James Aldred, cameraman and writer

James Aldred, cameraman and writer

From Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

May 3, 2026 · 54 min

About this episode

James Aldred discusses his experiences as a wildlife cameraman and his books on nature.

James Aldred is an Emmy award-winning documentary wildlife cameraman and filmmaker who has collaborated with David Attenborough on projects such Planet Earth, The Life of Mammals and Our Planet. He often finds himself suspended from ropes or on platforms high up in the rainforest canopy, capturing shots of rarely-seen animals and birds, including orangutans, gibbons and eagles. He recalled some of his treetop adventures - and the many dangers he’s faced - in his first book, The Man Who Climbs Trees. His second, Goshawk Summer, detailed his experience of filming a family of goshawks in the New Forest during lockdown. It went on to win the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing. His most recent book, A Wagon in the Woods, returns to the New Forest and is about his painstaking restoration of an old horse-drawn wagon he once played in as a child. James picks music by Borodin, Wagner, Mahler, Bach and John Barry.

People in this episode

Guest: James Aldred

Topics covered

  • wildlife filmmaking
  • nature writing
  • documentary
  • adventure
  • music selection

Keywords

  • wildlife
  • cameraman
  • documentary
  • nature writing
  • adventure
  • books
  • music

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Man Who Climbs Trees, Goshawk Summer, A Wagon in the Woods, Planet Earth, The Life of Mammals, Our Planet

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