Born in New Orleans, LA. Shot promotional films for artists including Jimi Hendrix and The Who in the mid-1960s and worked in TV before earning his first feature film credit, for additional photography on the special edition of Steven Spielberg's CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977). Daviau had worked previously for Spielberg on AMBLIN' (1968) and subsequently photographed several Spielberg films, including E.T. (1982), TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE (1985), THE COLOR PURPLE (1985), the TV series "Amazing Stories" (1985) and EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987). Besides the two Barry Levinson films for which he was nominated, Daviau's other cinematography credits include THE FALCON AND THE SNOWMAN (1985), HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS (1987), DEFENDING YOUR LIFE (1991), FEARLESS (1993), CONGO (1995), THE ASTRONAUT'S WIFE (1999), THE TRANLATOR (2000), SWEET and HEARTS IN ATLANTIS (uncredited) (both 2001), NEW GLADIATORS and THE ROUTINE (both 2002), and OLIVE OR TWIST and VAN HELSING (both 2004).  Nominated for Cinematography 1982: E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL  Nominated for Cinematography 1985: THE COLOR PURPLE  Nominated for Achievement in Cinematography 1987: EMPIRE OF THE SUN  Nominated for Achievement in Cinematography 1990: AVALON  Nominated for Achievement in Cinematography 1991: BUGSY 5 nominations