Photography in Movies

[Pekka]

Just watched DVD "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" and the ending punchline was quite funny (no spoilers, please). It just occurred me could be nice if we gather a list of movies which feature photographer or camera (not video!) as an important part of the script.

Do you know any?

Easiest way to find some of them is of course to see if film name contains photographer or camera... Internet Movie Database, it came out with these (omitting short stories and some Tv material), but I know there are plenty more which have photographers or cameras in main role but do not have them mentioned in title. Feel free to add to the list!

War Photographer, 2001
Documentary about war photographer James Nachtwey
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309061/

J.A. Martin Photographer, 1977
The wife of the photograph J.A. Martin decide to go with him in his tour in the hard canadian country side of the turn of the century...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074702/

Peppers and Nudes: The Photographer Edward Weston, 2004
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418050/

Fame, Fashion and Photography: The Real Blow Up (TV), 2002
Documentary about fashion photography
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0329065/

The Ghost Camera, 1933
A camera is found on the back seat of a motorcar. Film contains clues which he starts to follow....
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024054/

Fotó Háber (1963)
A priest who has been set free from prison recently joins a spy organization
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057070/

The Snapshot Fiend; or, Willie's New Camera, 1906
short comedy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0234754/

The Photographer, 2000
A Photographer has a single evening to find ten magical photographs...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240802/

The Love Feast, 1969
Inept director Ed Wood plays a crossdressing photographer
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064605/

The Dancer and the Photographer, 1962
no info
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298827/

The Girl and the Press Photographer, 1963
romanic comedy, Swedish
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058470/

The Photographer, 2002
Spanish movie
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0330298/

Fotograf, 1997
Russian short movie
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0158087/

Princess and the Photographer, 1984
Japanese movie (in english)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0236636/

Charlys Nichten, 1974
Confessions of a Sexy Photographer (UK)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071304/

Crime Photographer, 1951-1952
Tv series
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043186/

Señor fotógrafo, El, 1953
Spanish comedy/drama/thriller (?)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0161968/

Murder Rooms: The Photographer's Chair, 2001
Victorian era murder mystery a la Sherlock Holmes (TV)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0308612/

Oswald: The Backyard Photographs, 1999
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249071/

Roztrzené foto, 1921
The torn photo, Czechoslovakia
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0300432/

Photographing Fairies, 1997
Photographer Charles Castle is numbed with grief following the death of his beautiful bride. He goes off to war...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119893/

Jinruigaku nyumon: Erogotshi yori , 1966
Mr. Ogata lives a complicated life: he's is a pornographer making two skin flicks per day and trying...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060560/

Pornographe, Le, 2001
Jacques Laurent made pornographic films in the 1970's and '80's, but had put that aside for 20 years...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0262699/

Photographie und Jenseits, 2001
Germany
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286892/

Fotografia, 1972
Hungary
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068604/

PS. It seems that photography was a popular film subject in early 20th century. It was hi-tech of the time! Most are comedies (and very short):

An Enthusiastic Photographer (1911)
Indians Charging on the Photographer (1903)
The Mischances of a Photographer (1908)
Murphy's Troubles with the Photographer (1903)
Burlesque Queen and Country Photographer (1899)
Portrait spirituel, Le (1903)
Winky, Photographer (1915)
Phoney Photos (1918)
The Photographer's Mishap (1901)
Photographe (1895) comedy by Lumiere!
The Photographer's Fourth of July (1902)
Long Distance Wireless Photography (1908)
The Big Swallow (1901)
The Doctor's Photograph (1913)
Effect of a Certain Photograph (1898)
Her Brother's Photograph (1911)
Her Father's Photograph (1911)
Her Photograph (1910)
The Lady of the Photograph (1917)
Photography (1898)
The Romance of a Photograph (1914)
Stellungslose Photograph, Der (1912)
Fun in a Photograph Gallery (1900)
Kongelige skal fotograferes, De (1899)
The Photograph and the Blotter (1913)
Photographing a Country Couple (1901)
Photographing a Female Crook (1904)
Photographing a Ghost (1898)
Photographing a Goose (1903)
The Absent-Minded Boob; or, Photographing the Baby (1913)
Photographing the Audience (1901)
Special Photographing Train (1896)
Herzensphotograph, Der (1928)

[PacAce]

How about "Paparazzi" (Cole Hauser; directed by Paul Abascal;20th Century Fox) that came out last year? I personally haven't seen the movie but saw the trailers.

[mikesd]

Robin Williams: One Hour Photo

[FlipsidE]

Saw
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387564/

[Scottes]

Funny, I watched Sky Captain and Saw today. Saw was excellent.

[mikesd]

One of my all time favorites; The Omen

[Pekka]

Parting Shots
When Harry found out he had six weeks to live, something snapped...and it wasn't his camera.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123215/

[FlipsidE]

Thanks for including the link Pekka. I had thought about it, but was just too lazy ;)

Scottes,

I agree. Saw was quite a good movie. Honestly, though, they should have gotten someone else to play Cary Elwes part. Usually, he's a very good actor...he just didn't do very well with his part in Saw, though.

Let me add another one.

We Were Soldiers
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0277434/

Edit: And another one

Eurotrip
http://imdb.com/title/tt0356150/

And Another

Wicker Park
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0324554/

FlipsidE

[markubig]

"Momento"

the main character (forgot his name) suffered from short-term memory loss and had to take polaroids to remind himself of recent occurrences.

[Moppie]

Full Metal Jacket.

While he's not a photographer, he's an Army Journalist .

[FlipsidE]

Sheesh...how could I have forgotten these?

Spider-Man
http://imdb.com/title/tt0145487/

Spider-Man 2
http://imdb.com/title/tt0316654/

FlipsidE

[roanjohn]

City of God - A truly great movie about the Brazilian Ghetto/drugs/guns and etc.

Pecker - A John Waters movie.

Bridges of Madison County

RO1

[markubig]

There's a recent one:

"Closer"

Julia Roberts has studio sessions w/ Natalie Portman (hotttt!!!!!) and Clive Owen

[cmM]

"Momento"

the main character (forgot his name) suffered from short-term memory loss and had to take polaroids to remind himself of recent occurrences.

Wait.... Is this the one where the plot goes backwards? And isn't the title of the movie "Memento"?
I might be wrong, not sure...

[markubig]

Wait.... Is this the one where the plot goes backwards? And isn't the title of the movie "Memento"?
I might be wrong, not sure...

Good call . . . it is "Memento" . . . i had a bit of CDS typitis

yeah, it went backwards . . . really clever flick

[CyberDyneSystems]

Wow,. can't belive such a long list,. and yet THE ONLY movie that came to my mind isn't on it!!!!

This one is great,. as the entire plot revolves around "photography"

Blow Up (1966)


http://www.filmsite.org/blow.html

In short,. a phtographer accidently takes an image of a murder,. and does not really know it has happened,. untill he hits the dark room and sees something in the background of one of his images,. thats' when he gets out the enlarger,. and starts to "blow up" to find out what he's photographed ;)

[cmM]

...thats' when he gets out the enlarger,. and starts to "blow up" to find out what he's photographed ;)
That's when he also finds out how much camera shake also depends on crop factor and the 1/focal length rule changes :p :-P
j/k

[Ballen Photo]

My all time favorite in this catagory has to be a movie titled "Almost Famous", that came out in 2000 about a highschool boy that is into photography and Rock n Roll bands. He winds up getting to tour with a Band and Groupies, then gets His article accepted by "Rolling Stone" magazine.
In the movie it shows Him shooting what looks to be a Hassleblad, as well as working in the darkroom, and unlike most movies like this He looks like He knows what He's doing in there. :D
Found this about it. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181875/
-Bruce

[mikesd]

NOt photography based but photos played an important role in the Back to the Future series.

[FlipsidE]

Let me add another

13 Going On 30
http://imdb.com/title/tt0337563/

I wouldn't recommend this one though.

FlipsidE

[Illegally_Alive]

CITY of GOD

[Pekka]

NOt photography based but photos played an important role in the Back to the Future series.

How could I have missed that - I love the series! Prints are essential to plot, there is the floating news camera of the future etc... :)

[mikesd]

One of Hollywoods classics, Joe Dirt carried a picture of his mother and father's "butts" around in his quest to reunite with them after they dumped him as a child at the Grand Canyon.

[mikesd]

Forrest Gump always had his picture of Jenny. What a great movie!

[BearSummer]

Well the ones that sprang to mind were

Blade Runner - where the replicants had false memories and were into collecting photos, also the scene where dekker keeps zooming into a photo.

and

Photographing faries - a strange story if ever there was one.

BearSummer

[markubig]

How could I forget:

MY COUSIN VINNY

Marissa Tomei . . . *sigh* . . . uses a disposable camera throughout the entire movie, and actually takes the picture that cracks the case.

Joe Pesci was hillarious in that movie

[Ballen Photo]

How could I forget:

MY COUSIN VINNY

Marissa Tomei . . . *sigh* . . . uses a disposable camera throughout the entire movie, and actually takes the picture that cracks the case.

Joe Pesci was hillarious in that movie

Now that you mention it, That WAS a great movie! Some scenes made me laugh my A$$ off! And of course, the photos were "KEY" for Vinnies defence work. :D
-Bruce

[Bluelens]

Not that its the main character, but gives purpose to the movie.."Lost in Translation" The husband of the main female character has them in Japan becuase he has to do a photoshoot with a band. WIthout him, no movie.

And how about Amelie?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211915/

[Gus00]

84C MoPic (1989)
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0096744/plotsummary
Vietnam: A camera team follows an Army unit in pursuit of 'Charlie'.

What a great Topic. However I'm seeing a lot of movies listed simply because there was a camera or photo in the movie rather than movies about photography or photojournalism.

[w10d]

Wow,. can't belive such a long list,. and yet THE ONLY movie that came to my mind isn't on it!!!!

This one is great,. as the entire plot revolves around "photography"

Blow Up (1966)


http://www.filmsite.org/blow.html


Has to be one of THE most famous films featuring a photographer - set in 60's swinging London & the main charachter based closely on none other than David Bailey....

(& it's almost in the list - in a reference to a documentary: Fame, Fashion and Photography: The Real Blow Up (TV), 2002 Documentary about fashion photography)

[Citizensmith]

And of course practiaclly every spy movie has a scene where they take a photo with a lens that looks no bigger than a 75-300 f/4.5-5.6 with absolutely no camera shake despite being hand held and in fading light (must have the IS version). Then we gleefully watch as the photo gets enlarged so much you can count the hairs on the head of the suspicious figure who happened to be 27 miles away. I really must get a copy of whatever software they use.

[roanjohn]

And of course practiaclly every spy movie has a scene where they take a photo with a lens that looks no bigger than a 75-300 f/4.5-5.6 with absolutely no camera shake despite being hand held and in fading light (must have the IS version). Then we gleefully watch as the photo gets enlarged so much you can count the hairs on the head of the suspicious figure who happened to be 27 miles away. I really must get a copy of whatever software they use.

TRUE TRUE!!! This is too funny!!!

Ro1

[cmM]

ok this just came to mind.... what was that movie where the entire plot unfolds as they "regenerate" a picture of a suspect and it takes a few hours before the subject is recognizeable? It was with Denzel Washington I think?

[Andy_T]

That was 'No way out' (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093640/) with Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman.

Another incredible movie scene that comes to mind is the analysis of the picture in 'Judge Dredd' where a computer analyzes a family snapshot and determines that the parents holding the baby and the living room were actually photoshopped in, and that the true background showed a laboratory :lol:

Best regards,
Andy

[cmM]

That was 'No way out' (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093640/) with Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman.
Yes! That's the one. Kevin Costner, that's right.... that was interesting.

[Fer]

How about Stepmom?
Julia Roberts plays a photographer. She is the stepmom and take photos of her future husband, his kids and their mom because she (the mom) has cancer and is dying.

[Jon]

Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954) with Jimmy Stewart as a wheelchair-bound photographer.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047396/

[Gus00]

"Rear Window"

Good choice!

[Airedale1]

Pekka, given your Avatar, I am surprised that you didn't come up with Apocalypse Now. Dennis Hopper portrays a famous war photographer in it.

[Andy_T]

Does 'Enemy of the State' count also?
It's about an incriminating video tape, but I guess you have to go with time :lol:
I liked that movie because it showed the ability of the espionage satellites to take great close-up portraits :wink:

Best regards,
Andy

[Oculus Sinister]

The movie "Hitch" starring Will Smith. There are two short scenes where the photographer uses different Canon "L" lenses. At courtside he was using a either a 200/1.8 or a 300/2.8(someone correct me on this) and while outside he was using a 70-200/4( I think :) )

[Curos]

Elephant
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363589/

I watched this a few nights ago, very disturbing film. One of the highschool students is a photographer, and he takes pictures throughout the movie, and it even shows him developing some. (Although he is developing them in a completely lighted room...hmm)

[Pekka]

Close Encounters of the Third Kind by Spielberg. Features tons of different cameras, like arrays of motorized film SLR's and other things from the past :)

[atascosa]

Salvador (1986)

http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/49/79/81m.jpg (http://www.uk.imdb.com/title/tt0091886/photogallery)

Under Fire (1983)

http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/81/79/06m.jpg (http://www.uk.imdb.com/title/tt0086510/posters)

[Ballen Photo]

Salvador (1986)

http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/49/79/81m.jpg (http://www.uk.imdb.com/title/tt0091886/photogallery)



YES! Salvador is another good photography related movie. I'd almost forgotten this one. ;)
BTW, Welcome to the forum Atascosa. :D
-Bruce

[BearSummer]

Hi Folks,

Just thought if another one,

Calendar Girls,

Some ladies form the Womens Institute in a small village pose nude for a calandar to raise money for a cancer charity, based on a true story. They raised over £580,000 by the time the film came out.

all the best

BearSummer

[marie]

Hi Folks,

Just thought if another one,

Calendar Girls,

Some ladies form the Womens Institute in a small village pose nude for a calandar to raise money for a cancer charity, based on a true story. They raised over £580,000 by the time the film came out.

all the best

BearSummer


http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif

bet you watched it on sky tv last night
or that's what reminded you of ithttp://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

[marie]

* stars * of the movies at the supper table

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif

http://www.photoshare.co.nz/PhotoShareGallery1/100543/104697/IMG_7166copyp6466.jpg

[O/confusion]

I'm probably too late noticing this cool thread for anyone else to still be checking in, but:

Anyone else seen "The Governess" with Minnie Driver and Tom Wilkinson? It's about a well-educated Victorian nanny whose wealthy employer is a keen photographer. When she becomes interested in the process he's trying to work towards--finding a lasting way to stabilize prints, I believe--and has a breakthrough idea, guess who gets the heave-ho and who starts to benefit from the process?

Cheers,
Terry.

[Zepher]

Hatari with John Wayne.

[saravrose]

Harrison's flowers... and Born into Brothels are a couple of my favorites..

[saravrose]

Oh, and A Lot Like Love... I like the pics in that one..

[BottomBracket]

No Small Affair. Starring Jon Cryer and Demi Moore.

[Sean-Mcr]

One of the greatest of them all has to be the killing fields

[Tlee05]

one hour photo i think its called,

[Pekka]

The Jackal, 1997 version, has several surveillance snapshots taken in it and one big L (600L?) used as "zoom" targeting system for a cannon.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119395/

[Zepher]

Austin Powers
Zoolander

[brecheezer]

Naked States (aparently there is a "Naked World" as well but I haven't seen it)

Pictures from a Revolution

Eyes of Laura Mars (1978, Faye Dunaway plays a fashion photographer that can "see" murders through her viewfinder before they happen)

Heights

[NickSimcheck]

Flags of Our Fathers (http://imdb.com/title/tt0418689/)

Looks as if it's dedacated to the photographer that passed away recently. It's directed by Clint Eastwood

[Jaime]

How about "Wait until dark." With Audrey Hepburn in the lead playing a blind girl that gets involved in a situation when her husband who is a photographer gets involved in a drug smuggling situation.

[quintin-lake]

Here's my list of 10 Best Documentary Films about Photography & Photographers (http://blog.quintinlake.com/2010/09/03/10-best-documentary-films-about-photography/). Facts always seems more compelling than fiction when it comes to photography!

[chander]

The Bang Bang Club (2010) by Steven Silver:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1173687/
The rating on IMDB isn't that great but I found the movie to be quite moving and very well made.

[mario66]

SHUTTER:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482599/


A newly married couple discovers disturbing, ghostly images in photographs they develop after a tragic accident. Fearing the manifestations may be connected, they investigate and learn that some mysteries are better left unsolved.


I loved it!

[bigVinnie]

The Year of Living Dangerously (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086617/)

Linda Hunt (now on NCIS LA) won an Oscar for her role. First person to win for a character not of the same gender. She played a man.

[Etherealdc]

"Hamlet" (the 2000 version starring Ethan Hawke); Ophelia is a photographer; she burns polaroid photos of Hamlet after he tells her to 'get to thee to a nunnery, and the "flowers" she gives Claudius, Gertrude, and Laertes after Polonius dies (you know, 'I would give you some violets, but they whithered all when my father died') are also polaroids.

"Ghostbusters 2", Ray and Egon take pictures of the Vigo painting that show a 'river of slime' when developed and spontaneously burst into flame in the dark room.

"Midnight Meat Train" is about a photographer; a gallery owner tells him he's lost touch with the reality of the world, so he starts taking more gritty photographs, one of which captures a young girl who disappears immediately after.

[tonylong]

Heh! I had to go through all 65 posts on this thread -- starting in early '05...it was funny that I wanted to jump out with Blow Up, but then that was mentioned, and a few others that just stand out (Apocalypse Now, for example).

But now, what comes to mind with a smile is:

The Full Monty:)!

It's been a long time, but wasn't that about shooting for a calendar?

[yogestee]

The Bang Bang Club (2010) by Steven Silver:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1173687/
The rating on IMDB isn't that great but I found the movie to be quite moving and very well made.

Excellent movie. Remember that photo that ran on Times magazine front cover, the vulture stalking the child in Sudan?