Constantine Makris: Natural Light Look vs. No Lighting

From American Cinematographer, Legal Eagle by Eric Rudolph (October 1998)

Makris is clearly passionate about his work, which he says is sometimes misunderstood. While the realistic lighting for Law & Order bolsters the show's credibility as much as the use of actual New York City locations does, the lighting is so authentic that some people outside of the industry think Makris's modus operandi involves simply showing up and filming with available light. In fact, the cinematographer was once asked to shoot some commercials for a politician because one of the media advisors was a fan of his Law & Order work.

"This advisor said to me, 'I love the way your show looks, because you don't light it.' Well, that 'non-light' look probably involved four 10Ks!... I'd say that was one of the greatest compliments I've ever received."

- Constantine Makris, ASC