Doug Anderson (photographer)
Encyclopedia
Doug Anderson is a Scottish wildlife photographer
.
. His father Stan was a civil engineer and his mother Anne, an artist. He discovered photography
and the sea at a young age. During annual trips to the family home in Lamlash
, on the Isle of Arran
, Anderson quickly became a confident snorkeler
and free diver
. At the age of 11 he borrowed a Nikonas Mark 3 camera
from his father and took his first images of a lion's mane jellyfish
just off the “Old Pier” in Lamlash bay.
at St Andrews University, Scotland
. After graduation he spent five years as a commercial scallop diver on the Scottish west coast. To pursue a career in wildlife photography, in 1996, Anderson moved to Bristol
, home of the BBC Natural History Unit
. In 1999, after four years of camera assisting, Anderson shot his first “Blue Chip” Wildlife sequence for a BBC’s The Blue Planet
series. The sequence was of a 15m Sei Whale
feeding on a small bait ball of the Pacific side of Mexico.
Anderson has been involved in the principal photography on BBC/Discovery Channel
productions The Blue Planet
, Planet Earth
, Life, and Frozen Planet as well as many other wildlife programmes. Anderson is also a stills photographer and in 2011 embarked on a large format underwater photography project.
Anderson has also appeared in several “camera diaries” including:
Wildlife photography
Wildlife photography is the act of taking photographs of wildlife.Wildlife photography is regarded as one of the more challenging forms of photography. As well as needing sound technical skills, such as being able to expose correctly, wildlife photographers generally need good field craft skills...
.
Early life
Anderson was born in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. His father Stan was a civil engineer and his mother Anne, an artist. He discovered photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and the sea at a young age. During annual trips to the family home in Lamlash
Lamlash
Lamlash is the largest village by population on the Isle of Arran, in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. It lies 4 miles to the south of ferry port Brodick, in a sheltered bay on the island's east coast, facing Holy Isle. Lamlash is the seat of Arran's local government offices and police...
, on the Isle of Arran
Isle of Arran
Arran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and with an area of is the seventh largest Scottish island. It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire and the 2001 census had a resident population of 5,058...
, Anderson quickly became a confident snorkeler
Snorkeling
Snorkeling is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a wetsuit may also be worn...
and free diver
Free-diving
Freediving is any of various aquatic activities that share the practice of breath-hold underwater diving. Examples include breathhold spear fishing, freedive photography, apnea competitions and, to a degree, snorkeling...
. At the age of 11 he borrowed a Nikonas Mark 3 camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
from his father and took his first images of a lion's mane jellyfish
Lion's mane jellyfish
The lion's mane jellyfish is the largest known species of jellyfish. Its range is confined to cold, boreal waters of the Arctic, northern Atlantic, and northern Pacific Oceans, seldom found farther south than 42°N latitude. Similar jellyfish, which may be the same species, are known to inhabit...
just off the “Old Pier” in Lamlash bay.
Career
Anderson studied Marine BiologyMarine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
at St Andrews University, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. After graduation he spent five years as a commercial scallop diver on the Scottish west coast. To pursue a career in wildlife photography, in 1996, Anderson moved to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, home of the BBC Natural History Unit
BBC Natural History Unit
The BBC Natural History Unit is a department of the BBC dedicated to making television and radio programmes with a natural history or wildlife theme, especially nature documentaries...
. In 1999, after four years of camera assisting, Anderson shot his first “Blue Chip” Wildlife sequence for a BBC’s The Blue Planet
The Blue Planet
The Blue Planet is a BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 12 September 2001.Described as "the first ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world's oceans", each of the eight 50-minute episodes examines a different aspect of...
series. The sequence was of a 15m Sei Whale
Sei Whale
The sei whale , Balaenoptera borealis, is a baleen whale, the third-largest rorqual after the blue whale and the fin whale. It inhabits most oceans and adjoining seas, and prefers deep offshore waters. It avoids polar and tropical waters and semi-enclosed bodies of water...
feeding on a small bait ball of the Pacific side of Mexico.
Anderson has been involved in the principal photography on BBC/Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
productions The Blue Planet
The Blue Planet
The Blue Planet is a BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 12 September 2001.Described as "the first ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world's oceans", each of the eight 50-minute episodes examines a different aspect of...
, Planet Earth
Planet Earth (TV series)
Planet Earth is a 2006 television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, and also the first to be filmed in high definition...
, Life, and Frozen Planet as well as many other wildlife programmes. Anderson is also a stills photographer and in 2011 embarked on a large format underwater photography project.
TV and film (select credits)
- BBC The Blue PlanetThe Blue PlanetThe Blue Planet is a BBC nature documentary series narrated by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 12 September 2001.Described as "the first ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world's oceans", each of the eight 50-minute episodes examines a different aspect of...
“Open Ocean” – Photography] - BBC Worldwide “Deep Blue” Theatrical Release - Photography
- PBS “Silent Roar – Search for the Snow leopard” - Photography
- BBC Planet EarthPlanet Earth (TV series)Planet Earth is a 2006 television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, and also the first to be filmed in high definition...
“Freshwater” – Photography - BBC Planet EarthPlanet Earth (TV series)Planet Earth is a 2006 television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, and also the first to be filmed in high definition...
“Ocean Deep” – Photography - BBC Planet EarthPlanet Earth (TV series)Planet Earth is a 2006 television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, and also the first to be filmed in high definition...
“Ice Worlds” – Photography - BBC Planet EarthPlanet Earth (TV series)Planet Earth is a 2006 television series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit. Five years in the making, it was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, and also the first to be filmed in high definition...
“Shallow Seas” – Photography - Disney Nature “Earth” (2007) - Photography
- BBC Life “Challenges of Life” – Photography
- BBC Life “Fish” – Photography
- BBC Life “Creatures of the Deep” – Photography
- BBC Life “Reptiles” – Photography
- BBC "Frozen Planet" "To The Ends Of The Earth" - Photography
- BBC "Frozen Planet" "Summer" - Photography
- BBC "Frozen Planet" "Autumn" - Photography
- BBC "Frozen Planet" "Winter" - Photography
- BBC "Frozen Planet" "The Last Frontier" - Photography
Anderson has also appeared in several “camera diaries” including:
- BBC The Blue Planet “Open Ocean” Making Of: Diver filming Sei Whale on baitball
- BBC Planet Earth “Ocean Deep” Making of: Expedition to the Bahamas to film Oceanic White tip sharks]
- BBC Life “Fish” Making of: Expedition to Tobago to film Flying Fish
- BBC "Frozen Planet" "Summer" Making of: Expidition to Antarctic to film Killer Whales hunting Weddel Seals.
Awards
- 2010 Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Primetime Emmy Awards. Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming: BBC Life “Challenges of Life”.
- 2010 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival - Cinematography: BBC 'Life “Challenges of Life”.