Sharon Calahan did her studies in illustration and graphic design but ended up working in the field of animation. She was part of the rise of computer-animated feature filmmaking and contributed to its recognition as a medium of cinematography. She was the first person working in animation to be accepted in the American Society of Cinematographers. Pixar used the term Director of Photography fo the first time for her work on A Bug`s Life (1998), which also earned her a BAFTA nomination. Calahan`s credits include widely popular films like Toy Story 2 (1999), Finding Nemo (2003) and Ratatouille (2007). Her 2020 releases include Onward.