A Polish cinematographer who completed his professional studies in the United States, Kaminski has collaborated with Steven Spielberg on various projects since 1993. His first work for the renowned director was SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993), for which Kaminski won his first Oscar for Best Cinematography. In 1997, he worked on his second film for Spielberg, THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK, followed by AMISTAD. His second Oscar came with SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998). In 2002, he directed MINORITY REPORT and the film we will discuss in this article, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. After these collaborations with Steven Spielberg came others such as THE TERMINAL (2004), WAR OF THE WORLDS, MUNICH (2005), INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008), WAR HORSE (2011) and finally LINCOLN (2012).

The work of a cinematographer involves not only technical knowledge of cameras, lenses, and lighting, but also an artistic sensibility that allows them to define how to use these elements to achieve the film's visual style and thus imbue the story with vitality. This is how the viewer is ultimately drawn into imaginary worlds and made to believe in them.

This was the work of Janusz Kaminski in the film CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. It is a 2002 dramedy based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., a young man who at the age of 17 became the most successful bank robber in the United States. He managed to impersonate a doctor, a lawyer, and a co-pilot for one of the largest airlines. Meanwhile, FBI agent Carl Hanratty dedicated most of his time to pursuing Abagnale and bringing him to justice.

The film, shot in 56 days with over 140 exterior sets in Los Angeles, New York, Montreal, and Quebec, presented a challenge not only for the actors but also for the technical and artistic aspects. It was thanks to the chemistry between Spielberg and Kaminski that they were able to work with such efficiency. In Spielberg's words: “Janusz and I have a great working relationship. I position the camera, I frame the scenes, but Janusz paints each shot. He's a master of light. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is a very optimistic film; we didn't want shadows or dim lighting. It's very bright, full of color, and that represents a huge change in our style when we work together.”.

For Kaminski, “it was a very simple visual approach” in which they intended to have fun “and create a world with a touch of idealism, but not too serious. The lighting reflects those intentions. It’s like a glass of champagne.” In CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, the staging, the costumes, the sets, the lighting, the soundtrack, and even the design of the credits, manage to capture the atmosphere of the sixties. All of this, along with a narrative structure and rhythm that perfectly complete the universe of this story.