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Welcome to the LADY CAMERA GUY Newsletter! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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LADY CAMERA GUY celebrates the creativity, skills, and passion of remarkable women cinematographers around the globe. |
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WELCOME TO THE APRIL ISSUE OF THE LCG NEWSLETTER! This March, Oscar cinematography history was made, and the world watched it happen in real time. In this issue we celebrate Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC as well as other women behind the camera, the organizations building the next generation, the gear worth knowing, the stories worth telling, and the events worth showing up for. From the Oscar stage to a music video camp in Los Angeles, from on-set slang that’ll make you feel like an insider to books and films that will remind you exactly why you picked up a camera in the first place — this issue is packed. Let’s go… Gretchen aka Lady Camera Guy
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There are only a few moments in my life where I felt time stood still. The moment the Oscar for Best Cinematography was announced on March 15, 2026 was one of those moments. After years of disappointment, I was manifesting like crazy for Autumn but my expectations were well in check, especially after the ASC Awards the week before. The reading of the envelope happened so fast and then everything slowed to a 1,000fps. The image of Autumn on that stage, so poised, so perfectly dressed, so sincerely spoken. A vignette had settled on my vision and I could not take my eyes off of the television, I could not speak, I could not yell, all I could do was watch in enthralled silence. I was hit with so much emotion all at once that when it was over, I became numb. I lost all memory of the moment and had to watch it again to take it all back in, to feel that it had actually happened. I had witnessed a profound moment in cinematic history. That night, Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography. Autumn grew up in Southern California, the daughter of a Filipino and African American Creole family, raised by a single mom and a big, warm, artistic Filipino family. As a girl she loved her mom’s photography and started making her own films. As an adult, she studied art history at Loyola Marymount University and was headed toward curating art in New York — until a single film class changed her direction. For Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s genre-blending vampire blues horror set in the American South, Autumn became the first female DP to shoot on large-format IMAX 65mm and Ultra Panavision, using KODAK EKTACHROME film. Sinners went on to earn a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations and took home four wins. When Autumn walked up to accept her award, she asked every woman in the Dolby Theatre to stand up — because she said she couldn’t have gotten there without them. Backstage, she was just as direct. “A lot of little girls that look like me will sleep really well tonight,” she said. “Just being on stage getting this award for a movie like that will change so many girls’ lives, because they’ll be inspired when they weren’t before.” 🎙 Watch Autumn’s Oscar Acceptance Speech The response was immediate and global. Instagram filled up with posts from women behind cameras in Manila, Lagos, London, and Los Angeles. Filipino filmmakers celebrated in Tagalog. Black women DPs shared their crew photos with a new kind of pride. Film students sent the clip to each other. It was a genuine, worldwide moment of recognition — for Autumn, and for everyone who has ever felt like an outsider in this craft. Autumn has always been straightforward about what got her here. “Believe in yourself more than anyone else,” she has said. “If you have confidence in yourself and your ideas, you can achieve your goals. My mother always taught me I could achieve anything with hard work and belief.” She believed it. She proved it. And this industry will never look quite the same. Explore Autumn’s remarkable filmography: Autumn Durald Arkapaw, ASC Website 🎬 Sinners (2025) 🎬 The Last Showgirl (2024) 🎬 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) 🎬 Teen Spirit (2018)
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Friend and camera operator Abby Linne got this program on my radar years ago. Originally it began as a rock camp and with time a video education element was added with the Music Video Program. This is an excellent program for girls interested in music, video or both! In Rock Camp for Girls - Music Video Program (MVP) campers ages 12-17 direct, shoot, and edit a music video. Campers work with each other in a crew alongside inspiring filmmakers to bring their ideas to the big screen. No prior filmmaking experience required! In one week, campers will direct a music video for a local musician, learn how to operate professional cameras, edit with cutting-edge software, and finally screen their video in front of a live audience! Each crew will have their very own camera mentor and editing mentor, making sure that each camper has plenty of one-on-one time with the gear, and ensuring that there’s always someone close by to answer questions and teach tips and tricks! Every MVP camper will have an opportunity to direct, shoot, and edit. Crews will be formed by RCGLA staff before camp starts. Girls and gender-expansive youth between the ages of 12-17 are encouraged to apply. All equipment provided. Bring your awesome! This year, the ROCK CAMP FOR GIRLS schedule is: Monday, July 6 through Friday, July 10. Hours are 9:00am –3:30 pm daily. Location is the Westwood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles. Application deadline is April 20! |
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QUESTION: What are some common terms only insiders would know? On-Set Terms: Food You Don’t Eat Burrito: Rolled furniture pad. Pork chop: Dolly side board. Cookie (Cucoloris): Patterned wood or metal which goes in-front of a light to cast a pattern like tree leaves or window blinds. Lettuce: Single wire diffusion for lights. Tomato: Double wire diffusion for lights. Spud: A connector used by the grips. Apple: Full/Half/Quarter. Boxes for gear support, to stand on, to sit on. Pancake: 1/8th apple box. Crab: Setting both sets of dolly wheels to steer. Jelly roll: Roll of various colors of gels and diffusion all bundled together. Juicer: An electrician. Egg crate: Black grid placed in-front of lights to control the beam. Pumpkin: Child actor. Or the time when a child actor becomes a “pumpkin,” meaning wrapped for the day. Brownie: The camera (a throw back to the old stills Brownie camera). Banana: An actor walking a curved path instead of a strait one. Donut: Square piece of plywood with a hold in the center used to keep rolling stands in place. Donut: A round piece of rubber or plastic in, or behind the matte box to keep light from seeping around the filter and causing ghosting on filters. Martini: Last shot of the day If you like these terms, check out the book, Strike the Baby and Kill the Blonde: An insider’s guide to film slang by Dave Knox for more terms.
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EasyRig by Camera Support Systems distributed in the US by 16x9
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The EZRig is a camera support VEST which provides excellent support by redistributing the weight of the camera to your body, reducing strain and fatigue. Its customizable options cater to various camera sizes and shooting styles. The EZRig comes in both male and female versions and is customizable depending on the weight of the camera and style of operating. Learn More Here |
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ErgoRig created by Operator Jesse Feldman and distributed in the US by Cinema Devices
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The ErgoRig is a camera support VEST which offers exceptional stability and comfort, allowing for smooth camera movements. Its ergonomic design allows an operator to operate handheld like they would traditionally, without affecting the camera's movement or balance. 100% of the weight is transferred from your shoulder and back to your hips, bypassing your spine entirely. Learn More Here |
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The Mantis- Precision Camera Support by Blkbrd
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The Mantis by BlkBird is an EasyRig / Ready Rig add-on for enhanced vertical isolation and extended boom range. The first of its kind modular bungee camera stabilizer that’s cross compatible with a large variety of popular camera support vests as well as speed-rail for hard mounts. Learn More Here |
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The EasyRig Mini Max is a small, lightweight vest with a long arm, which is perfect for the Ronin 4D, lightweight gimbals and smaller DSLR cameras. Learn More Here |
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Shooting Women by Alexis Krasilovsky. Know your herstory! Shooting Women takes readers around the world to explore the lives of camerawomen working in features, TV news, and documentaries. From first world pioneers like African American camerawoman Jessie Maple Patton—who got her job only after suing the union—to China’s first camerawomen who traveled with Mao, to rural India where poor women have learned camerawork as a means of empowerment, Shooting Women reveals a world of women working with courage and skill in what has long been seen as a male field. PURCHASE BOOK HERE |
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As a documentary cinematographer, I absolutely love this documentary and believe it is a MUST WATCH. - Gretchen From a boxing match in Brooklyn; life in postwar Bosnia and Herzegovina; the daily routine of a Nigerian midwife; an intimate family moment at home with the director: Kirsten Johnson weaves these scenes and others into her film Cameraperson, a tapestry of footage captured over her twenty-five-year career as a documentary cinematographer. Through a series of episodic juxtapositions, Johnson explores the relationships between image makers and their subjects, the tension between the objectivity and intervention of the camera, and the complex interaction of unfiltered reality with crafted narrative. A work that combines documentary, autobiography, and ethical inquiry, Cameraperson is a moving glimpse into one filmmaker s personal journey and a thoughtful examination of what it means to train a camera on the world. VIEW FILM HERE |
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PODCAST PREMISE: Dave Chameides, an A Cam/Steadicam op with 35 years experience, 2 Emmy’s, an SOC Operator of the Year award for his work on Ozark, and a seriously cool collection of international toothpicks, brings you The Op, a podcast about Operating and the Art of Visual Storytelling. Geared towards all storytellers (Camera Operators, DPs, Directors, Writers, and beyond) both young and old, every other week the Op will bring you a new interview with some of the best artists the film industry has to offer. Featured Episode : Cinematographer, Bonnie Blake Bonnie Blake talks about coming up as an operator when there were very few women in the camera department, learning on the job and figuring out things as you go, working with great actors on The Kominsky Method, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, early days in NYC, and much much more. |
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~ APRIL EVENTS AND DEADLINES ~March 28: Cinegear NY - New York _________
March 31: Women in Media Sip N Swap - Los Angeles
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March 29 - April 4 : Girls in Film Global Screening Series (all locations below) March 29 - Studio 230, Auckland March 31 - Castle Cinema, London March 31 - Bio Oko, Prague April 2 - Pink room at Gorgeous George, Cape Town April 2 - Newman Cinema, Athens April 4 - Droog, Amsterdam
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April 20: DEADLINE to register for Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls LA Music Video Program - Los Angeles _________ April 18 - 22: NAB - Las Vegas _________ March 16: JL Fisher BBQ - Los Angeles _________ June 5 - 6: Cinegear LA - Los Angeles _________ July 6 - 11: ROCK CAMP FOR GIRLS LA MUSIC VIDEO PROGRAM - Los Angeles _________ ~ LOCAL 600 EVENTS ~ALL MONTH: Geared Head Simulator Training - New York Office _________ April 10: MEMBER FRIDAY - LA, ATL and NY offices _________ April 18 & 19 : Camera Operator Training - New York _________ April 30: Yoga For You - New York Office _________ May 1: MEMBER FRIDAY - LA, ATL and NY offices _________ May 17: Wireless Training (virtual)
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Please visit www.ladycameraguy.com for additional resources, gear recommendations, trainings, workshops and more. Please follow us on INSTAGRAM at @ladycameraguy and learn about the amazing women cinematographers around the world. Thank you for being a part of our community!
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