Elliot Davis (born May 23, 1948) is an American cinematographer.
Davis graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and a Master of Fine Arts in Film from UCLA. Davis feels his tenure as an architect carries over into his shooting style.
Davis began his career in the mid 1970s, acting as cinematographer on the drama Harvest: 3,000 Years. He also would act as the camera operator for various films, including Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders and Joel Schumacher's St. Elmo's Fire. Davis would collaborate frequently with several directors, including Steven Soderbergh (King of the Hill, The Underneath, Gray's Anatomy, Out of Sight), Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown, The Nativity Story, Twilight), and Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam, Love the Coopers).
Davis was the director of photography for Nate Parker's controversial directorial debut The Birth of a Nation. Davis was not familiar with Parker prior to receiving the script, but soon forged a creative connection with him, using films such as The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford as influence for the look of Nation.
Additional works include The Cutting Edge, Father of the Bride Part II, Equinox, Larger than Life, Forces of Nature, 40 Days and 40 Nights, White Oleander, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, A Love Song for Bobby Long, The Iron Lady, Man of Tai Chi and Above Suspicion.
For his work on Equinox and The Underneath, Davis received two nominations for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography.
Filmography Film Year Title Director Notes1976 Harvest: 3,000 Years Haile Gerima Independence Day Bobby Roth 1979 The Onion Field Harold Becker Camera operator 1980 Used Cars Robert Zemeckis Camera operator (uncredited) 1981 Broken English Michie Gleason 1982 Death Valley Dick Richards Camera operator1983 The Outsiders Francis Ford Coppola Camera operator Something Wicked This Way Comes Jack Clayton Camera operator Return Engagement Alan Rudolph Documentary, Camera operator 1984 Racing with the Moon Richard Benjamin Camera operator: additional phot. (uncredited)1985 Tuff Turf Fritz Kiersch Camera operator St. Elmo's Fire Joel Schumacher Camera operator Trouble in Mind Alan Rudolph Camera operator1986 8 Million Ways to Die Hal Ashby Camera operator Blue City Michelle Manning Camera operator: second unit Vamp Richard Wenk 1987 Summer Heat Michie Gleason 1988 Miles from Home Gary Sinise 1969 Ernest Thompson Co-additional photography1989 Signs of Life John David Coles Bloodhounds of Broadway Howard Brookner1990 Bright Angel Michael Fields Love at Large Alan Rudolph 1991 Shakes the Clown Bobcat Goldthwait Mortal Thoughts Alan Rudolph 1992 The Cutting Edge Paul Michael Glaser Equinox Alan Rudolph Nominated - Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography1993 King of the Hill Steven Soderbergh Mother's Boys Yves Simoneau1994 Mr. Write Charlie Loventhal The Glass Shield Charles Burnett1995 Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead Gary Fleder Father of the Bride Part II Charles ShyerWith William A. Fraker The Underneath Steven Soderbergh Nominated - Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography1996 Gray's Anatomy Get on the Bus Spike Lee Larger than Life Howard Franklin 1997 Lawn Dogs John Duigan 1998 Out of Sight Steven Soderbergh Finding Graceland David Winkler1999 Forces of Nature Bronwen Hughes Light It Up Craig Bolotin Breakfast of Champions Alan Rudolph 2000 The Next Best Thing John Schlesinger 2001 I Am Sam Jessie Nelson Happy Campers Daniel Waters2002 40 Days and 40 Nights Michael Lehmann White Oleander Peter Kosminsky2003 Thirteen Catherine Hardwicke Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde Charles Herman-Wurmfeld 2004 A Love Song for Bobby Long Shainee Gabel 2005 Lords of DogtownCatherine Hardwicke 2006 The Nativity Story2008 Surfer, Dude S.R. Bindler Twilight Catherine Hardwicke Personal Effects David Hollander 2011 The Iron Lady Phyllida Lloyd A Year in Mooring Chris Eyre SXSW Film Festival - Best Cinematography - Narrative Competition2013 Man of Tai Chi Keanu Reeves Louder Than Words Anthony Fabian 2015 The Runner Austin Stark Love the Coopers Jessie Nelson Miss You Already Catherine Hardwicke 2016 The Birth of a Nation Nate Parker 2018 A Love of Money Elliot Davis Dumplin' Anne Fletcher Surfing in Afghanistan R.T. Herwig 2019 Above Suspicion Phillip Noyce 2020 Uncorked Prentice Penny2022 Gigi & Nate Nick Hamm Hocus Pocus 2 Anne Fletcher 2026 Street Smart Catherine Hardwicke
TV movies Year Title Director 1979 The Tenth Month Joan Tewkesbury 1997 Mayflower Madam Lou Antonio 1992 Memphis Yves Simoneau 1996 Nightjohn Charles Burnett
References
External links Elliot Davis at the Internet Movie Database