In 1913 he went to Mexico to film newsreel footage of Pancho Villa's rebellion. In 1918, he was one of the founders of the American Society of Cinematographers and served as the group's first Vice-President. In the 1920s, he was one of the more sought-after cinematographers in Hollywood, and a personal favorite of stars such as Mary Pickford, working with her on films such as "Suds" (1920), "Little Annie Rooney" (1925), and even "Coquette" (1929), Pickford's first sound film. His work with Karl Struss on F.W. Murnau's 1927 film "" is viewed as a milestone in cinematography. He shot five films for producer David O. Selznick, including "Rockabye" (1932), "Our Betters" (1933) and "Little Lord Fauntleroy" (1936).