Filming for nature conservation
As a young boy growing up in the UK I was fascinated by wildlife documentaries. They seemed so far away and exotic, something that was out of reach, almost unachievable. At the same time, they sparked a fire that has only increased in its intensity and led me to deeply experience nature and wildlife for myself. It has taken me on some incredible adventures to work in some amazing places.
The key is combining images that tell an engaging story, with words that open the door on the scene that is unfolding.
When this is achieved in an authentic, realistic way then the magic can happen. The viewer is transported into another world, one that is often seemingly unrelated to our modern lives.
It’s that ability to transport the viewer into the natural realm that’s so unique about wildlife filmmaking. This field of communication is still very new and exciting to me, and I’m far from being an expert filmmaker, but if our videos help to inspire just one person to go out into nature and experience it for themselves, then we will have done our job.
In the last few years I’ve had the honour of being involved in making wildlife documentaries and it’s enlightening to see the other side of the picture, so to speak. Most recently, I was given the opportunity to film with Nigel Marven for Animal Planet.
The film ‘Wild Guatemala with Nigel Marven’ aims to highlight the wonderful wildlife of the country and also the places you can go to witness it for yourself.
I filmed two scenes with Nigel in Laguna del Tigre National Park. Having worked there for over 5 years, it holds a special place in my heart.
One of our missions here at Indigo Expeditions is to inspire people to connect with nature.
While written words and photographs go a long way to achieving that goal, moving images and the live sounds of nature that accompany them have a way of giving the viewer permission to imagine they are there in the scene experiencing it in a very different – it can be almost tangible.
Being able to share Laguna del Tigre with a much wider audience than we can manage on our own was an amazing experience.
‘Wild Guatemala with Nigel Marven’ is due to air on Animal Planet in the early part of 2020 and it will showcase Guatemala as the amazing wildlife destination it truly is, and I hope it will inspire more people to explore this amazing country!
Photo credits: Andres Novales

Filming with Nigel Marven Animal Planet

Filming with Nigel Marven Animal Planet


Animal Planet’s Nigel Marven with Rowland Griffin at Yaxha after filming endangered reptiles and amphibians in Northern Guatemala.
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