Author | Lightnews

Matthew Williams

@mwilliamsdp.bsky.social

260 followers 300 following 21 posts

Film, Digital, IMAX Cinematographer and Director of Photography for movies, television and documentaries. Highlighting some of the many great locations and technical setups involved in filmmaking. Along with some of my Black & White still photography.

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Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Apr 21

New York City #monochromatic #duotone #iPhone #newyorkcity #photography #landscape #manhattan

Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Apr 12

Nice body of work…

Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Apr 11

Architecture #LeicaQ #blackandwhite #b&w #stillphotography #photography #architecture

Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Apr 10

City Art 2025 #LeicaQ #blackandwhite #photography #stillphotography #b&w #saltlakecity

Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Feb 15

#mural #cityart #b&w #blackandwhite #saltlakecity #utah #raw #canon1dsmkii #streetart #landscape #urbanart

Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Feb 3

#7Mountians #sculpture #nevada #desert #LeicaQ #b&w #photography

Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Dec 5

New Mexico 2023 #photography #stillphotography #photo #blackandwhite #b&w #landscape

Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Nov 30

Paris 2013 #photography #stillphotography #b&w #blackandwhite #landscape #paris #montmartre #effieltower #sacrecoeurbasilica

Paris skyline from atop the Musee Armee.

Paris city with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Sacre-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre, Paris.

Interior Sacre-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre, Paris.

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Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Nov 30

Australia 2017 #photography #stillphotography #b&w #blackandwhite #photos #australia

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Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Nov 29

100%

Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Nov 29

100%

Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Nov 28

Idaho 2023 #photography #stillphotography #blackandwhite #b&w #landscape

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Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Nov 27

California Desert 2023 #desert #stillphotography #b&w #blackandwhite #photography

Abandoned gas station in the California desert.

Side of the road in the California desert.

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Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Nov 26

B&W still photography. Great Salt Lake 2023. #savethegreatsaltlake #photography #b&w #blackandwhite #stillphotography

Black and White still photo… Great Salt Lake Series.

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Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Nov 25

Amazing… I visited twice last year.

Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Nov 24

“Wired to Win” Tour de France IMAX film. I was hired to shoot the dramatic recreations for the film. Shot in and around Nice, France. Some of the sequences we recreated were an accident caused by a rock fall in the mountains. #IMAX #tourdefrance #wiredtowin #kodak #librahead #65mm #film

IMAX 9802 65mm camera on a Libra Head, on a crane arm, and on the back of a small camera car.

Getting ready to film Tour de France riders racing down the road in the mountains above Nice.

IMAX 9802 65mm camera on the road recreating a rock fall accident during the Tour. The riders were racing between some rocks and the camera, so we decided to lock the camera off and that I shouldn’t be near the camera for safety. It doesn’t look fast, but they were really moving down that hill at full speed.

Matt setting up the shot with the IMAX 9802 65mm camera.

Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Nov 21

“Hearst Castle: Building the Dream” 65mm film. Plays at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA. This was my first large format film and was shot in 8 countries in Europe as well as at the castle. Its a dramatic recreation of Hearst’s life and what lead to his building the castle when he was 58 years old.

This is an actual still from the movie. 1870’s Venice, Italy. Young William Randolph Hearst is on the Grand Tour of Europe with his mother (foreground). Holding off the crowds and the cruise ships was not easy. This was early morning shoot before the big crowds, but it was still a difficult shot to pull off. The pigeons flying away as he ran through the square was a lucky event.

This camera is an IWERKS 65mm camera, not to be confused with a 65mm IMAX camera. The film in this camera runs through the gate vertically, whereas the 65mm film in an IMAX camera runs horizontally, creating a slightly larger frame. For you still photographers, the 8 perf is equivalent to a 645 frame of film, and the 15 perf frame is like a 6 X 7 frame of film. This IWERKS camera is nicknamed “8 perf” and IMAX nickname is “15 perf” due to the number of perforations that make up each frame.

Matt with camera assistant, Robin Tams in Sicily.

This was a set we created in an actual glass factory in Venice. Again 1870’s period. Ricky Mabe (sitting) plays WIlliam Randolph Hearst as a 10 years old boy.

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Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Nov 16

Photos from the IMAX film, “Journey to Mecca” #IMAX #65mm #kodakfilm #morocco #cinematography #film

Matt getting set up for a “handheld shot from horseback. Obviously I needed some help with the huge heavy camera on the back of a horse. The dolly / crane followed alongside with me keeping the camera in the perfect position over the horse.

Moroccan desert. The largest camel caravan since “Lawerence of Arabia.” Thousands of camels and extras all dressed, fed and in wardrobe riding in the hot desert… It took 2 days to set this up. The amazing Moroccan extras walked to this location from a nearby town, and camped in the desert overnight, as it was impossible to get that many people and animals set up and ready to go.

Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Nov 16

The water tank at Pinewood Studios in London. Special Effects are physical effects like water, waves, smoke, etc., Visual effects are graphic effects added later. This had no visual effects, so it was important to get things set up correctly. #pinewood #technocrane #librahead #arri #cinematography

(2) 12’ X 12’ cube “moon boxes” over the water tank at Pinewood Studios. Inside each box were (4) 10K tungsten lights, for 80K of wattage for the moon effect. The background cyc, painted to a specific gray, and was lit from below by (45) 2K tungsten units, providing a subtle “horizon” in the night distance. There was also a 20K tungsten “key light” direct through a 12’ X 12’ light grid cloth, off to the right in front, and a 10K tungsten light bounced off of a 12’ X 12’ ultra bounce.

Testing different elements like wind, rain and smoke before the night shoot. The camera is mounted in a water proof case and mounted on a Libra stabilized head on a Technocrane.

A view of the crane behind the 65’ tall cyc holding the “moon box” over the back of the set. The cyc wall was 250’ wide to give you a sense of how big it was.

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Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Nov 15

A mounting “cage” that we designed for the IMAX 9802 65mm camera, to be able to mount it “underslung” on a crane with a ARRI gear head and hot gears, turning it into a remote head, and to be able to mount it on a Steadicam for “low mode” #IMAX #filmmaking #cinematography #65mm #hotgears

Showing the black metal “cage” that we developed to be able to mount the IMAX 9802 camera “underslung” on an ARRI gear head with “Hot Gears” turning the rig into a remote head that places the lens on a crane at ground level.

Another view of the “cage” for the 9802 IMAX camera.

IMAX 9892 camera underslung on a Steadicam rig.

Another view of the rig in underslung Steadicam mode. For the IMAX film, “India:Kingdom of the Tiger”

Matthew Williams @mwilliamsdp.bsky.social · Nov 15

IMAX 9802 camera. Showing the size and what it takes to use, transport and steady the camera with longer lenses.

Matthew Williams / Director of Photography with the IMAX 9802 camera on a crane.

John Williams, Bubba Sheffield and Philippe Prud’homme carry the heave IMAX camera up a mountain.

Camera support and stabilization for the IMAX 9802 camera shooting on a long lens.