Los Angeles: Iconic cinematographer Gordon Willis, whose photography for 'The Godfather' series and Woody Allen's 'Annie Hall' and 'Manhattan' helped define the look of 1970s cinema, has died at age 82.
The cause of the death has not been disclosed yet, reported Deadline. Phone calls and social media posts about Willis' passing began trickling in on Sunday evening.
"This is a momentous loss," confirmed American Society of Cinematographers President Richard Crudo late Sunday night. He was one of the giants who absolutely changed the way movies looked. Up until the time of The Godfather 1 and 2, nothing previously shot looked that way. He changed the way films looked and the way people looked at films," Crudo added.
Born in New York City, Willis' father worked as a make-up artist at Warner Brothers, and though Willis was originally interested in lighting and stage design, he later turned to photography.
While serving in the Air Force during the Korean War, he worked in the motion picture unit and then worked in advertising and documentaries. His first feature was 'End of the Road' in 1970, and his last, Alan Pakula's 'The Devil's Own' in 1997.
