Cinematography is the art and craft of capturing moving images on film or digital cameras for movies and television. A cinematographer (also called a director of photography) decides how each scene should look: what angle to shoot from, how close or far away the camera should be, how bright or dim the lighting should be, and whether the camera should stay still or move.

Think of cinematography as painting with light and camera placement. In a suspenseful scene, a cinematographer might shoot from low angles with dark shadows to create tension. In a happy scene, they might use warm, bright lighting and smooth camera movements. When you watch a beautiful sunset scene in a movie, or a thrilling chase sequence where the camera swoops and dives, you're seeing the cinematographer's choices at work.

Great cinematography can make you feel emotions without a single word of dialogue. The same scene shot two different ways, with different lighting and angles, can feel completely different. A skilled cinematographer knows how to use these tools to help tell the story, working closely with the director to create the look and mood of the entire film.