by Bristol-based cinematographer Henry Kirkwood
I’m a DoP & wildlife cinematographer crafting blue chip wildlife sequences for landmark BBC series, to conservation documentaries with a focus on character-led storytelling for broadcasters, NGOs, environmental organisations, and branded content.
I provide full production services, overseeing projects from concept through to final delivery. I frequently produce short films and mini-documentaries for independently funded NGOs and environmental organisations, guiding the process from storyboarding to filming and editing to ensure each film effectively delivers its intended message. I own and maintain my own equipment and editing software, enabling me to work largely solo and keep costs low for clients.
If you’d like to discuss a project, commission, or anything at all, I’d love to hear what you have in mind and talk it through in more detail!
BBC 1
RECENT WORK
BBC 1
For Winterwatch 2025, I shot and produced an archive-led sequence centred on my dad, Rupert Kirkwood, better known as “The Lone Kayaker.” The piece explores his solo wildlife encounters along the Devon and Cornwall coastline, with a particular focus on the extraordinary moments when Atlantic bluefin tuna were feeding right beside his kayak.
TBC (Under NDA)
I can’t say much on this right now, but I’m excited to reveal more in early 2027. For now I can share that the project is one of the most ambitious I’ve worked on! We’ve been experimenting with new techniques and equipment to reveal behaviour from animals you may have seen on TV… but never seen like this before!
For a sequence exploring the remarkable return of Atlantic bluefin tuna to UK waters after a 70-year absence, I worked as both a guide and camera operator for Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles. In addition to my on-site work, I also supplied archive material that was incorporated into the final edit (click image for link to video).
FILMS
While I make my living as a DoP and cinematographer on broadcast wildlife film, when I get the time, I work on my own personal projects which I produce for YouTube. These films are where I can create stories which highlight the incredible wildlife we have here in the UK. Film and TV is, in my opinion, the most powerful way to inspire people of all generations to care for and look after the country they live in.
This intimate footage of mother and newborn calf is thought to be the youngest Risso's dolphin ever filmed in the wild. The calf still shows sign of its foetal folds (creases along its body from being curled up in the womb), whilst its dorsal fin is yet to stiffen.
Atlantic bluefin tuna, Devon. These ocean giants sometimes come charging in just metres from the shore. Reaching up to 8 feet in length and tipping the scales at over 600kg, they’re fast, powerful, and not shy about making a splash when there’s garfish on the menu!
Overall Winner of Bird Photographer of the Year 2025 for my short film ‘Lord of the Skies’ in the video category! The sequence followed a pair of peregrine falcons nesting close to my home in Bristol and their struggles to raise their four recently hatched chicks.
PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD
For a sequence featured in Springwatch 2025, I filmed one-day-old goosander chicks riding on their mother’s back as she navigated a fast-flowing river. Using a long lens from a concealed riverside position, I captured these chicks fishing for themselves.
I filmed a dramatic sequence of Atlantic bluefin tuna hunting garfish off the coast of South Devon for a landmark BBC Natural History Documentary, set to air in October 2025. Using my own professional filming equipment, I captured the explosive surface strikes.
I’m currently producing a self-funded one-hour documentary on a pair of peregrine falcons I’ve been closely following near my home in Bristol. The project captures their intimate life cycle through the seasons, from territorial displays to the fledging of their young.
