light

Few cinematographers have had as decisive an impact on the cinematic medium as John Alton.

Best known for his highly stylized film noir classics "T-Men", "He Walked By Night" and "The Big Combo", Alton earned a reputation during the 1940s and 1950s as one of Hollywood's consummate craftsmen through his visual signature of crisp shadows and sculpted beams of light.

No less renowned for his virtuoso colour cinematography and deft appropriation of widescreen and Technicolor, he earned an Academy Award in 1951 for his work on the musical "An American in Paris". First published in 1949, Alton's study of cinematography remains a major statement on the art of motion picture photography, as well as an interesting historical document on the workings of the postwar American cinema.

In simple, non-technical language, Alton explains the job of the cinematographer and explores how lighting, camera techniques and choice of locations determine the visual mood of film.

Todd McCarthy's introduction, written especially for this edition, provides an overview of Alton's biography and career and explores the influence of his work on contemporary cinematography.