Our Story

I’m Brandon Hinsley and I am a Central Coast Cinematographer.

I didn’t grow up in the Santa Ynez Valley or even in California. I was raised in a working-class town in the Midwest, where seasons were hard and the work was demanding - not unlike this place.

My mom lived in Solvang in her youth, and later my godparents bought a home in Los Alamos. In 2013, I first crossed Cold Spring Bridge to get to their wedding and felt an inexplicable pull toward this place that’s stayed with me ever since.

My partner Claire, from Nipomo, and our dog Shanti, a four-year-old Aussie Goldendoodle, divide time between Los Angeles and the Central Coast. Claire is training to be an Integrative Therapist, and her perspective on connection, empathy, and human experience informs much of how I see stories.

My career took me through Los Angeles and Chicago, working on narrative, documentary, and branded content. Along the way, I contributed to campaigns and productions involving Nike / Air Jordan, MasterClass, music videos for Lala Lala and Mick Jenkins, and feature films like The Crusades and Death Wish. Early on, I also had the chance to observe filmmaker Alexander Payne at work - an experience that shaped how I think about tone, pacing, and authenticity in storytelling.

Even with all of that behind me, the Central Coast doesn’t feel like another location. It deepens. The light shifts, the fog rolls, the seasons pulse. It’s alive.

I started Central Coast Cinematography to answer that pull - to tell stories rooted in this land and the people who give it life. When you work with Central Coast Cinematography, you’re working with me - a filmmaker who respects place, honors story, and carries your narrative with the same weight as the bottles we raise when the work is done.

- Brandon Hinsley 09/28/2025

Brandon’s Website and Instagram