"Work really hard and don’t be a dick" says 'Elvis' cinematographer

Elvis biopic
Mandy Walker won the Australian Academy's Best Cinematography Award for her work on 'Elvis' (Image credit: Warner Bros Pictures)

"Work really hard and don’t be a dick." That's the best advice that Mandy Walker, the renowned cinematographer known for her work on films like Mulan and Australia, has ever received. 

There was another piece of slightly more technical advice, too. But even for an award-winning director of photography – who made history by becoming the first woman ever to win the Best Cinematography Award from the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts – at the end of the day it all comes down to work ethic and building relationships. 

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

James Artaius
Editor

The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon MagazineN-Photo: The Nikon MagazineDigital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.