WPS Centenary Lecture 18 November 2023

An Eye Below Zero is a presentation by award winning cameraman Doug Allan about how artistic creativity mixes with science to produce those big television series that excite everyone who loves wildness and the animals that live there. How do you approach polar bears without being eaten? Or make sure you don’t lose that important dive hole when you’re filming seals under the ice? Can you really talk to whales and are they interested anyway? What freezes first at minus 35^o – your eyeballs or your shutter button? Climate change is affecting both poles – is there still time to turn the tide? Can we all become better caretakers of our environment?

Doug’s career began with a passion for diving, which took him to science, marine biology, expeditions, photography and finally the Antarctic, where a chance meeting with David Attenborough opened his eyes to wildlife film making, particularly in the poles. He has filmed for series such as The Blue Planet, Planet Earth, Ocean Giants and Forces of Nature.

“There are big days when animals behave spectacularly right in front of your lens. And other quieter times when a deeper understanding reveals itself, a new insight into the environment and what’s alive there. I’ll be talking about these moments of truth and how they’re the biggest privilege of a wildlife cameraperson.”

Illustrated with his own photographs and with a wealth of behind the scenes stories – An Eye Below Zero will amaze, inspire and challenge.