Declan Quinn

Biography

Declan Quinn is an American cinematographer, born in 1957. A three-time winner of the Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography, he has built his reputation on independent and author-driven films from the 1990s and 2000s, while also working on larger commercial productions.

Born and raised in Chicago, he spent his teenage years in Ireland before returning to the United States to study film at Columbia College Chicago. His first professional work was made in Dublin, where he met Bono and U2 and filmed music videos and the documentaries U2: Unforgettable Fire (1984) and U2: Outside It's America (1987). He settled permanently in the United States in 1989. He has since worked five times with director Mira Nair, including on Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love and Monsoon Wedding. His other credits include Leaving Las Vegas, In America and Rachel Getting Married. His television work earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie for Hysterical Blindness.

Quinn remains active and divides his time between his work and his family in Orange County, New York.

Key films

• Leaving Las Vegas (1995): shot the Mike Figgis drama whose uncompromising, intimate look became a defining part of its story.
• Monsoon Wedding (2001): the first of his collaborations with Mira Nair, a warm family comedy-drama set in New Delhi.
• In America (2002): Jim Sheridan's family drama about an Irish family emigrating to New York.
• Rachel Getting Married (2008): Jonathan Demme's family drama, shot with a close, almost documentary style.