Howard Atherton BSC was born in Ilford, Essex, on 12 August 1947, Atherton developed an interest in cinema at an early age. He has recalled being inspired by the Saturday morning pictures he attended as a child in 1953, an experience that helped determine his ambition to work in filmmaking. He was given a camera and darkroom equipment while growing up, and photography became an important hobby. After leaving school at 16, he worked for a local photographic studio.
At a time when entering the British film industry often depended upon obtaining a union ticket, Atherton found another route into the profession by enrolling at the London Film School. He spent two years at the school, concentrating particularly on camera operating. The training provided him with both practical experience and a foundation in the technical disciplines of cinematography.
While at the film school, Atherton was approached by camera operator Mostyn Rowlands and offered work as a loader on a feature documentary being filmed in Malta. The cinematographer was Keith Allam, who was also a visiting lecturer at the school. This early professional experience marked the beginning of Atherton's transition from student to working member of the camera department.
Atherton subsequently worked his way through the camera department, gaining experience as a camera assistant and operator. Among his early credits was Melody (1971), on which he was a clapper loader, followed by camera-operating work on productions including the French television series Nouvelles d'Henry James. In 1975 he was a camera operator on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, working alongside a crew that included Roger Pratt, who was then an assistant cameraman.
His experience increasingly extended into specialised photography. Atherton was involved in additional photography on Ridley Scott's Alien (1979) and second-unit photography on The Empire Strikes Back (1980). These productions required highly specialised camera work, and the experience helped establish Atherton's reputation beyond conventional principal photography. He subsequently worked on Black Rain (1989) as an additional photographer.
Atherton made the transition to Director of Photography with Runners, directed by Charles Sturridge and written by Stephen Poliakoff. The British drama, released in 1983, marked the beginning of his feature-film career as a cinematographer.
He subsequently spent much of the late 1980s and 1990s working on American feature productions. His credits included Adrian Lyne's Fatal Attraction (1987), Harold Becker's The Boost (1988), Richard Benjamin's Mermaids (1990), Adrian Lyne's Indecent Proposal (1993), Michael Bay's Bad Boys (1995), Adrian Lyne's Lolita (1997) and Stephen Sommers' Deep Rising (1998).
Atherton's television work has included The Unbroken Arrow and the television production Gulliver's Travels. His cinematography on Gulliver's Travels earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography. He has also continued to work in shorter-form and specialist productions, including Mirad and Ohio Impromptu.
During the 2000s, Atherton returned increasingly to British and European productions. His later feature credits included The Abduction Club (2002), Colour Me Kubrick (2005), Lassie (2005), And When Did You Last See Your Father? (2007) and All Things to All Men (2013). He also continued to undertake additional and second-unit work, including later productions such as Incendiary and Leap Year.
Alongside his professional work, Atherton has maintained a connection with cinematography education, returning to the London Film School, where he trained, as a tutor.