Katie Wardle
Katie Wardle is a cinematographer who has been working in the industry now for nearly a decade. Coming from a drama background she has tried to bring lighting, technology and cinematic approaches she learnt over to natural history. She has worked on many wildlife series and feature films for the likes of Disney, National Geographic, BBC, ITV, Sky and Netflix. She honed her Long lens specialism whilst completing her Silverback Bursary and has shot several full behavioural sequences for them and the BBC. Katie is a qualified Commercial Diver and is often hired when a sequence entails a percentage of underwater elements. She has a valid IVISA, Part 107 and GVC drone license. Katie loves working with technical kits and has shot Longlens sequences in IR, UV, thermal, at height and with 3D side-by-side rigs. Katie has worked across the globe in deserts, jungles, and at altitude, as well as a notable 8-month stint shooting on the subantarctic Marion Island. A keen conservationist and activist Katie found her way into this industry making her Natural history films through Buddha and the Whale. She continues to push conservation and science storytelling with her work and actively seeks series that want to push this narrative. You can spot her behind the scenes on 'Steve Backshall's Kyrgyzstan: Expedition Mountain Ghost' 2021, Countryfile 2024, and soon-to-be-released BBC Parenthood BTS.
Katie Wardle - wildlife cinematographer
selected work
Parenthood BBC 2023
I worked a Year on this series with Silverback as their Bursary Operator. I shot multiple main camera sequences mostly long lens including in Hides, at height, Thermal Selex and IR as well as Underwater sequences, Macro and location studio set ups.
A year on Planet Earth ITV 2022
I worked 8 months as second camera on the sub-antarctic island Marion to shoot the year in the life of a penguin. A Then went out to Trinidad as the underwater and second operator to shoot Leatherback nesting.
Expedition with Steve Backshall 2021
I was the Natural history operator on the Presenter led series shooting long lens and Selex Super-hawk at night in the search for snow Leopards. This was a horse back camping expedition at altitude.
skills list
3D, Adventure Filming, Aerial, Animal Behaviour, Blackmagic cameras, Blue & Green Screen Filming, Cable Dolly, Camera Traps, Canopy Access filming, Data Wrangling and workflow, Canon Cameras, Digital Editing (Avid, Final Cut etc), Diving Qualifications, Microscopy, Diving Supervision, Drone Operator, Expedition, Extreme Environments, Field Craft, First Aid Qualifications, Gimbal Filming (Ronin etc.), Hand Held Filming, Hide Work, Slow motion (Phantom Cameras), Image Intensifiers and high sensitivity cameras, IRATA Rope Access Qualifications, Jib and Dolly, Long Lens, Low Light, Lumix Cameras, Macro Studio, Macro Location, Motion Control, Night Filming, Observational Documentary, Panasonic Cameras, Phantom Cameras, Periscopes, Platform work, Time Lapse, Remotely Operated Cameras, Red Cameras, Selex Camera (Thermal Imaging), Set Building, Sony Cameras, Sound Recording, Sync and Crew Filming, Thermal Imaging, Time Slice, Underwater Filming, Working at Height
contact - Katie Wardle