It refers to the person who is ultimately responsible for the process of recording a scene in the manner desired by the director. As chief of the camera crew, he is in charge of the lighting of the set and actors; setting up and moving the camera; selecting appropriate lenses, stock, filters; establishing the composition of images and so on. In general, then, he is the person who helps create what can loosely be called the 'look' of a film, its visual identity.