Based in New York and originally from Miami, Florida, J. Bennett is a Director of Photography whose work spans feature and short narratives, documentaries, fashion, branded content, music videos, and artist moving image. Their cinematography has been showcased at major festivals and institutions, including the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW, Los Angeles Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, and the Whitney Biennial. Clients include Harry Winston, Bobbi Brown, Calvin Klein, Converse, Rolling Stone, HBO, and Netflix.
J. Bennett’s career began in lighting design for theater and the performing arts, leading to extensive experience in lighting and camera movement as a gaffer, key grip, dolly grip, crane operator, and camera operator. They have worked alongside master cinematographers such as Lisa Rinzler, Bradford Young ASC, and Michael McDonough ASC. Over a decades-long career in motion pictures, they have collaborated with legendary directors and artists including Spike Lee, Arthur Jafa, Martin Scorsese, Andrew Dosunmu, Steven Spielberg, Leah DeVun, Sabisha Friedberg, and Sasha Wortzel.
Shaped by the subcultures of Miami, J. Bennett brings a vision deeply attuned to the unfolding complexities of meaningful stories. Their work is grounded in a strong ethical framework—approaching every project with dignity, respect, and an acute awareness of its sociopolitical context. With a multidisciplinary background in film, photography, music, and fine arts, they are guided by light and the ethereal, seeking the essence of each subject they encounter.