Danny Oh | Director of Photography
I didn’t begin my career in film.
I started in construction, working as a plasterer and drywaller while completing my Bachelor’s and Master’s in Education. At the time, I thought I’d become a teacher. I was always drawn to mentorship and guiding people in a meaningful way.
From there, my path shifted into business. I co-founded and ran an antiques distribution company with my mother, working between North America and Asia for over a decade. After she passed, we sold the company. That period forced me to take a step back and reconsider what I actually wanted to do.
I then moved into lighting, but through a different door. As Director of Sales for a global lighting manufacturer, I managed close to 300 sales representatives across multiple continents, working on custom lighting solutions for homes, hotels, and commercial spaces. Looking back, it was an unexpected but fitting foundation for what I do now.
Film came into my life during COVID.
Growing up, there was always a camera around. My mother was a professional photographer in Korea, shooting pop/rock artists and album covers. I picked up a camera again, started shooting small projects, product photography, brand content, a lot of watches. That quickly evolved into video work.
What pulled me in the most was lighting.
I started working in grip and electric, learning from the ground up. Long days, heavy builds, problem solving under pressure. It felt right. Since then, I’ve worked on over 19 feature films and numerous commercial and documentary projects, and I’m now focused on cinematography as a DP, bringing together everything I’ve learned across different stages of my life.
I enjoy both ends of the spectrum. Large-scale union productions with full crews, and smaller sets where you have to be resourceful and make things work with very little.
One principle I carry with me on every set
comes from a Korean saying:
“Ripe rice always bows.”
The more experience I gain, the more I try to stay grounded.
I believe everyone on set, and off set, has intrinsic value.
Titles come and go, but people don’t.
My ideal day is simple. Show up, understand what needs to be done, roll camera, do it a few times until it works, shake hands, and go home. Film matters, but it shouldn’t consume who we are. The work is better when there’s a life outside of it.