Alain Resnais and Vierny made 10 films together from 1955 to 1984, starting with the Holocaust film Night and Fog (Nuit et brouillard in original French) and ending with L'amour à mort. He was the cinematographer of choice for British film-maker Peter Greenaway from A Zed & Two Noughts (1985) onward, and shot virtually everything Greenaway directed, including his television work, up to and including 8½ Women (1999). Greenaway has also referred to Vierny as his "most important collaborator".
Vierny also worked with such directors as Luis Buñuel (Belle de jour), Raoul Ruiz, Pierre Kast, Chris Marker and Paul Paviot.