Jerry Finnerman Gerald " Jerry " Perry Finnerman , also known as Jerry Finnerman , was director of photography for the first two seasons and the beginning of the third season of . In 1996 , he was honored for his work on " Star Trek " by becoming the first director of photography to be inducted into the Producers Guild of America Hall of Fame , for his cinematography on that series . Career . Early career . Finnerman ' s career spanned over three decades , from the early 1960s to the mid - 1990s . The son of cinematographer , he began his career as the apprentice of his father , then his godfather , the famous cameraman . He worked as a camera operator on some of Stradling ' s films , including the 1961 comedy " A Majority of One " ( featuring Madlyn Rhue and George Takei ) , the 1964 musical " My Fair Lady " ( featuring Theodore Bikel ) , and the 1966 comedy " Walk , Don ' t Run " ( starring Samantha Eggar and featuring George Takei ) . He also worked as camera operator on many other films , such as " Cheyenne Autumn " ( 1964 , with Ricardo Montalban and Charles Seel ) . " Star Trek " . In , soon before production began on , the first regular episode of " The Original Series " , the production staff realized they didn ' t have a director of photography . The producers originally wanted ( the son of Stradling , Sr . ) for the job . However , he was busy working on " Gunsmoke " . Stradling , Sr . then went to the Desilu offices with his young protégé , wanting to recommend him for employment in place of his son . Robert Justman , after meeting Finnerman and his godfather , went into Gene Roddenberry ' s office , claiming that he had found a cameraman for the show . Roddenberry replied , " " If you want him , I want him , " " and immediately ordered to hire Finnerman . ( " " , p 112 - 113 ) " Star Trek " being his first job as a director of photography , Finnerman was eventually very concerned if he would be able to do the series properly . Finally , it was Stradling who convinced him to take the assignment . Several sources ( including " The Making of Star Trek " ) claimed that Finnerman worked as camera operator on the two pilot episodes , and . However , Justman ' s crew sheets revealed these claims are false ( Richard A . Kelley was the camera operator on ) . ( " " , p . 36 ) Finnerman was also referenced in the revised final draft script of , which stated that a crewman in that episode was to be " framed in Finnerman composition . " After he finished working on " Star Trek " s first season , Finnerman photographed the final three episodes of the first season of " " ( including one directed by Joseph Pevney ) . However , he decided to return to " Star Trek " for its second season instead of continuing on " Mission " . Finnerman remained with the series until early in the third season , quitting after production of the episode . He left partly because he felt the series had become ridiculous , but mainly due to a dispute with Fred Freiberger , who wanted Finnerman not only to accept a wage reduction , but to have his equipment allowance hugely reduced . However , the main reason behind his departure is that he was offered the chance to photograph a feature film ( " The Lost Man " , with Paul Winfield ) . Gene Roddenberry invited Finnerman back to " Trek " for , but he turned the offer down . Before filming of the episode began , Jonathan West called Finnerman and asked him about the type of lighting used on TOS and how the DS9 episode could recreate the famous " Finnerman lighting " . ( Trials and Tribble - ations " introduction ) Many of those who worked on the original " Star Trek " , including Justman , director Ralph Senensky , and actress Grace Lee Whitney , praised Finnerman for his outstanding work , especially for his use of artistic lighting and colored lights , which were mainly responsible the famous visual look of the series . ( " " , p . 78 ) Nichelle Nichols claimed that Finnerman was the unsung hero of " Star Trek " . Post - " Trek " career . After " The Lost Man " , Finnerman worked as director of photography on two more feature films starring , " They Call Me MISTER Tibbs ! " ( 1970 , with Anthony Zerbe , Jeff Corey , Ted Gehring and Garry Walberg , Bob Herron and Dick Dial as stunt performers , and Rusty Meek as First Assistant Director ) , and " Brother John " ( 1971 , with Paul Winfield , Michael Bell , directed by James Goldstone , and featuring Herb Wallerstein , Charles Washburn , and George H . Merhoff in the production staff ) . Throughout the 1960s and 1970s , Finnerman served as Director of Photography on such television series as " The Virginian " , " Mission : Impossible " ( including an episode directed by Joseph Pevney ) , " Kojak " ( where he worked with director Leo Penn on three episodes , and was replaced by Charles Correll after he left the show ) , " Night Gallery " , the Ricardo Montalban series " Fantasy Island " , and " Moonlighting " . On " Night Gallery " , he worked with directors including John Newland , Jeff Corey , and Leonard Nimoy . He also directed two episodes of the series , including " She ' ll Be Company for You " , starring Leonard Nimoy and Kathryn Hays . He also photographed the short - lived " Planet of the Apes " television series , in which directors included Ralph Senensky , John Meredyth Lucas , and Don McDougall . The series ' recurring cast included Mark Lenard as Urko and Booth Colman as Zaius . He was also the director of photography on Gene Roddenberry ' s failed pilot , " Genesis II " , which starred Majel Barrett , Ted Cassidy , Mariette Hartley , Harvey Jason , and Percy Rodriguez . Finnerman won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography in Entertainment Programming for a Special for NBC ' s 1978 TV movie " Ziegfied : The Man and His Women " . This production featured David Opatoshu and Nehemiah Persoff in the cast and , like the aforementioned " Walk , Don ' t Run " , starred Samantha Eggar . Finnerman also received Emmy nominations on five other occasions : one for his work on the series " Kojak " ; another for an episode of " From Here to Eternity " ; a third for the first chapter of the 1981 mini - series " The Gangster Chronicles " ( starring Michael Nouri , Jonathan Banks , Michael Ensign , Louis Giambalvo , and Kenneth Tigar , with set decoration by John M . Dwyer ) and two more for his work on " Moonlighting " . The last occasion saw him running against cinematographer Edward R . Brown , who was nominated for the " Star Trek : The Next Generation " episode . Neither Finnerman nor Brown won the award , however . He later became director of photography on a number of films , including two featuring Paul Winfield : 1969 ' s " The Lost Man " and the James Goldstone - directed " Brother John " ( 1971 , also featuring Michael Bell ) . His other films include " They Call Me MISTER Tibbs ! " ( 1970 , starring Jeff Corey and Anthony Zerbe ) , " SSSSSSS " ( 1973 , featuring Ed McCready , Charles Seel , and Felix Silla ) , and the Joseph Sargent - directed " Nightmares " ( 1983 , featuring Robin Gammell , Louis Giambalvo , and Tony Plana ) . Among his many TV movie credits is the 1980 drama " The Dream Merchants " , which starred Robert Picardo of fame . Personal life . Finnerman was born in Los Angeles , California , the son of cinematographer . He attended Beverly Hills High School , which fellow " Star Trek " alumni such as Corbin Bernsen and Roxann Dawson later attended . In 1969 , Finnerman survived a plane crash that killed fellow TOS director Robert Sparr while the two were scouting locations in Colorado . Finnerman died on in Los Angeles , California , at the age of 79 . Other " Trek " connections . Additional projects on which Finnerman worked with fellow " Star Trek " alumni include :