Robin Fisher | Wildlife Filmmaker & Photographer | Diver | UK
Robin is a natural history filmmaker who recently graduated with an MA in Directing and Producing Science Natural History at the National Film & Television School (NFTS). Most recently, he had his student film about Kingfishers feature on BBC Springwatch and the film “The Halcyon Days” won the Best Newcomer Award at the 2023 Greenscreen Festival.
During his time studying at the NFTS, Robin's focus has been on camerawork. He filmed an award-winning film about a wildlife artist and blue sharks in the UK, titled Painted Blue. His deep passion for sharks has taken him to work as a tour guide/videographer, where he takes people to swim with blue sharks in Cornwall, UK.
Robin says that sharks are shrouded in negativity by the media and so he hopes to do what he can to change this through imagery and storytelling!
When did you first start your storytelling journey?
I started getting a lot more into photography and filmmaking whilst studying Zoology in Cornwall and getting immersed in the ocean about 7 or 8 years ago.
What path did you choose after school?
I worked a bit for a Bed & Breakfast and then volunteered on a shark diving boat in South Africa. This is when I knew I wanted to work with sharks and the underwater world. I then studied Zoology focussing on Marine Biology in Cornwall.
What are the fondest memories from your upbringing that you feel impacted your life choices and lifestyle today?
Tough question. I guess it was any family holiday we went on that involved adventure and seeing the ocean.
I remember a family trip to Portugal and just seeing the most beautiful, corduroy lines of powerful waves coming toward the cliff and being mesmerised by their beauty. Then I remember also the first time I gazed into a Mediterranean reef in crystal clear visibility and also being transfixed.
I also always had a deep fascination with animals and always wanted to get close to them, I wrestled (and lost) with a monitor lizard when I was eight and got chased by a sea lion when I was four! But I guess it wasn't until I was older that I gained a much deeper, introspective appreciation for nature and started to take it less for granted.
It's also when I noticed we have an abundance of beautiful wildlife and nature stories right here on our doorstep. I guess it is this appreciation I want to convey to others.
What/who currently inspires you?
Loads of people. Anyone doing what they can to help others and the nature around them, in a humble, non-showy way. It gives me hope that I can do the same and keep focussed on trying to do good rather than doing things for ego.
What would you most like to change in the world/environment today?
For people to stop for a moment, look up at the sky or down at the ground and just appreciate the surrounding animals, see them and hear them, going about their lives often unnoticed, literally right beside us.
I think if we could all realise the beauty and importance of the natural world, beyond being a resource, then the way we treat it would be fundamentally different.
Are there any books/documentaries that have guided your thinking, and that you'd like to recommend to other ocean lovers?
Sharkwater Extinction, Blackfish, The Cove, The Territory, All that Breathes, Wildcat, too many others.
What legacy do you hope to leave?
I hope to still have a somewhat healthy ocean with all of the charismatic (and not so charismatic) shark species still thriving in it.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to follow their dreams as an Ocean Storyteller?
Look locally and start small. You don't have to travel to an exotic far-flung place, you can do something right on your doorstep.
Instagram: @rfisher_photography_
