EMMY

So I finally got it. The gaudy golden statue! This Emmy was for outstanding cinematography for National Geographic's Great Migrations. It really does have my name on it. Pretty cool!

CROC DIVING!

We started diving with crocs about 15 years ago, but it was only in 2007 that we actually had the courage to follow them into the deep, dark caves beneath the papyrus. This is the first in a series of blog posts that feature the Okavango river underwater. It's a stunning place, like another world and when you jump off the boat you're joining big crocs and hippos. You need to be very very careful, but the adventure is priceless.

FILMING IN THE FALKLANDS

Being blown over by the wind seems a novel concept until it actually happens to you. This was a first for me as I was unceremoniously dumped on my right shoulder, trying to protect a $200 000 camera and a bag full of primes.

We had winds gusting to 70 mph on Steeple Jason island while trying to film the fledging of Black browed albatross chicks. The only camera we had was a Phantom HD, and used this for 30p as well as the obvious high speed that the unit can produce.

LAKE OF STARS

I've been on Lake Malawi for ten days, filming the cichlids that have colonised the lake so efficiently. These little fish have developed very visual interactions with each other, both for territory defense as well as breeding activity.
They've adapted into every little niche beneath the surface, edging out other fish species and making Lake Malawi their own. I've been busy shooting mouth-brooding, and trying to capture the antics around the big sand spawning bowers.

THINKING QUICKLY

Getting into the swing of filming cheetah chasing down prey is kind of difficult. It takes practice, and even if you've done it before, you need to get back into the system. It doesn't help to get excited, you'll only screw up the shot, anticipation is crucial, and even when you get it right, keeping the animal in frame relies a lot on chance.

This is when I wish I'd had a Phantom...