Caleb Deschanel — American Director born on September 21, 1944,

Joseph Caleb Deschanel, A.S.C. is an American film cinematographer and film/television director. He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography five times. He is a member of the National Film Preservation Board of the Library of Congress, representing the American Society of Cinematographers... (wikipedia)

The great photographers of life - like Diane Arbus and Walker Evans and Robert Frank - all must have had some special quality: a personality of nurturing and non-judgment that frees the subjects to reveal their most intimate reality. It really is what makes a great photographer, every bit as much as understanding composition and lighting.
In 'Tree of Life,' the cinematography records a small story, a celebration of the courage of everyday life. But it does it so up close and so effortlessly that it has the effect of elevating the intimacy of the story to a grand scale.
Even great actors shine brighter in the right atmosphere.
Most people think of cinematographers as choosing subjects of an epic nature to show off what they do - big, sweeping images of war or pageantry.
The Chinese are brought up to believe that you should be silent in class. The teacher speaks, and you just listen and absorb what they say.