Hello! I’m Ryan. I was born and raised in Los Angeles where I began studying film at my high school’s four year-film program. While we learned all aspects of filmmaking from writing to directing, to editing, I immediately fell in love with lighting and cinematography and its ability to create such visceral emotions purely from visuals, as well as being drawn to the level of creativity, ingenuity, and technical precision inherent to the craft.
After high school, I moved to Chicago to continue studying film at DePaul University, where I am currently earning my BFA in Film and Television Production with a concentration in Cinematography. Outside of school, I shoot films, advertisements, and other projects, as well as work consistently in the Grip and Electrical departments on productions of various scales and budgets. Through this, I have not only developed my eye for lighting, but have gained a thorough understanding of lighting equipment, rigging, and electrical distribution. In 2025 I worked an internship, and later as the in-house cinematographer for the Los Angeles production studio Happy Hour Studios in partnership with BlackMagic Design. My work has screened and received awards from film festivals such as Westflix, Cineyouth, and BlackMagic Design 48 Hour Film Competition.
As a cinematographer, I’m interested in creating strong, visceral atmosphere and elevating ideas central to the story. I love utilizing textured light, deliberate contrast ratios, and embracing happy accidents and imperfection, while remaining true to each project individually. As a student I was once told to never go with your first, most obvious idea, but to always go beyond that to your second or third idea. This advice has driven my philosophy as a cinematographer of rejecting formulas and banality, striving instead for originality and innovation.
