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Capturing the best of nature through his lens

Madly in love with adventure, cinematographer Doug Allan talks about his passion, experiences and concerns with Lakshmi B. Ghosh...

You could call Doug Allan the modern world's eye to the `blue planet'. A man madly in love with adventure, this cinematographer has for nearly 35 years now captured the best of nature through his lens, rarely passing a sunset without feeling a twitch in his hands and never needing to think twice before diving into freezing cold water to look for a world few have seen or explored.

From bringing the first footage of killer whales attacking blue whales or a polar bear catching a beluga whale in a frozen hole or his shots of the emperor penguins, Doug is a man who has seen the Arctic and Antarctic in a way few have.

In the Capital recently to conduct a workshop on underwater filming at the Vatavaran Environment and Wildlife Film Festival, Doug admits he doesn't quite like to be away from work for long. "I don't think I can go anywhere without a camera. I have been taking pictures for 35 years now and I would feel terrible if I did not have my camera when I see a good photo opportunity. I am aware of light all the time and often think, Oh! this would have been a good shot or this place has great light," he notes.

A graduate in marine Biology from Stirling University, Doug realised rather early on that diving was what he wanted to do. From finding freshwater pearls to underwater video work and rebuilding canals, Doug went on to assist biological expeditions on the Red Sea and run the Bouley Bay underwater centre in Chanel Islands.

"I enjoy living in a world where you are aware of light and shadow. And yes I love underwater. When you are on the surface you can try to hide from animals, but underwater you have to see the animal to be able to capture it. And so it is much more challenging," reveals Doug.

His romance with Antarctic began in 1976 when he was called to work as a research diver on the British Antarctic Survey Station at Signy Island in the South Orkneys. An affair with ice that is still going strong, capturing a world so rarely seen was only part of the excitement for Doug. As he puts it, a positive interaction with an animal, can be the most satisfying experience of one's life. "The most important part I think is interacting well with animals. It is like meeting a child for the first time. The way you walk to a child or talk to it will often make them decide on whether they want to be friends with you. They know if you are faking it," reveals Doug.

Fear may have rarely been an emotion he felt while capturing giant animals, but Doug says it is all about understanding animals and how they live. "Most mammals have a character of their own and varying mood swings. It is really a gift to know that and if you don't have that gift you won't know the difference. You can develop with experience though." Wildlife filming is not a job that can be taken up by people not passionate enough to take a few risks. And Doug admits it is easy for him because it is about all the things he loves.

His exclusive shots may have won him innumerable awards, but just like the good times, there were bad times too. "I was once on the water surface after a shoot, when I felt something tighten its grasp around my thighs and legs. I turned and saw a walrus right under my arms with its tusks right above my leg. My first reaction was to hit on the head. I think it got scared or surprised and immediately left. The next minute we were both swimming in opposite directions. That was a really close call," he remembers with a smile.

He may feel lucky because people come to him with work, but even for a cinematographer who always good at finding the rare shots, things are not looking very bright.

"Global climate change is causing thinning of ice in the Arctic and Antarctic. This will affect the seal population which in turn will affect the polar bear population as they are completely dependent on them for their survival. We have to keep trying and galvanise public and political support," believes Doug. And considering it comes from a man who knows what the world will miss, perhaps not without reason.

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