Meet Joshua Harrison | Director of Photography

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joshua Harrison and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joshua, how do you think about risk?
Being a cinematographer is both creative and a managerial job. I love taking risks on an artistic side that push the boundaries and open up something new and different. From a management perspective especially when it comes to crew safety I’m not willing to take on risk that could get someone hurt. Crew safety is my main concern and a close second is achieving what the director wants. Creatively I love taking risks that will yield results that elevate the project and push us towards compelling visuals. Ultimately we are storytellers and its crucial that we deliver the most engaging narrative we can.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started my journey 30 years ago to become a filmmaker. I knew from the day I left film school I wanted to be a cinematographer and the road along the way has been challenging from time to time. I started off at the bottom of the ladder in the camera department and I’ve done every job on the way to becoming a director of photography. If anyone has taken this journey and it’s been easy, good for them! As I tell my daughter, nothing worth doing is easy and I really believe that. I don’t subscribe to the notion that it has to be hard just to be hard, but rather embracing challenges as an opportunity to grow. One of the things I tell people who ask how to be successful in the film industry is that you must persevere. It might be the single biggest quality I see in people who succeed. You must ride out the bad times because they will come. Another thing I think gets you far is simply having a good attitude. Staying calm and having a great attitude not only endears to others its just a better way to live.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
It’s funny you should ask that because my best friend will be visiting in a few months and I’ve been thinking about that. I would say a visit to Catalina or maybe kayaking in the channel islands will be on the trip. Griffith observatory is iconic and shouldn’t be missed. No trip would be complete without seeing the walk of fame and the chinese theater in hollywood. Since my friend and I are adrenaline junkies we’ll probably go to MB2 Raceway or maybe skydiving in Perris Valley. Foodwise you can’t miss sushi or tacos in LA, we have the best in the world!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
In my 30 year journey in storytelling with cinematography my wife Bettina has been there, every step of the way. Working in the film business is such a roller coaster ride, many highs and lows. She is my rock and when I come home I can let the stress of the job melt away. I can’t imagine anyone else being there for me as much as she has.

Website: https://www.joshharrisoncamera.com

Instagram: @joshjumps