Hollywood cinematographer Sam Levy first came to public attention in 2002, when he won the Emerging Cinematographer Award for his work in the short film Diet (2002). Subsequently, he made his feature film debut with Perfect Partner (2005). Levy has since cranked the camera for a number of acclaimed indie movies, the first of which was Wendy and Lucy (2008) - a poignant drama which told the story of a penniless drifter's search for her lost dog. The film won the AFI Award for Movie of the Year, besides near-universal critical acclaim and accolades at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

In 2012, the cinematographer collaborated for the first time with writer-director Noah Baumbach in the comedy-drama Frances Ha. The film, which was shot entirely in black and white, was well-received and earned Levy a London Film Critics Circle Film Award nomination for Technical Achievement of the Year. Following this, the duo reunited for the comedy-drama films While We're Young (2014) and Mistress America (2015). In 2017, Levy helmed the camera department in actress-turned-writer-director Greta Gerwig's second directorial venture, Lady Bird. The film opened to universal critical acclaim and won many accolades on its way to Academy Awards glory, while Levy was nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Cinematography.