Born in Denison, Iowa, of immigrant parents from Oldenburg, Germany, Hans Koenekamp began his film career with a job as a motion picture projectionist. He became a cinematographer in 1913 at Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios. He later worked at Fox Films and then joined Vitagraph in 1917, where he photographed all the Larry Semoncomedies. When Warner Bros. purchased First National's studio in Burbank, California, he signed a contract and remained with the studio for the next 30 years. He specialized in directing and photographing second units and producing special effects shots for the studio.