Daren Vinson Crawford

Daren Vinson Crawford is an LA-based cinematographer and camera operator who specializes in underwater film production. His aquatic experience draws from a lifetime of ocean swimming, bodysurfing, and free diving. The unique requirements of water-unit filming have led him to build and adapt custom water systems for modern production cameras and lensing. Daren has extensive experience traveling to far reaches of the globe from over twenty years of work in professional surfing. He has swam alongside many of surfing’s very best, including Bruce and Andy Irons, John John Florence, Dane Reynolds, Stephanie Gilmore, Carissa Moore, and Kelly Slater. This level of athletic interaction requires Daren to swim and maintain cameras in a range of ocean and surf conditions.

In recent years, Daren has tailored his skill set to serve mainstream creative clients and storytellers. He has worked on several award-winning commercials for directors such as Megaforce, A.G. Rojas, Lance Acord, Vincent Haycock, and DP’s Alexis Zabe, Alwin Kuchler, and Chayse Irvin. Daren was the DP and Water Operator for the broadcast launch and follow-up campaign for beverage industry breakout White Claw Hard Seltzer, the sales leader and cornerstone of a wildly successful new sector.