Résumé

Twenty years of visual storytelling

Freelance Director of Photography in Washington, DC since 2015. References available on request.

Experience
  • 2015—

    Freelance Director of Photography

    Documentaries, television, news, commercials, music videos and narrative films for networks, newsrooms, nonprofits and brands across Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia and internationally.

Selected credits

Documentary 21

  • In productionOne Giant Leap: The Life of Farouk El-BazCinematographerDirectorFairouz El-BazProduction / clientMISR · Banded Media
  • In productionSinglesDirector of PhotographyDirectorLisa HurwitzProduction / clientA Slice of Pie Productions
  • 2026Series on artists & materials — Making Colors, Pollock, LeWittDirector of PhotographyDirector—Production / clientNational Gallery of Art
  • 2024Yalla ParkourCinematographer (U.S.) & camera operatorDirectorAreeb ZuaiterProduction / clientKinana Films
  • 2024Crypto documentary · DC shootDirector of PhotographyDirector—Production / clientIndependent production
  • 2023Join or DieAdditional cinematographyDirectorPete Davis & Rebecca DavisProduction / clientNetflix · Abramorama
  • 2023Shadow Men: Inside Wagner, Russia’s Secret War CompanyCinematographerDirector—Production / clientThe Wall Street Journal
  • 2023The Love Letters of Ulysses S. GrantDirector of PhotographyDirectorTheodore Antonio AnastiProduction / clientWhimsy Productions
  • 2021Persona: The Dark Truth Behind Personality TestsAdditional photographyDirectorTim Travers HawkinsProduction / clientCNN Films · HBO Max
  • 2020Jonathan Scott’s Power TripCamera operatorDirectorEdward Osei-Gyimah & Jonathan ScottProduction / clientFuture You Media
  • 2018We Are Not Done YetCinematographerDirectorSareen HairabedianProduction / clientHBO
  • 2018Recognizing the Early Stages of DementiaDirector of PhotographyDirectorChristopher CymbalakProduction / clientAARP Studios
  • 2017Fashion ForesightDirector of PhotographyDirectorChristopher CymbalakProduction / clientAARP Studios · Webby nominee
  • —Living ProofDirector of PhotographyDirectorChristopher CymbalakProduction / clientAARP Studios
  • 2017–26Purpose Prize, Never Gets Old, Real People Stories & moreDirector of PhotographyDirector—Production / clientAARP Studios
  • 2023–24Oral-history films · 13 episodesDirector of PhotographyDirector—Production / clientAmerican Veterans Center
  • 2021Redefining Shangri-La · Refugee ChefDirector of PhotographyDirector—Production / clientChannel NewsAsia
  • 2021NASA telescope-launch interviewsDirector of PhotographyDirector—Production / clientSimons Foundation
  • 2017Imagine… Cameron MackintoshCinematographerDirector—Production / clientBBC
  • 2016Wings to Fly (Guatemala) & Glimpses of TanzaniaDirector of PhotographyDirectorChristopher CymbalakProduction / clientProject Concern International (PCI) · USDA Food for Education
  • 2017North Korean refugee documentaryDirector of PhotographyDirector—Production / clientEV Content

Television 10

  • 2021–25If You Lived Here · Seasons 1–4CinematographerDirector—Production / clientLeapfrog Productions · WETA PBS
  • 2021Mary Letourneau · documentary episode (Maryland shoot)CinematographerDirector—Production / clientArrow Media (UK)
  • 2024Couching It · pilotDirector of PhotographyDirector—Production / clientVPM (Virginia PBS)
  • 2021The Problem with Jon Stewart · 1 episodeCamera operatorDirector—Production / clientBusboy Productions · Apple TV+
  • 2021UFO · 1 episodeCamera operatorDirector—Production / clientBad Robot · Showtime
  • 2019If We Built It Today · 1 episodeCamera operatorDirector—Production / clientArcadia Content · Science Channel
  • 2018Quebrando o Tabu · 2 episodesCinematographerDirector—Production / clientSpray Filmes · GNT (Brazil)
  • 2017Mastermind · 2 episodesCinematographerDirector—Production / clientBBC
  • 2016Suspicion · Season 2Director of PhotographyDirector—Production / clientOctober Films
  • 2016Anacostia · web seriesDirector of Photography & producerDirector—Production / clientSoutheast Boy Productions

Broadcast & news 8

Narrative 9

  • 2026In Need of SeawaterDirector of PhotographyDirectorRichard YeagleyProduction / clientShort
  • 2025The CousinDirector of PhotographyDirectorAmitabh JoshiProduction / clientShort · Vacant Light · Nepal America Int’l Film Festival 2025
  • 2019A Trip Down Memory LaneWriter, producer, DP & editorDirectorUmit GulsenProduction / clientShort · Gold Award, DC Webfest
  • 2018Beautiful DreamerCinematographerDirectorStephen LipscombProduction / clientFeature
  • 2017The Importance of Finding the OtherCinematographerDirectorMarcey Lynn FrutcheyProduction / clientShort · Rosebud Award
  • 2017Tell Me a StoryCinematographerDirectorIsa Seyran & Ibrahim TurkProduction / clientZeyba Films · short
  • 2015How Do ICamera operatorDirectorStephen LipscombProduction / clientShort
  • —SensesCinematographerDirectorAlyscia CunninghamProduction / clientHer House Media · short
  • —You’ve Reached SarahCinematographerDirector—Production / clientShort

Music videos 2

Commercial, branded & arts 6

  • 2025WAEPA 2025 commercialDirector of PhotographyDirector—Production / clientWAEPA
  • —MAGNIFICA · screendanceDirector of PhotographyDirectorMimmo Miccolis (choreographer)Production / clientEmbassy of Italy · Istituto Italiano di Cultura
  • —Official recruitment filmDirector of PhotographyDirectorFabian MarquezProduction / clientN-SSA
  • —Recruitment filmDirector of PhotographyDirector—Production / clientKaeser Compressors
  • —Apartment lifestyle filmDirector of PhotographyDirector—Production / clientCadence
  • 2016–26Brand & nonprofit filmsDirector of PhotographyDirector—Production / clientDeloitte, Capital One, Kaiser Permanente, Uber, Marriott, Save the Children, WaterAid, American Red Cross & more
Full credits on IMDb ↗
Selected clients & collaborators
  • The Wall Street Journal
  • BBC
  • Netflix
  • HBO
  • Al Jazeera
  • Financial Times
  • Condé Nast
  • TikTok
  • Viacom
  • CTV National News
  • Channel NewsAsia
  • NZZ
  • TEGNA
  • WETA-PBS
  • VPM (Virginia PBS)
  • AARP
  • The Kennedy Center
  • National Gallery of Art
  • National Park Service
  • HHMI
  • Simons Foundation
  • Bloomberg Philanthropies
  • UNDP
  • Save the Children
  • WaterAid
  • American Red Cross
  • UPS Foundation
  • The Pew Charitable Trusts
  • NRDC
  • AFL-CIO
  • Roosevelt Institute
  • Union of Concerned Scientists
  • No Kid Hungry
  • Deloitte
  • Capital One
  • Marriott
  • Kaiser Permanente
  • Uber
  • IKEA
  • Bridgestone
  • Kia
  • Dermalogica
  • Sodexo
  • Williams-Sonoma (Pottery Barn Kids)
  • Interscope Records
  • King & Spalding
  • McDermott Will & Emery
  • Georgetown University
  • University of Virginia
  • American University
  • USCIS
  • National Museum of the Marine Corps
  • Interpublic Group
  • MullenLowe
  • Arrow Media
  • Zinc Media
  • Farm Sanctuary
  • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
  • Jewish Federations of North America
  • American Veterans Center
  • PCI
  • Embassy of Italy
  • Istituto Italiano di Cultura
  • The Washington Ballet
  • Goldschmied & Chiari
  • Quanta Magazine
  • Manoto TV
  • 2U
  • University of Denver
  • California University of Management and Sciences
  • ALMA
  • IELTS
  • Addison
  • Blue Chalk Media
  • WAEPA
  • Kaeser Compressors
  • NSSA-NSCA
  • North-South Skirmish Association
  • Heather Mae
  • Lauren Gottshall
See client logos →
Recognition
  • 2024

    Join or Die

    Feature documentary (additional cinematography) — released on Netflix.

  • 2019

    A Trip Down Memory Lane

    Gold Award, Digital Shorts — DC Webfest. Official Selection — Virginia Film Festival.

  • 2018

    Fashion Foresight — AARP

    Webby Award Nominee, 22nd Annual Webby Awards — Social: Fashion & Beauty.

  • 2018

    The Importance of Finding the Other

    Rosebud Award — Rosebud Film Festival.

On camera
  • Fed Chair Jerome Powell
  • U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll
  • Education Secretary Linda McMahon
  • Rep. Maxwell Frost
  • Suze Orman
  • Astronaut Leland Melvin
  • Futurist Amy Webb
  • The President of Somalia (official visit)
  • NBA referee Dee Kantner
  • Actor James Madio
  • Holocaust survivor Ben Lesser
  • Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. George Hardy
  • WWII paratrooper Vincent Speranza
Memberships
  • WIFV — Women in Film & Video
  • TIVA — Television, Internet & Video Association of DC
Education
  • 2016

    MA, Film and Video — American University

    Washington, DC.

  • 2007

    TV, Radio and Cinema — Marmara University

    Istanbul. Film theory and history; assistant director on TV series, shorts and documentaries, including Blue, supervised by Majid Majidi.

For availability and references: umit@umitgulsen.net · 703 349 9125