My name is B.J. Schmidt and I am a Director of Photography working as local in both Philadelphia, PA and New York, NY. My passion is creating images that communicate and excite. The process of working with a group of artists to tell a story is what motivates me.

I feel my job as a DP is not only to craft a beautiful frame but also to tell a story at the same time. I use the basics of lighting, camera placement and movement to communicate to the audience. I have a bag of tricks for almost any situation that allow me to work quickly. At the same time it is important to stay fresh with new ideas and to try new approaches to similar situations. The question I ask myself daily is “how can I do this differently”.

I love using and evaluating new technology. As we the enter the new territory of 4k UHD production, it’s important to know what equipment is out there and which pieces will be the best fit for the production. Media, lighting, workflows and camera platforms are all changing so quickly and it is important to constantly reevaluate our current ways of working to make sure we are being as efficient as possible.

I look forward to working with you on your next project and hope that we can create something amazing together.