Top 10 Photographers in Movies

Baltimore-native and teen Pecker is an aspiring photographer who wields an inexpensive Canon Canonet 28. His photos often feature seemingly unspectacular moments in his family friends’ lives, but when New York art connoisseur and professional dealer, Rorey Wheeler, comes across Pecker’s work, she turns him into an overnight sensation! However, Pecker’s friends and family are picked apart in the public spotlight. In order to counter this, Pecker moves his latest show from New York to Baltimore and exclusively features photos of his family and friends’ critics in very unflattering moments – all while showing us the power of a photograph.

While Spider-Man may be one of the most easily recognizable superheroes in the Marvel universe, the man behind the mask, otherwise known as Peter Parker, is a freelance photographer whose only gig is at the fictional New York newspaper, The Daily Bugle. Peter realizes that he can easily sell exclusive photographs of Spider-Man in action and quickly creates the excuse that Spider-Man is an acquaintance of his. It’s only after being possessed by an extra-terrestrial symbiote in “Spider-Man 3” that Peter develops the ego to demand a full-time job from the paper!

“Fur” is a fictionalized biography of real-life photographer Diane Arbus. In 1958 New York, the wealthy Diane is an assistant to her photographer husband Allan. Frustrated with her traditional marriage, she becomes infatuated with her neighbor Lionel Sweeney, who is afflicted with hypertrichosis, also known as werewolf syndrome. While pursuing Lionel, Diane quickly enters a physically and socially different world unlike any she’s ever known. This film also tries to fictionally explain why Diane Arbus’ real-life work so often featured her generation’s socially marginalized, such as dwarfs and members of the transgendered community.

Photographer Anna Cameron is contracted to do publicity photos for novelist Dan Woolf and his girlfriend Alice Ayres, a former stripper and the subject of Dan’s forthcoming book. Dan obsesses over Anna, stalks her, poses as her in a chat room, and unintentionally sets her up with dermatologist Larry Gray. Eventually, Dan and Anna have an affair while her photographs bring Alice and Larry to meet. The affair continues despite Anna marrying Larry. Eventually, Alice returns to stripping, Anna leaves Larry for Dan, Larry pursues Alice, Anna comes back to Larry, and Dan tries to return to Alice but fails. Oh, so complicated!

Harlen Maguire is a crime scene photographer that also operates an assassin. Showing up to a crime scene with his iconic Speed Graphic camera, Maguire notices his subject isn’t exactly dead, so he carefully kills him so he will actually be dead in his photo. Sent by the Irish mob boss to kill protagonist and hitman Michael Sullivan Sr., after Maguire gets his man, he sets up his camera to record the hitman’s final moments, only to be caught off guard by Sullivan Jr. and brought to his own death at his victim’s hands!

By following the character Mason Evans, Jr. from the age of 6 to his late teens, this coming-of-age drama, also actually follows the actor that portrays him, Ellar Coltrane, as he ages! Developing an interest in photography at 15, Mason shortly begins to study under photography teacher Mr. Turlington. However, Mr. Turlington is frustrated by Mason’s seeming lethargic attitude and tries to push him artistically. By his high school senior year though, Mason’s photography has developed to such a point that it earns him a college scholarship and a silver medal in a Texas state photo competition - leaving hope for a potential career and bright future!

One-hour photo technician Sy has no friends or family. He admires the Yorkin family, whose pictures he’s developed for years. Infatuation soon turns to obsession as he copies their photos to adorn his walls and tries to bond with them in real life. After being rejected, he becomes angry upon discovering that the photos reveal the husband’s infidelities, and takes it upon himself to corner Will with his mistress. After forcing them into compromising photos intended to be used as blackmail, Sy is arrested for his terrorism… however, things are ended on rather creepy and open-ended note as the film’s last image is a fantasy portrait of the Yorkins with Sy included...

Bound to a wheelchair after breaking his leg while shooting a racetrack accident, pro photographer Jeff is unable to leave his apartment. In order to keep busy and entertained, he obsessively peers out his rear window into his apartment complex’s courtyard and learns his neighbors’ daily routines. Using binoculars and a telephoto lens, this Peeping Tom soon becomes convinced that neighbor Lars Thorwald has killed his wife. But after he convinces friends this is more than just a conspiracy theory, Thorwald himself corners Jeff in his apartment! Luckily for Jeff, he’s got his trusty camera’s flashbulbs handy, and he uses them to momentarily ward off the suspect by temporarily blinding him just long enough for police to arrive.

Aspiring photographer Rocket is from the favela, or slum, known as Cidade de Deus in Rio de Janeiro. Local druglord Zé Pequeno gets Rocket to photograph his gang, the film of which falls into the possession of a reporter who prints one of Rocket’s photos in a city newspaper. Once Rocket learns this, he fears for his life but continues to photograph Zé’s gang anyway, unaware that Zé actually enjoys the publicity. It’s certainly a risky world, and in fact, Zé is eventually murdered by his own gang, but Rocket’s photograph of the dead drug dealer’s body ultimately allows the film’s narrator to improve his future and get a professional internship.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions:
- The Bang-Bang Club
“The Bang-Bang Club” (2010)
- Russell Price
“Under Fire” (1983)
- Sean O’Connell
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (2013)

Thomas is a successful London fashion photographer that’s loosely based on real-life photographer David Bailey. Bored at a shoot, Thomas wanders to Maryon Park and snaps photos of two lovers, one of whom becomes furious over the voyeurism. But that’s not the worst of it; upon developing the photos, Thomas notices a man holding a gun and a body in the background! Things get even more complicated when, in the midst of random events, such as The Yardbirds performing in a club, Thomas learns all his prints and negatives are stolen except for an enlarged photo that focuses on the body. Unfortunately, this means Thomas can’t solve the murder. This doesn’t only leave him forever puzzled and audiences forever questioning whodunit, but also ensures the Oscar-nominated “Blowup” has a permanent place in cinema history.

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