"You've just got to enjoy the journey," says Rob Taylor, on his career as an adventure directory of photography (DoP).
That might be easier for him to say than for many - because so far his journey has involved living in hammocks in the Guyanese jungle, jumping out of helicopters onto the summit of mountains and chasing animal poachers along Amazonian backwaters.
In this session, Rob tells Tom Hutchings, executive producer at Shine TV, how he combined his passions for photography and the outdoors to become an adventure DoP. He says it’s a great job for someone who isn’t good at spelling and who likes keeping fit.
“You never feel you’ve ‘made it’," he says. "You don’t get to a point and think,’ brilliant, I’m a success.’...You’ve just got to enjoy the journey.”
About Rob Taylor
Rob Taylor is a DoP for specialist factual, wildlife, science and adventure television. He has worked on Sport Relief - The Heat is On (BBC1), Bear Vs Shark for Shark Week (Discovery), The Heist (Sky One), Sink or Swim (Channel 4), Kilimanjaro - The Bigger Red Nose Climb (BBC1), Expedition Mungo (Animal Planet), Monster Fish (Nat Geo Wild) and Running Wild With Bear Grylls (Nat Geo).
About the event
This is a recording of an online event that took place on 11 August 2020. It was supported by the ScreenSkills Television Skills Fund which invests in training for the freelance television workforce thanks to contributions from the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5. It’s part of a ScreenSkills programme managed by the Indie Training Fund to support freelancers to upskill and stay connected, helping keep the industry resilient during the coronavirus pandemic.
Further careers information
If you want to know more about becoming a DoP, you might be interested in:
- camera operator (unscripted TV)
- director of photography (film and TV drama)