Brooks Percy Guyer, 62, of Ojai, California, passed away peacefully at his home on January 2, 2026, from natural causes. He was born on January 7, 1963, in Pasadena, California, to Diana Graves Guyer and John Davis Guyer.
Brooks spent his early childhood with his brothers, David and Stephen, exploring his family’s land in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. From a young age, his life was shaped by travel and curiosity. He journeyed throughout Illinois with his family during his uncle’s United States senatorial campaign and later lived abroad in Bombay, now Mumbai, India, and Kabul, Afghanistan, while his father served with the United States Peace Corps. In 1975, Brooks and his family traveled overland from Afghanistan to Morocco in a Volkswagen bus, an experience that instilled in him a lifelong sense of adventure.
Upon returning to California, Brooks settled in Bradbury, where he graduated from Flintridge Preparatory School. He spent formative summers working and surfing at Shaw’s Cove in Laguna Beach, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts from Pitzer College.
Inspired by his unconventional upbringing, Brooks built a remarkable career in cinematography that spanned more than three decades. He became a pioneer in the use of remotely controlled and gyrostabilized camera systems and was widely respected for his technical mastery and creative eye. Brooks worked as a camera operator, second unit director of photography, and additional director of photography on dozens of major motion pictures, television series, commercials, and music videos.
His film and television credits include Edward Scissorhands, Interview with the Vampire, The Crow, Malcolm X, The Bodyguard, Wayne’s World 2, The Rocketeer, The Italian Job, War of the Worlds, Mission Impossible III, I Am Legend, Transformers, Transformers Dark of the Moon, Transformers Age of Extinction, Transformers The Last Knight, Jurassic World, Mad Max Fury Road, Furiosa A Mad Max Saga, Bad Boys for Life, Ambulance, The Suicide Squad, The SpongeBob Movie Sponge on the Run, and the television series WandaVision, Fresh Off the Boat, and Chasing Life. His work on Mad Max: Fury Road contributed to the film’s Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography, and he was also known for groundbreaking 360-degree wraparound shots featured in War of the Worlds. Brooks also received his first Emmy for his work on Edward Scissorhands.
Despite his extensive career, Brooks’ greatest pride was his family. He was a devoted husband and loving father who found joy in tending his wife’s lavender farm, caring for the family’s donkeys, and driving his children to the beach to surf. He is survived by his wife, Katherine Eileen Guyer, and their children, Sophia, Chloe, and Titus Guyer.
The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to their friends in Ojai and to the Ojai Presbyterian Church. A memorial service will be held at Ojai Presbyterian Church on Saturday, January 17, at 2 pm, with a reception to follow.
A GoFundMe has been established to assist the family during this time. Donations are optional and sincerely appreciated.