The cinematographer of choice for director Christopher Nolan, Wally Pfister brought darkness and light to nearly all of the filmmaker’s features, including “Memento” (2002), “Batman Begins” (2005) and the blockbuster “The Dark Knight” (2008). A former TV cameraman, he broke into the movies after serving as cameraman on Robert Altman’s docudrama miniseries “Tanner ‘88” (1988). His keen eye quickly elevated him from low-budget thrillers for Roger Corman to major motion pictures, but it was his collaboration with Nolan that truly brought him into the spotlight. The downpour of praise received for his work on “Dark Knight” solidified his position as one of the most talented and acclaimed cinematographers working in Hollywood. Born Walter Pfister in Chicago, IL, he was the grandson of a city editor for a major newspaper in Wisconsin, while his father was a TV news producer who began his career at the local CBS affiliate. Pfister got his first taste of the film business when scenes for the 1973 Burt Reynolds detective drama “Shamus” were shot in his neighborhood. Impressed by the equipment required to make a major motion picture, he soon began experimenting with his own movies on 8mm film. After graduating from high school, he worked as a production assistant at a Maryland television station. The job allowed him access to camera, which he borrowed to shoot short films on weekends. One project, a visual essay about a local Victorian house, impressed his bosses enough to earn him a promotion to cameraman. Eventually, he made his way to Washington D.C., where he shot footage of Congressional hearings and White House events for TV stations around the country. Pfister’s big break came when Robert Altman arrived in the capital to direct his political satire “Tanner ‘88” (HBO, 1988). The veteran filmmaker was looking for a genuine news cameraman to not only play that role in the series, but also to shoot b-roll for Altman. After seeing Pfister’s footage, he was brought into the production as a second unit cameraman. Flush from his experience with Altman, Pfister enrolled at the American Film Institute, where he made his first inroads toward dramatic filmmaking. His work caught the eye of a recent graduate, Janusz Kaminski, who found him work as a camera operator under cinematographer Phedon Papamichael on several low-budget genre films for producer Roger Corman, starting with 1991’s “The Unborn.” Pfister alternated serving as DP on countless horror films and erotic thrillers with handling cameras for Kaminski and Papamichael on major projects like “Phenomenon” (1996), “Mousehunt” (1997) and “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” (1997). In 1998, he turned down a higher paying job to shoot the indie drama “The Hi-Line” (1999) for director Ron Judkins. The film made its way to Sundance, where its photography caught the attention of director Christopher Nolan. The pair soon teamed up for Nolan’s breakout feature, the psychological thriller “Memento” (2000), which cemented both as talents on the rise. Pfister was soon Nolan’s cinematographer of choice on his subsequent efforts; his eye for noir-like detail lent visual luster to “Insomnia” (2002) and Nolan’s first blockbuster, “Batman Begins” (2005), which earned him an Oscar nomination. A second Academy nod came with Nolan’s follow-up, the period mystery “The Prestige,” in 2006. In between work with Nolan, Pfister was busy on a variety of high-profile and independent projects, including “Laurel Canyon” (2002) and “The Italian Job” for F. Gary Gray. He also found himself in demand as a TV commercial director on 30-second spots for such major brands as Toyota, Anheuser-Busch, and General Electric. In 2008, he re-teamed with Nolan for “The Dark Knight,” which he partially shot using IMAX cameras. The film broke box office records in its opening weekend, and went on to become one of the most critically and financially successful films of the year. Among its countless award nominations were Oscar, BAFTA and American Society of Cinematographers nods for Pfister’s work, as well as trophies from several national and regional critics’ societies. In addition to his work in film, Pfister cultivated a modest side career as a guitarist, a passion he developed while still in his teens. His interest in music brought him across the globe several times to perform in clubs in Asia, Europe and the United States.