Sophie Darlington

Sophie Darlington, ASC, is a wildlife cinematographer with a career spanning more than three decades, specializing in natural history filmmaking. Darlington has worked extensively on wildlife feature films and television, recognized for her use of light, understanding of animal behavior, and composition that supports narrative storytelling. She is experienced as a self-shooting director of photography and is known for her expertise in long lens cinematography, high-speed filming, and anticipating animal movements.

Raised in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Iran, Darlington traveled to East Africa at age 19, where she apprenticed under Emmy Award-winning cinematographer Hugo van Lawick. She learned the craft of wildlife filmmaking on the Serengeti Plains, becoming one of the few female filmmakers working in the field at the time. Since then, Darlington has filmed in remote locations worldwide, from the polar regions to Africa.

Darlington’s credits include feature films for Disney Nature, BBC Earth, and The Discovery Channel, such as "Penguins," "African Cats," "Bears," and "Enchanted Kingdom 3D." She has contributed to television series for BBC, Netflix, National Geographic, CBS, PBS, and The Discovery Channel, including "Dynasties I and II," "Our Planet," "The Hunt," "Planet Earth II," and "Life Story." "African Cats" documents animal life in the Masai Mara National Reserve, with the crew dedicating more than two years to filming wildlife and landscapes in detail.

Darlington’s work has received industry recognition, including a BAFTA for Cinematography for "The Hunt" and a Primetime Emmy for "Our Planet." She has also received the Dolby Cinematography Award at Wildscreen and the Environmental Media Award for Best Feature for "Bears." "Life Story" won Best Series at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival. Darlington was the first dedicated wildlife cinematographer invited to join the American Society of Cinematographers and is a member of the Academy for her contributions to motion pictures.

She served as a series director of photography on National Geographic’s "Queens," which explores female leadership in the animal kingdom. In addition to her cinematography, Darlington is involved in mentoring, public speaking, and promoting diversity in wildlife filmmaking. She is a member of the Illuminatrix collective of female cinematographers based in the United Kingdom and works internationally.