Bornean elephant juvenile, no more than 3ft tall.
Asia
Series: Asia
Episode: Episode 4 — “Tangled Worlds” (Bornean elephant forest & palm oil sequence).
Production company: BBC Studios Natural History Unit
Broadcaster (UK): BBC One.
Role: Director of Photography — Bornean elephant sequence (forest, river-crossing, palm oil).
Awards (series): 2 nominations at the 77th Primetime Emmys (2025)
As DoP on BBC Asia (Episode 4: Tangled Worlds), I filmed Bornean elephants in Sabah where rainforest meets palm-oil estates. We worked behaviour-first in natural light, combining stabilised long-lens from boats and 4×4 hard-mounts with gimbal work inside the forest. To minimise disturbance I dressed in camouflage and pre-planned likely routes, wind and entry points so we were in position before the herd arrived. In plantations—where elephants are more on edge—we increased standoff distance, switching to longer lenses and discreet remote cameras to keep the encounter calm while still capturing intimate behaviour.
