Akiva is an award winning cinematographer with 8 years of experience working in narrative and commercial film. With a burning passion for light and shadow, he often also works as a gaffer in between DP projects.
Akiva grew up in Portland, OR, and is currently based in NYC. He is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, where he specialized in cinematography, directing, and film/art studies.
When he is not working on film he is making music and playing drums with several indie rock bands.
He is infamous for unscrewing light bulbs in his friends' homes in protest of their subpar lighting. He is also known to eat tomatoes like an apple.
DP:
short films
You Really Like Me; dir. Taylor Stuart (2025)
American Ballet Theater – Crime & Punishment; dir. Tal Yarden (2024)
20s: Guy Friends; dir. Pacqui Pascal (2024)
A Beautiful Voice; dir. Dave Quay (2023)
All Beauty Queens Have Broken Bones; dir. Max Tullio (2023)
ÉCU Film Festival 2025 Best Student Film
Recluse; dir. Alexis Sundman (2023)
premiered on NoBudge
How To Have A Baby; dir. Nic Inglese (2023)
Nicki Apart; dir. Max Tullio (2022)
Agent Panic; dir. Kory Louko (2022)
Dead Dogs Don't Lie; dir. Max Tullio (2021)
Boy Shorts: (Please) Stand Up; dir. Ellie Gravitte (2021)
Uncle Ricky's Guitar; dir. Carlos Rivadeneyra (2021)
In Our Secret Penthouse; dir. Max Tullio (2021)
premiered on NoBudge
Boy Shorts: SNL; dir. Taylor Edelle Stuart (2021)
Boy Shorts: Catan; dir. Taylor Edelle Stuart (2020)
The Purple Lady; dir. Clarence Dodge (2020)
Boy Shorts: Max; dir. Molly Brown (2019)
Little Walter Whispers; dir. Will Moran (2019)
The White Room; dir. Yuchuan Xing (2018)
Hive Minded; dir. Ronan Hagarty (2018)
awarded Best Cinematography at SLCineFest
One-Handed; dir. C.B. Liffer (2017)
Leo & Clark (2015)
winner Fresh Film NW
music videos
Rat Palace – Woman of the Year; dir. Carlos Rivadeneyra (2024)
Slow Fiction – End of the Night (2024)
Catherine Berdie – Live Session in Apartment (2024)
JessX – Hole; dir. JessX (2023)
Noah Chenfeld – The Cyclical; dir. Akiva Henig (2022)
Ghost King – Lake of Ember; dir. Carlos Rivadeneyra (2022)
Lazylazy – U Feel; dir. Eva Roberts (2021)
Akiva Henig – Open Wide (2020)
Lazylazy – Buddy; dir. Avinoam Henig (2020)
Lazylazy – Sold Out; dir. Avinoam Henig (2019)
Atless – TV; dir. Atless (2017)
commercials
Royal Shakespeare Company — All Is Fantasy, Pedestal, dir. Mecca McDonald (2025)
Partiful — ORG Profiles, Pedestal, dir. Val Henderson (2025)
Understood for All Inc., dir. Calvin Knie (2025)
NYU Tisch Graduate Acting Program (2025)
Fora Financial, 17 Projects, dir. Rob Arevalo (2023)
Understood for All Inc., dir. Max MacKenzie (2023)
SLC Men's Basketball (2019)
Doritos Spec — Nacho Speeding Ticket (2015)
CREW:
podcast, PlayersTV – Health is Wealth (2025)
camera operator
short film, Lost/Stolen; DP — Andrew DeNatale (2025)
gaffer
commercial, NXT STOP – Brunch x Eggo; DP — Manas Sinha (2025)
gaffer
commercial, Timberwolf Films – Outin; DP — Tyson Leith (2024)
gaffer
music video, Monobloc – Irish Goodbye; DP — Ben Scofield (2024)
camera operator
promo shoot, His Three Daughters; Gaffer — Eric Hora (2024)
g&e swing
short film, I Want To Hear My Voice; DP — Andrew Adam (2024)
gaffer
commercial, Cabrini Immigration Services; DP — Andrew DeNatale (2024)
gaffer/camera operator
tv series, Evil; BBE — Charles Friel (2024)
electric
event shoot, Worldwide Wrestling Dojo (2024)
camera operator
fashion film, Kim Mesches; DP — Cece Chan (2024)
gaffer
short film, Balston; DP — Andrew DeNatale (2023)
gaffer
commercial, Dossier; DP — Scott Sweitzer (2023)
1st AC
web series, 20's; DP — Patrick Naremore (2023)
gaffer
commercial, PetSmart; DP — Genaro Delgadillo (2023)
camera operator
music video, Talon - Blondie; DP — Patrick Naremore (2023)
key grip
event, Bleacher Report; DP — Greg Harriott (2023)
2nd AC
feature film, My Hero; DP — Charlee Harrison (2023)
gaffer
short film, Murmur; DP — Guy Pooles (2022)
gaffer
tv series, Law and Order S22; BBE — Boris Cifuentes (2022)
electric
tv series, The Girls on the Bus S1; BBE — Sean Coia (2022)
electric
tv series, Godfather of Harlem S3; BBE — Brandon Morgan (2022)
electric
tv series, Law and Order S22; BBE — Matt Howe (2022)
rigging electric
tv series, American Horror Story S11; BBE — Bryan Barrett (2022)
electric
tv series, The Crowded Room; BBE — Dave Tedesco (2022)
electric
tv series, Manifest S4; BBE — Dana DeSalis (2022)
electric
dance film, Shall We Dance; DP – Daniel Cho (2022)
gaffer
commercial, Eventbrite; dir. – Dustin Tolman (2022)
camera operator
short film, Boyhoarder; DP – Scott Sweitzer (2022)
1st AC
live performance video, John Mulaney at MSG (2022)
1st AC
commercial, Audible; Studio Sabia (2022)
1st AC
commercial, MIRROR; Casual Films (2022)
best boy grip
documentary, Stolen Dough; DP – A.J. Desimone (2022)
gaffer
corporate, LATD Training Video; Understood For All (2022)
gaffer
feature film, Throuple; DP — Martín Blanco (2022)
gaffer – pick-up shoot
short film, Power Signal; DP – Zach Kuperstein (2022)
2nd AC
feature film, The Chapel; DP - Sander Vandenbroucke (2021)
1st AC – NYC unit
commercial, Ben Kallos campaign spot; Acres Productions (2021)
1st AC
music video, Moneybagg Yo; DP - Parris Stewart (2021)
best boy electric
short film, Te Wheke; DP – Jason Chau (2021)
key grip
corporate, The Influencer Series with Amanda Russell; Birds Nest Productions (2021)
camera operator
short film, Man of the Harvest; DP – JP Summers (2020)
camera operator, 2nd unit DP
live performance video series, Pickathon Music Festival (2019)
camera operator
short films music videos commercials
All Beauty Queens Have Broken Bones
dir. Max Tullio
Recluse
dir. Alexis Sundman
In Our Secret Penthouse
dir. Max Tullio
A Beautiful Voice
password: "abv", dir. Dave Quay
Boy Shorts: (Please) Stand Up
dir. Ellie Gravitte
Nicki, Apart
dir. Max Tullio
Woman of the Year by Rat Palace
dir. Carlos Rivadeneyra
Lake of Ember by Ghost King
dir. Carlos Rivadeneyra
Hole by JessX
dir. JessX
Open Wide by Akiva Henig
dir. Akiva Henig
Partiful
Pedestal, dir. Val Henderson
Understood, Inc.
dir. Max MacKenzie
Understood, Inc.
dir. Max MacKenzie
Fora Financial
17 Projects, dir. Rob Arevalo