Introduction

Graham Byers is a Los Angeles-based cinematographer who strives to tell stories that ignite social change and give voice to the voiceless.    

Growing up in Vermont, Graham learned to appreciate nature and its preservation from a very young age. While in high school, Graham shot aerial and ground footage of an endangered natural preserve area due to clear-cutting and the construction of a controversial intermodal station along the local LaPlatte River in his town of Shelburne. He presented this documentary in the Town of Shelburne v. Vermont Railway  federal court case as evidence of the harm done to this endangered area. Since then, Graham has taken a particular interest in addressing environmental issues in his work and, under the mentorship/leadership of nature time-lapse pioneer and award-winning nature filmmaker, Louie Schwartzberg, on his Netflix feature film Fantastic Fungi (2019), has discovered how to make audiences empathetic to nature.

Graham’s affinity for nature has also had a profound impact on his narrative and commercial voice. While working as a cinematographer, Graham loves to rely on natural light and encourages the directors he works with to consider using natural settings when appropriate.

Alongside these tendencies toward nature, Graham describes his approach to cinematography as character-driven. He loves to use cinematography as a tool to immerse the audience in the world of a character and the journey that they go on.

Graham is also an alumnus of the USC School of Cinematic Arts Film and Television Production program and the USC Marshall School of Business Entrepreneurship Minor program.

People who have worked with Graham say he has an easy-going personality, treats everyone kindly and with respect, and is a hard worker.

Work

Over the years, Graham has shot commercials, short films, music videos, TV series, and web series. Graham has also worked at º1824 at Universal Music Group (UMG) as a Visual Content Creator where he shot music videos and concert recaps for UMG artists. You can find highlights of his work on the "Reel" page. Example work also available upon request by emailing graham@grahambyers.com.

In 2022, Graham founded his production company 15 Perf Films^®. 15 Perf is a nod to 15 Perforation IMAX^® 70MM film which is the highest quality image known to humankind. In this way, the production company’s mission is to create the highest quality work with the various music videos, short films, and commercials it has already brought to life and will continue to bring to life in the future. 

Outside of his work as a filmmaker, Graham can be found either in nature hiking or skiing or back at his desk developing ways to curb the film industry’s carbon emissions.