He has served as a camera operator and director of photography on feature films and television series since the 1970s.

[2] Altman began his career serving as focus puller and second assistant camera on the films such as: Nashville (1975), Buffalo Bill and the Indians (1976), A Wedding (1978), Popeye (1980), Health (1982), Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982), Streamers (1983), and Fool for Love (1985).

Altman also served as second unit director of photography on the hit TV series The Wonder Years.

In between his work for television, Altman continues to return to feature filmmaking as a camera operator or cinematographer.

Credits include Looking for Trouble for Roger Corman; several projects directed by Robert Altman, Kansas City (1996), The Gingerbread Man (1998), Cookie's Fortune (1999) and Dr. T & the Women (2000), as well as Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) directed by Kevin Smith, and The Scorpion King (2002) starring the Rock.