Long lensing the behaviour of animals and portraying their character is my speciality. I’m also experienced using a variety of filming technologies to showcase the environment animals live in.
I count myself as very fortunate to have filmed nearly exclusively on landmark natural history series for most of my career. Series I have filmed for include:
HOME Asia (BBC for National Geographic) - Blue Planet III (BBC) - Asia (BBC) - Disneynature feature (Title NDA’d - Silverback for Disneynature) - Our Oceans (Netflix) - Mammals (BBC) - Planet Earth III (BBC) - A Year on Planet Earth (Plimsoll for Sky) - The Mating Game (Silverback for BBC) - Life on Our Planet (Silverback for Netflix) - Frozen Planet II (BBC) - Perfect Planet (SilverBack for BBC) - Growing Up Animal (Disney +) - Tiny Worlds (Apple) - Seven Worlds, One Planet (BBC) - Hostile Planet (National Geographic) - Our Planet (Netflix) - Blue Planet II (BBC)
Key awards: BAFTA for Photography: Factual (2018) - Nomination for BAFTA in Photography: Factual (2022)
Long lensing is to me, the purest way to capture animal behaviour in a way that is unaffected by us. This is why I love it so much and focus most of my work on it. In a previous life I completed a PhD in animal behaviour (University of Cambridge) and I believe this has given me a deep appreciation of why animals do what they do. I also think it’s given me a leg-up in predicting when animals will exhibit certain behaviours, and how to capture these through the viewfinder. I believe that of similar importance to the core long lens work is building the world (and sequence) around the animal characters. To allow me to do this I’m experieced with most other filming techniques frequently used in natural history. Technologies I use include:
Camera traps (Cognysis) - Gimbals (both small and large) - Low light (e.g. FX6 and fast primes)- Drones (for fast paced animal behaviour and scenics) - High speed (Phantom) - Cable cams (scenics and behaviour) - Motion control timelapse (e.g. Emotimo ST4)- Jibs (from Foxy panther to ABC crane) - Remote cams - A little macro
I love a good slog and a challenge – walking up freezing cold mountains carrying heavy things is my idea of a great time. I feel so very lucky to have spent extended periods in some of the most remote (and sometimes hostile) places on our planet. Although I thrive in cold environments (Artic, Antarctic, High altitude - I’ve spent around 17 months over 13 shoots in such places over the last 7 years) I grew up in the tropics and also love the heat, so am also comfortable filming in jungles and deserts and plains. I’m also very happy spending extended quiet time sitting in a hide (freezer and sweat-box versions are both ok).
I do less filming underwater these days, but do still love it. I’m experienced on rEvo rebreathers, open circuit, and freediving. Using these I’ve filmed many underwater sequences from the polar regions to coral reefs, from whale behaviour in blue-water to grip-heavy benthic macro.
Finally, I love being around good people, and this is one of the things that makes this job one of the best in the world. I learn so much from people from production, other camera people, and all the knowledgable locals I get to meet on location.
Contact: alex.vail08@gmail.com
