Cinematographers in Los Angeles
Vetted Los Angeles cinematographers for commercials, brand films and narrative work.
10 verified cinematographers and directors of photography in Los Angeles for commercial, narrative, and documentary work. Review profiles or post a brief.
Verified cinematographers in Los Angeles
Gaines MintonVerifiedDirector, CinematographerLos Angeles, California, United StatesA director, cinematographer, and producer based in Los Angeles with nearly a decade of experience leading short-form,…Director of PhotographyReelFrom 1500/day
Christopher GoschVerifiedHawthorne, California, United StatesSpekulor has become a premiere production services company providing a variety of services to the creative industry from…UAV PilotReelFrom 500/day
Les GaddisVerifiedDirector of PhotographyLos Angeles, California, United StatesOur highly experienced, award-winning team can take your idea from concept to reality and produce material that is…ReelFrom 750/day
Jordan DudekVerifiedDirector + DPSanta Monica, California, United StatesFrom 1500/day- luman kimVerifiedDirector of PhotographyLos Angeles, California, United StatesFrom 1500/day
Gabriel MouritzenVerifiedDirectorLos Angeles, California, United StatesFrom 500/day
Two8 ProductionsVerifiedCreative DirectorLos Angeles, California, United StatesTwo8 Productions creates custom video production packages for varying scales of commercial, documentary, and narrative…From 1200/day
Dan SorgenVerifiedLos Angeles, California, United StatesSpec Bank is the world's only resource for creatives and agencies to get unproduced TV spot scripts shot by aspiring TV…From 1500/day
Sarah & Nick BatchelderVerifiedDirector / DP / ProducersLos Angeles, California, United StatesSarah and Nick Batchelder together are Small Batch Films. Sarah Phillips Batchelder is a cinematographer, drone pilot,…From 5000/day- DANIEL WOIWODEVerifiedDirector of PhotographyLos Angeles, California, United StatesFrom 2000/day
Before you hire
Hiring a cinematographer in Los Angeles
Hiring a DP in Los Angeles means hiring the start of a crew, in the city with the most crew to choose from. The permit footprint, the rental houses and the calendar are the three things to plan.
A lit shoot is a permitted shoot
A cinematographer comes with a gaffer, a grip and a camera assistant at minimum, and in the City of Los Angeles that footprint needs a FilmLA permit whether you are on public or private property. One application covers up to five locations within seven consecutive days; standard hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at weekends. On the City of Los Angeles schedule the application fee is $931 plus $232 notification, with a FilmLA monitor at $44.50 an hour when assigned. Equipment trucks need temporary no-parking posting, which takes three full working days' notice.
The camera package is around the corner
A DP in Los Angeles builds the package from the deepest rental market in the business. Keslow Camera's home base is in Culver City; Panavision's one Los Angeles location is in Woodland Hills since its Hollywood branch closed in April 2025. Your cinematographer will usually arrange the rental with their preferred house; ask for the camera and lens package as a separate line on the quote so you can see what you are paying for.
Book the DP before the stage
The city's DPs are also in demand from the lots: Paramount's 29 stages on Melrose, the Universal lot in Universal City, the Sony lot in Culver City, and the commercial work that surrounds them. Lock your cinematographer and key crew before you lock a location or a stage, and brief them with a treatment or script, even a rough one. Through White Glove, the project manager sources the local gaffer, grip and assistant around the DP you choose.
How hiring works
Two ways to hire a cinematographer in Los Angeles
Step 1
Post a job or send a brief
Share the dates, location, deliverables and budget range. Vetted cinematographers apply, or White Glove shortlists for you.
Step 2
Review vetted talent
Every professional on Spexster is vetted before appearing: a real, working professional whose portfolio, credits and professional presence have been reviewed. No paid placement.
Step 3
Hire, with the admin handled
Contracts run through the platform and payment runs through secure escrow, released when the work is delivered. With White Glove, a dedicated project manager runs the production end to end at no extra fee.
Frequently asked questions
How do I hire a cinematographer in Los Angeles?
Post your project on Spexster with your dates, location, and deliverables, and vetted cinematographers in Los Angeles apply directly — or browse the profiles on this page and invite the ones whose reels fit. Every hire includes contracts, secure escrow payment, and a dedicated project manager at no extra cost.
How does Spexster vet cinematographers?
Every professional in the Spexster network is vetted before appearing on the platform — we confirm they're a real, working professional and review their portfolio, credits, and professional presence. There's no pay-to-feature and no paid placement anywhere on Spexster: verification is earned, not bought, and we're continually strengthening the process.
Can Spexster handle a shoot in Los Angeles if I'm not based there?
Yes — that's our specialty. Spexster coordinates remote productions worldwide, including live remote video villages so you can direct and give real-time feedback from anywhere. US and international brands regularly run Los Angeles shoots through Spexster without traveling.
Can Spexster support a full production in Los Angeles, not just one hire?
Yes. Through White Glove, Spexster assembles full crews — director, DP, sound, lighting, and post — and coordinates the production end to end. Many clients come to us for a single cinematographer and end up running the whole shoot through the platform.
Related pages
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