February 6, 2026

Take a sneak peek inside the January/February 2026 edition of British Cinematographer

As 2026 gets underway, the January/February edition celebrates the creativity, craft and collaboration driving the industry forward — from bold visual storytelling to the techniques shaping cinema’s future. Fresh ideas, renewed energy and new stories start here.

CAMERA CREATIVE: ŁUKASZ ŻAL PSC ON HAMNET 

Łukasz Żal PSC strips back filmmaking to essentials, using nature, restraint and intuition to explore grief, love, and spiritual cycles in Hamnet.

BEN FORDESMAN BSC ON ANEMONE

Ben Fordesman BSC crafts painterly intimacy on Anemone, collaborating with Ronan Day-Lewis and Daniel Day-Lewis to blend realism, landscape, storm-lit emotion and rigorous practical lighting.

CHUNG-HOON CHUNG ASC ON THE RUNNING MAN

Chung-hoon Chung ASC uses ARRI Alexa 35, multiple lenses, and complex lighting to craft Edgar Wright’s dark, high-stakes dystopian vision.

RUSSELL CARPENTER ASC ON AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH

Russell Carpenter ASC expands Pandora with Avatar: Fire and Ash, blending stereoscopic innovation and decades-long collaboration with James Cameron to push cinematic world-building further.

VANESSA WHYTE BSC ON DRAGONFLY

Vanessa Whyte BSC captures evolving intimacy and unease in Dragonfly, using Super 16, precise blocking and Yorkshire locations to frame tender performances and a devastating tonal shift.

KO-CHIN CHEN AND TZU-HAO KAO ON LEFT-HANDED GIRL

Shot on iPhone, Chen and Kao capture Taipei’s intimacy with stealth, minimal crews and natural light, delivering raw immediacy authenticity.

NICK MORRIS ON PILLION

Nick Morris uses restrained, vintage-inspired cinematography in Pillion, balancing intimacy, kink and British grit through composed, emotionally precise visuals.

AMY VINCENT ASC ON SONG SUNG BLUE

Amy Vincent ASC blends heartfelt performances, period-accurate lighting, and live music energy in Song Sung Blue, capturing joy, struggle and love.

CAROLINE BRIDGES ON THE FAMOUS FIVE

Caroline Bridges combines nostalgic tungsten, modern LED finesse, and cinematic depth in The Famous Five, blending 1940s Hollywood style with BBC adventure.

VISIONARY: REMI ADEFARASIN OBE BSC

Remi Adefarasin OBE BSC’s celebrated career spans film and TV, blending simplicity, technical mastery and a deep understanding of storytelling.

THE CRAFT: STILLS

Ula Pontikos BSC, Rob Hardy ASC BSC, Adam Suschitzky BSC, Rachel Clark BSC, Polly Morgan ASC BSC and Bruno Delbonnel ASC AFC share how still photography shapes their cinematography.

SPECIAL FEATURE: BOOKS

Essential cinematography and filmmaking books, offering insight, inspiration, and practical guidance for DPs, camera crews and creative professionals.

INDUSTRY WIDE SHOT: STUDIOS

UK studios are thriving, with new facilities constantly opening, yet crews continue to face mounting pressure. Time to explore this situation.

MASTERCLASS: WILLIAM REXER ASC ON THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE

Capturing the stormy, dance-filled ship sequence, blending inventive lighting, choreography and cinematography to bring 18th-century Shaker life vividly to screen.

MASTERCLASS: AMIN JAFARI ON IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT  

A static 10-minute shot captures Ebrahim Azizi’s Eghbal tied to a tree. DP Amin Jafari explains the choice with Jafar Panahi.

MASTERCLASS: OLLIE DOWNEY BSC ON THE FIRES

Overcoming extreme weather, volcanic chaos and a tiny crew to capture sweeping visuals on a limited budget.

EVENT PREVIEW: BSC EXPO

Newly-elected BSC President Oliver Stapleton BSC explores the growth of BSC Expo, the cutting-edge technologies influencing cinematography, and the continued focus on education, sustainability and international collaboration.

EVENT REVIEW: CAMERIMAGE AND EMIFF

Camerimage 2025 celebrated cinematography with tributes, awards, AI discussions, technology showcases and panels on collaboration, lighting and camera innovation. Evolution Mallorca 2025 shone a light on cinematography, collaboration and emerging talent through awards, panels, masterclasses, Q&As and community-driven filmmaking.

MEET THE NEW WAVE: ALAIN CROSS

Alain Cross shares his cinematic journey, influences, and philosophy, highlighting mentorship, passion for light and dedication to storytelling through “poetic realism”.

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

Christopher Ross BSC reflects on his BSC presidency, highlighting industry challenges, the importance of inclusion, mentorship, collaboration and sustaining cinematography as a human-centred craft.

ALSO IN THE ISSUE…

BSC HERITAGE: ERWIN HILLIER BSC

Leaving a lasting mark on British cinema, Erwin Hillier BSC crafted inventive, poetic visuals from A Canterbury Tale to The Dam Busters, blending artistry with technical mastery across decades of filmmaking.

CINEMATIC CLASSIC: MULHOLLAND DRIVE

Peter Deming ASC charts his collaboration with David Lynch on Mulholland Drive, shaping romantic noir through painterly composition, analogue craft, ambiguity and enduring cinematic unease.

POINT OF VIEW

From tentative first steps to groundbreaking leadership, Zoe Goodwin, the ACO’s first female president, reflects on passion, progress and the enduring artistry of camera operating.

Elsewhere, Francesca R Zerenghi explains how Cinegirl, created to amplify women’s filmmaking voices, has evolved into CineVoices, welcoming a broader, inclusive community shaping the industry’s future.

GBCT NEWS

The GBCT thrived last year by strengthening governance, running workshops, building connections, hosting events, sharing resources, celebrating achievements and honouring Tim Potter’s legacy.

IMAGO NEWS

The IMAGO Behind the Lens study reveals European camera crews face precarious conditions, with growing freelance work, urgent need for fair pay, dignity and industry reform.

LETTER FROM AMERICA

Steven Poster ASC reflects on how cinematographers embrace photography, gaining skills, inspiration and lifelong “photo buddies” who share their craft.

SHOOTING SUMMARY

Stay up to date with the latest in cinematography: discover which DPs and camera crews are prepping, shooting, or grading on films, TV, and commercials worldwide.

Digital and Print & Digital Subscribers can read the 133rd edition now by clicking here.

Print subscribers* will receive their copies in the post within the next fortnight.

Not a subscriber yet? Don’t worry – you can get your annual subscription now from just £30 ($39) by clicking here.

*Issue 133 will only be received in printed format by those with an active ‘Print’ or ‘Print & Digital’ subscription purchased before 2nd February 2026. Any new ‘Print’ or ‘Print & Digital’ subscription purchases made from 2nd February 2026 onwards will NOT receive this issue in print as part of their purchase.