Can Kaminski clinch Oscar for Lincoln?

Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln: press materials

Kaminski has been nominated for his cinematography on Lincoln, Steven Spielberg's biopic of the hallowed American president.

The movie marks the continuation of a long-running partnership between Kaminski and Spielberg, with the pair working together on ten films, two of which (Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan) won him an Oscar.

Speaking with Variety film magazine about Lincoln, Kaminski noted that the crew faced dilemmas in portraying a time when oil lamps were the norm.

“The biggest challenge was finding the right language, the right level of brightness and darkness,” he said.

“That has so much to do with having a director who is not afraid to take it dark. To what extent do you stylize the movie without going too far and becoming noticeable?” he mused.

Kaminski added that it was an inspiration to work with Daniel Day-Lewis, who is also in the running for an Oscar for Best Actor.

“Seeing Daniel transform into that character was amazing,” he said.

“When he is in the frame, you are captive to his performance.”

All things considered, Kaminski won't be too crest-fallen if he misses the Oscar boat this year.

When nominated for last year's awards for War Horse, he told Polish television station TVN that “the older a person becomes, the more one realises that certain things are more important than Oscars and nominations.

“I am enchanted by the [Oscar] atmosphere, but I'm not as excited as when I won the first time around,” he said. (nh)