# Elliot Davis (cinematographer)

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 the upcoming 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 | Notes |
| 1976 | Harvest: 3,000 Years | Haile Gerima | |
| 1976 | 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 operator |
| 1983 | The Outsiders | Francis Ford Coppola | Camera operator |
| 1983 | Something Wicked This Way Comes | Jack Clayton | Camera operator |
| 1983 | 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 |
| 1985 | St. Elmo's Fire | Joel Schumacher | Camera operator |
| 1985 | Trouble in Mind | Alan Rudolph | Camera operator |
| 1986 | 8 Million Ways to Die | Hal Ashby | Camera operator |
| 1986 | Blue City | Michelle Manning | Camera operator: second unit |
| 1986 | Vamp | Richard Wenk | |
| 1987 | Summer Heat | Michie Gleason | |
| 1988 | Miles from Home | Gary Sinise | |
| 1988 | 1969 | Ernest Thompson | Co-additional photography |
| 1989 | Signs of Life | John David Coles | |
| 1989 | Bloodhounds of Broadway | Howard Brookner | |
| 1990 | Bright Angel | Michael Fields | |
| 1990 | Love at Large | Alan Rudolph | |
| 1991 | Shakes the Clown | Bobcat Goldthwait | |
| 1991 | Mortal Thoughts | Alan Rudolph | |
| 1992 | The Cutting Edge | Paul Michael Glaser | |
| 1992 | Equinox | Alan Rudolph | Nominated - Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography |
| 1993 | King of the Hill | Steven Soderbergh | |
| 1993 | Mother's Boys | Yves Simoneau | |
| 1994 | Mr. Write | Charlie Loventhal | |
| 1994 | The Glass Shield | Charles Burnett | |
| 1995 | Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead | Gary Fleder | |
| 1995 | Father of the Bride Part II | Charles Shyer | With William A. Fraker |
| 1995 | The Underneath | Steven Soderbergh | Nominated - Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography |
| 1996 | Gray's Anatomy | Steven Soderbergh | |
| 1996 | Get on the Bus | Spike Lee | |
| 1996 | Larger than Life | Howard Franklin | |
| 1997 | Lawn Dogs | John Duigan | |
| 1998 | Out of Sight | Steven Soderbergh | |
| 1998 | Finding Graceland | David Winkler | |
| 1999 | Forces of Nature | Bronwen Hughes | |
| 1999 | Light It Up | Craig Bolotin | |
| 1999 | Breakfast of Champions | Alan Rudolph | |
| 2000 | The Next Best Thing | John Schlesinger | |
| 2001 | I Am Sam | Jessie Nelson | |
| 2001 | Happy Campers | Daniel Waters | |
| 2002 | 40 Days and 40 Nights | Michael Lehmann | |
| 2002 | White Oleander | Peter Kosminsky | |
| 2003 | Thirteen | Catherine Hardwicke | |
| 2003 | Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde | Charles Herman-Wurmfeld | |
| 2004 | A Love Song for Bobby Long | Shainee Gabel | |
| 2005 | Lords of Dogtown | Catherine Hardwicke | |
| 2006 | The Nativity Story | Catherine Hardwicke | |
| 2008 | Surfer, Dude | S.R. Bindler | |
| 2008 | Twilight | Catherine Hardwicke | |
| 2008 | Personal Effects | David Hollander | |
| 2011 | The Iron Lady | Phyllida Lloyd | |
| 2011 | A Year in Mooring | Chris Eyre | SXSW Film Festival - Best Cinematography - Narrative Competition |
| 2013 | Man of Tai Chi | Keanu Reeves | |
| 2013 | Louder Than Words | Anthony Fabian | |
| 2015 | The Runner | Austin Stark | |
| 2015 | Love the Coopers | Jessie Nelson | |
| 2015 | Miss You Already | Catherine Hardwicke | |
| 2016 | The Birth of a Nation | Nate Parker | |
| 2018 | A Love of Money | Elliot Davis | |
| 2018 | Dumplin' | Anne Fletcher | |
| 2018 | Surfing in Afghanistan | R.T. Herwig | |
| 2019 | Above Suspicion | Phillip Noyce | |
| 2020 | Uncorked | Prentice Penny | |
| 2022 | Gigi & Nate | Nick Hamm |
| 2022 | Hocus Pocus 2 | Anne Fletcher | |
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director |
| 1979 | The Tenth Month | Joan Tewkesbury |
| 1997 | Mayflower Madam | Lou Antonio |
| 1992 | Memphis | Yves Simoneau |
| 1996 | Nightjohn | Charles Burnett |