Her official biography traces her path from Tanzania and Hugo van Lawick's Serengeti camp to BAFTA-winning work on The Hunt, Queens, and more than three decades in natural history filmmaking.
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ASC Wildlife Cinematographer
Sophie Darlington
United Kingdom
Sophie Darlington, ASC is a BAFTA-winning wildlife cinematographer and filmmaker who left Ireland at age nineteen and moved to Tanzania to chase a dream of wildlife filmmaking. She was one of a handful of female filmmakers working in the wild, and learned the craft in the Serengeti under Hugo van Lawick. Her work is known for emotional behavioural storytelling, light, and deep field knowledge. Sophie was one of the series directors of photography on National Geographic's Queens, joined the American Society of Cinematographers in 2025 as the first dedicated wildlife cinematographer, and is actively involved in mentoring, public speaking, and increasing diversity in wildlife filmmaking.
More about the author
The American Society of Cinematographers lists Sophie Darlington among its ASC members.
Source: American Society of Cinematographers →
Serengeti National Park, TanzaniaNewHolding the Door Open
From Ireland to Tanzania, from Hugo van Lawick's Serengeti camp to Queens and the ASC, Sophie Darlington reflects on access, mentorship, representation, and the responsibility to bring others in.
Sophie Darlington
Jul 23, 20265 min