CONRAD HALL

The closer the source of light is to a subject, the broader the beams are.

It took a while for me to grasp that my colleagues believe I have made an impact on the history of cinema.

I can still recall the thrill of shooting my first film.

Every once in a while, when the audience is expecting to see one thing, you have to show them something else.

My first semester, I got a D in creative writing.

Every cinematographer I worked with had his own way of solving problems.

I knew exactly how I wanted it to play, but you are never sure until you watch the projected images reflect off the screen. That's when you know it worked.

I realize that every picture isn't a work of art.

That's why I like fast film. It gives you more freedom to light more naturally.

I don't think of myself as a director or writer. I think of myself as a filmmaker.

There are infinite shadings of light and shadows and colors... it's an extraordinarily subtle language. Figuring out how to speak that language is a lifetime job.

My peers say I have made a difference. That means more to me than winning an Oscar.

I was very happy sitting alone at a dining room table, writing a script.

I saw Tequila Sunrise as a romantic picture with complex, bigger than life characters.

There are a lot of directors who are knowledgeable about images, and others who aren't.

Painting and writing are solitary arts.

The sun is the most parallel light source because it is so far away.

I suppose I would still be a communicator, maybe a musician.

I want to tell a story and shape it all the way through to the end.

I hope I'm still shooting when I'm 80.

There is a kind of beauty in imperfection.

In aptitude tests, I scored highest in music.

But at heart, I am more than a cinematographer.

Contrast is what makes photography interesting.

You have to understand the nature of light.