Stanley Kubrick was a cinematographer.
Stanley Kubrick ( [ ˈkuːbrɪk ] July 26 , 1928 -- March 7 , 1999 ) was an American film director , screenwriter , producer , cinematographer , editor , and photographer . His films , which are mostly adaptations of novels or short stories , cover a wide range of genres , and are noted for their realism , dark humor , unique cinematography , extensive set designs , and evocative use of music . After working as a photographer for Look magazine in the late 1940s and early 1950s , he began making short films on a shoestring budget , and made his first major Hollywood film , The Killing , for United Artists in 1956 . His last film , Eyes Wide Shut , was completed shortly before his death in 1999 at the age of 70 .