Story telling and sequence building
Wildlife and natural history film making is all about story telling. Capturing animal behaviour in ways that can captivate an audience, pull them into a personified narrative where they not only observe the animals, but route for them as well. For this reason I’ve found it incredibly difficult to create a natural history showreel that’s limited to just 60 seconds of sizzle! I’m not a comercial DOP or a photographer, some shots might be bangers compared to others but there’s no one hit wonders. Every shot is as important as the next and they rely on each other to tell the story.
So on that note - I’ve put together a selection of short animal/location specific reels that show storytelling and sequence building, plus a bit of info on what went on behind the lens. Enjoy!
Antarctic Penguins and the journey of a devoted father.
While shooting a summer in Antarctica I spend many hours and days with the penguins. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience with many humbling moments, this one was by far most memorable.
Tadpoles to Toads.
Through February till June of 2021 I hiked 5km and back each week to a beautiful pond on the Cornish coast. I carried my camera and diving equipment with me each time to document the process of toad tadpoles hatching from spawn and then metamorphosing into tiny toad-lets. Being dedicated to this project was a labour of love and devotion. This footage is part of a greater project however witnessing and creating this sequence was the motivation behind it all.
Amphibians are so interesting and their metamorphosis is totally bonkers, to swim with them and document this was awesome!
A day with the Marine Iguanas.
Marine Iguanas are undoubtably my favourite animals. They are the only marine lizard in the world, they feed primarily on seaweed/algae that grows underwater, are endemic to the Galapagos Islands, and lets face it - they look totally awesome.
This reel tracks the one iguana as he feeds in the ocean, swims back ashore to bask and warm up with the others, sneezes the excess salt water from he nose, and then in the warm evening light he huddles with the other iguanas to retain body heat through the night.
Anatomy and courtship rituals of the Palmate Newt.
This is an episode of Spawn, a wildlife series personal project I produced in 2021 during Covid lock downs. This episode is about one of my favourite British creatures, the Palmate Newt. I shot two specific sequences that in the film are accompanied by voice over - one sequence devoted to their anatomy and the second shows their courtship rituals. All shot and edited by myself. This episode was shot over many separate days and weeks, hiking to and from, and diving at this location.
Deep dive with a Pacific Green Sea Turtle.
I came across this exhausted female Green Sea Turtle on Punta Cormorant beach in the Galapagos. She had likely been ashore for 24 hours or more, digging a burrow and laying eggs deep in the sand dunes above the beach. I captured the last moments of her arduous journey back into the ocean. After so long on the land it must have been a great relief as the waves finally took her weight.
I quickly changed into my wetsuit, grabbed the water housing, and swam out to find her recuperating in the gentle water passed the breaking waves. As she effortlessly glides to the sea bed where she will rest, I free dive alongside her to capture this tranquil scene.
Exploring Grytviken, a place I never thought I’d see.
Grytviken is a derelict whaling station on the extremely remote island of South Georgia, located in the sub antarctic region of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a place I knew of and had always dreamt of seeing with my own eyes. However because so few people ever have the opportunity to visit South Georgia, I assumed it would never even be possible for me. So when this opportunity came my way, I jumped at it, and Grytviken did not disappoint.