Chicago Cinematographer and Director of Photography
The difference between footage and cinema is the person behind the camera.
Based in Chicago's West Loop — Trusted Cinematography and DP Services for Over 12 Years
Kenneth L. Dixon Photography Chicago is a full-service cinematography and video production company led by a full-time cinematographer with over 12 years of professional experience. We work with production companies, creative agencies, brands, and independent directors across Chicago and Chicagoland, available as a dedicated Director of Photography on your production or as a complete production partner from brief to final delivery. Our work has been trusted by nationally recognized brands including New Balance, Wilson, CDK Global, and SureWerx Oberon, and we have produced cinematography for organizations including the 100 Club of Illinois and the Financial Health Network. Every production we work on, regardless of scale — is approached with the same creative discipline, technical precision, and professional standard that those client relationships demand.
Featured Projects as Cinematographer and DP
AD | SUREWERX OBERON
SHORT FILM | “COMORBID”
REEL | Nike
AD | MARRIANI
MUSIC VIDEO | DERRICK’S PRIME BY SHYE
Drone Work | Sausage Company
AD | CDK GLOBAL
PROMO VIDEO | THE ELM
Influencer campaign
Cinematography Services in Chicago
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Commercial productions demand a DP who understands the relationship between the creative brief, the brand, and the final cut. We have shot commercial content for nationally recognized brands including New Balance and Wilson — work that required lighting precision, shot discipline, and on-set efficiency that agency clients expect. Clients who need end-to-end production beyond the shoot day rely on our full commercial video production Chicago capabilities to take a project from concept through delivery.
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Corporate video looks like corporate video when it is shot like corporate video. A cinematographer who approaches the work with the same creative intention as a commercial production changes what the finished piece can do for a brand. We shoot company overviews, executive interviews, recruitment videos, training productions, and event coverage with the same cinematic discipline we bring to brand campaign work. Businesses that need a full production partner beyond the camera department work with us directly on corporate video production Chicago from strategy through final delivery.
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Documentary work demands a specific kind of camera awareness — the ability to read a situation, anticipate the moment, and capture it without disrupting it. We have direct experience in documentary-style and street interview production, including the Human Stories series produced for the Financial Health Network in Chicago. Available as DP on documentary projects shooting across the city and for travel on out-of-market productions.
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Music video production requires a cinematographer who understands how visual rhythm relates to audio rhythm — how camera movement, cut points, and lighting choices interact with the beat, the mood, and the artist's identity. We have produced music video production content for independent artists and emerging acts across the city, handling both the cinematography and the full production when the project calls for it.
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Independent directors and film production companies working in Chicago hire us as the DP on narrative shorts, independent features, and student productions. The approach is collaborative — working directly with the director to translate their visual vision into coverage that serves the story and holds up through the edit without dictating the creative direction.
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As an FAA certified drone operator, we provide aerial cinematography as a standalone hire or integrated into a larger ground-based production. Aerial coverage shot by the same cinematographer handling ground footage produces a more cohesive final product — consistent lighting decisions, consistent visual language, and no coordination gap between two separate operators. Productions that need dedicated aerial coverage work with us on commercial drone videography as a standalone service or as part of a full production package.
What to Know Before Hiring a Chicago Cinematographer
DP for Hire vs Full Production — Know What You Need
Some productions need a DP to plug into an existing crew. Others need a production partner who handles everything from creative development through final delivery. We work both ways — as a camera department hire on productions that already have a producer, director, and crew in place, or as the full production lead for clients who need end-to-end service. Being clear about which model your production needs makes the first conversation more productive and the shoot day more efficient.
Camera Package and Technical Specs
We shoot on professional cinema camera systems capable of 4K and 6K capture. The specific camera package for each production is discussed during pre-production based on the project's creative requirements, delivery format, and budget. FAA certified drone capability is available as an add-on for productions that include aerial coverage — handled by the same operator shooting the ground footage rather than a separate crew position that adds cost and coordination overhead.
What Chicago Productions Should Know About Working With Us
The best DP relationships are built on clear communication before the shoot day. We review the brief, the shot list, the location, and the creative direction before every production, so there are no surprises on set and no critical coverage gaps discovered in the edit. For first-time clients, a pre-production call is always the starting point before any equipment gets loaded or any location gets locked.
Chicago Locations and Travel Availability
Based at 1016 W Jackson Blvd in Chicago's West Loop, we work across the city and Chicagoland regularly. Chicago's visual range, from the West Loop's industrial textures and the lakefront to Logan Square's neighborhood character and the city's world-class architectural backdrops — gives productions shooting here a natural advantage that we know how to use. We are also available for destination productions. Reach out to discuss travel availability and rates for out-of-market shoots.
Why Chicago Productions Choose Kenneth L. Dixon Photography as Their
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Not a filmmaker who shoots on weekends. Twelve years of full-time commercial, corporate, documentary, music video, and event cinematography in Chicago. The depth of experience shows in on-set efficiency, creative instincts under pressure, and footage that consistently holds up through the edit regardless of what the day brings.
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We have shot commercial content for nationally recognized brands including New Balance and Wilson. That experience means we understand the production standards, communication rhythms, and delivery expectations that agency and brand clients require — and show up to set already calibrated to that level without a ramp-up period.
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FAA Part 107 certified aerial cinematography available from the same cinematographer shooting your ground coverage. Consistent visual language across aerial and ground footage, one point of contact for the full camera department, and one less crew position to coordinate on your shoot day.
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All productions shot in 4K or 6K depending on project requirements. The footage holds up at full resolution across every delivery format — web, social, broadcast, and large-format commercial use — so your production investment has a longer shelf life regardless of where the content eventually lives.
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For productions that need editing, color grading, and sound design alongside the shoot, we offer full in-house post-production. The cinematographer who shot the footage cuts the edit — which produces a more cohesive final product than separating the two roles across different vendors with different creative interpretations of the same footage.
“Kenneth, is a trusted partner and always able to get the job done and executing a a high level. I have worked with him in the capacity of cinematographer, drone op, camera op and photographer and really enjoyed the collaboration. Looking forward to the time we are able to collaborate.” - Jake Brusha
Looking for a Chicago Cinematographer or Director of Photography?
The right DP makes every other element of a production work better, the edit is cleaner, the color grade is easier, and the final video does what it was built to do. Kenneth L. Dixon Photography Chicago brings 12 years of full-time cinematography experience, a 4K and 6K camera package, FAA-certified drone capability, and in-house post-production to every production in Chicago. Available as a DP for hire or as a full production partner from concept through delivery. Based in Chicago's West Loop and available for travel.