
Frederick Elmes
- Born
- November 4, 1946 (79 years old)
- Place of birth
- Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, USA
Biography
Frederick Elmes, ASC (born November 4, 1946) is an American cinematographer, known for his association with the independent film movement. He is a long-time collaborator of directors David Lynch, Ang Lee, Charlie Kaufman, Jim Jarmusch, and Todd Solondz. He has won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography twice, for Wild at Heart (1990) and Night on Earth (1991), and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series for The Night Of (2016).
Born in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, Elmes studied photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology and then attended the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, graduating in 1972. He enrolled in the Graduate Film Program at New York University's Department of Film and Television and graduated in 1975.
At the American Film Institute, Elmes met aspiring film director David Lynch, who hired him for Eraserhead (1977). Since then the two have collaborated on Blue Velvet (1986) and Wild at Heart (1990). Elmes is also a frequent collaborator with directors Ang Lee and Jim Jarmusch. Elmes has been a member of the American Society of Cinematographers since 1993.
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Known for
Filmography
- 2026I Know Catherine, the Log LadyFilm · Director of Photography

- 2025Father Mother Sister BrotherFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.4

- 2020HuntersSeries · Director of Photography★ 7.1

- 2019The Jesus RollsFilm · Director of Photography★ 4.4

- 2019The Dead Don't DieFilm · Director of Photography★ 5.4

- 2017HairFilm · Director of Photography

- 2017WilsonFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.0

- 2016PatersonFilm · Director of Photography★ 7.1

- 2016The Night OfSeries · Director of Photography★ 8.0

- 2014Olive KitteridgeSeries · Director of Photography★ 7.6

- 2013HornsFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.3

- 2012A Late QuartetFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.7

- 2009BrothersFilm · Director of Photography★ 7.3

- 2009A Dog YearFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.1

- 2009Bride WarsFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.2

- 2008Synecdoche, New YorkFilm · Director of Photography★ 7.5

- 2007The NamesakeFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.8

- 2005Broken FlowersFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.9

- 2004KinseyFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.6

- 2004Coffee and CigarettesFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.9

- 2003HulkFilm · Director of Photography★ 5.6

- 2002TrappedFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.2

- 2002Ten Minutes Older: The TrumpetFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.9

- 2001StorytellingFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.5

- 2001Chain of FoolsFilm · Director of Photography★ 5.8

- 2001ChosenFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.3

- 1999Ride with the DevilFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.3

- 1998The WeddingFilm · Director of Photography

- 1997The Ice StormFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.9

- 1997In the GloamingFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.0

- 1997Coffee and Cigarettes IIIFilm · Director of Photography★ 7.2

- 1995RecklessFilm · Director of Photography

- 1994Trial by JuryFilm · Director of Photography★ 5.4

- 1993The Saint of Fort WashingtonFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.6

- 1991Night on EarthFilm · Director of Photography★ 7.5

- 1990Hollywood MavericksFilm · Director of Photography

- 1990Cold Dog SoupFilm · Director of Photography

- 1990Wild at HeartFilm · Director of Photography★ 7.0

- 1988MoonwalkerFilm · Director of Photography★ 7.1

- 1988The Cowboy and the FrenchmanFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.0

- 1988Permanent RecordFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.4

- 1987AriaFilm · Director of Photography★ 5.4

- 1987Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8Film · Director of Photography

- 1987HeavenFilm · Director of Photography

- 1986Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of GoldFilm · Camera Technician, Director of Photography★ 4.9

- 1986River's EdgeFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.6

- 1986Blue VelvetFilm · Director of Photography★ 7.6

- 1985Real GeniusFilm · Second Unit Director of Photography★ 6.7

- 1985Broken RainbowFilm · Cinematography

- 1984DuneFilm · Second Unit Director of Photography★ 6.2

- 1984Red DawnFilm · Second Unit Director of Photography★ 6.3

- 1983Citizen: The Political Life of Allard K. LowensteinCitizen: The Political Life of Allard K. LowensteinFilm · Director of Photography
- 1983Valley GirlFilm · Director of Photography★ 6.0

- 1981Modern RomanceFilm · Camera Operator★ 6.8

- 1977EraserheadFilm · Director of Photography, Special Effects★ 7.3

- 1977Young Lady ChatterleyFilm · Camera Operator★ 4.8

- 1976In the Region of IceFilm · Additional Photography

- 1976The Killing of a Chinese BookieFilm · Camera Operator★ 7.0

- 1974A Woman Under the InfluenceFilm · Assistant Camera★ 7.7

- 1974The AmputeeFilm · Director of Photography★ 5.1

- 1972Invasion of the Blood FarmersFilm · Assistant Camera★ 3.4

- 1970Street Scenes 1970Film · Director of Photography, Director, Camera Operator
