Pooja Rathod, a former marine biologist turned wildlife cinematographer, has garnered acclaim for her stunning visuals spanning diverse landscapes, from mountaintops to coral reefs. Her work has been showcased in natural history documentaries featured on major platforms such as Disney+, National Geographic, BBC, Animal Planet, and Discovery channels.
Pooja's notable credits include episodes of "Into the Wild: India" (2018-2019), "Wild Edens: South Asia" (2019), and the theatrically released "Wild Karnataka" (2020), narrated by the iconic Sir David Attenborough. In 2023, she both produced and directed the short film "Belonging," which earned a spot in the National Geographic Short Film Showcase. Additionally, Pooja served as the director of photography for the Asia episode of the Emmy-nominated and Critics Choice award-winning documentary "Secrets of the Elephants.
She continues to make significant contributions to the world of wildlife cinematography and conservation through her remarkable visual storytelling and has recently been included in BAFTA’s Breakthrough list.
In an interview with Asian Voice, she talks about her inspiration, work and challenges.
What initially drew you to wildlife cinematography, and how would you describe your approach to the craft?
As a marine biologist, one of my jobs was to follow parrotfish, record their feeding behaviours and later watch those many hours of footage and analyse the data. I knew then that I enjoyed watching animals, being in their company and visually telling their stories to the world. So, I moved on from research to filming wildlife for there are so many amazing things that animals do and so many amazing stories about them to share.
I love the fact that you can rarely plan a wildlife scene and how challenging that can be for a camera operator on the field. You always have to be vigilant, keeping an eye out for behaviour, being patient, acting instantly in the moment, understanding light and positioning yourself to create beautiful imagery. You barely have time to think when the action actually happens and that’s the whole fun of it. That it is so instinctive.
What have been some key milestones in your career so far?
Getting the National Geographic Explorers grant to make my very first film was definitely an important point in my career. That opened many doors for me, one of which was attending the Wildscreen festival in Bristol and winning the Wild Pitch award to begin work on my next film. Also, filming for projects like the Emmy nominated ’Secrets of the elephants’ (National Geographic) and ‘Tigers on the Rise’ (DisneyNature, coming 2024). You get to work closely with and learn from senior producers in developing stories and capturing animal behaviour in challenging situations.
What challenges have you faced, specifically as a female cinematographer? How do you perceive the current state of inclusivity for women in cinematography, and what changes would you like to see?
Challenges are in every field, both for men and women. To be honest, I feel amazing being a female cinematographer, because somewhere I think I’m silently defying the notion that the natural history world is cut out for men - because it involves a lot of roughing it out, toughening up and being physically strong to carry around heavy equipment.
I do believe that there are very few women in wildlife cinematography globally and that is concerning. It has been the nature of the industry to prefer men for this job but I do see this changing, albeit slowly. Today more and more companies are having a dialogue about inclusivity and I believe that can be encouraging for people to start considering this as a career option. We have a long way ahead but at least there’s a start.
How does it feel to be recognised for your work by such a prestigious institution? Can you share your initial reaction when you found out about your inclusion?
It is an absolute privilege to be selected for BAFTA Breakthrough. Coming from the natural history world and not mainstream cinema, I wasn’t expecting it and I’m very excited to make the most of all the opportunities BAFTA has to offer. I’m hoping to network with industry professionals to explore and develop ideas of people and wildlife stories in mainstream cinema. There is a huge disconnect between people and nature, and films have the power to bridge that gap, inspire, change minds and make people care, which I believe is the need of the hour.
For aspiring cinematographers, particularly women looking to enter the field, what advice would you offer based on your own experiences?
I was lucky to be trained as a wildlife biologist before I became a cinematographer and that has been one of my strongest suits.
I would advise others to learn about your subject as much as you can, before rushing to hold the camera. Spend time outdoors and read. I can’t emphasise how much reading stories, or animal behaviour books help you on the field. If you don’t know your subject well, you will miss out on stories that might be unfolding in front of you.
Practise with your gear wherever you are. It could be tracking your dog/cat at home and trying to maintain focus. Muscle memory with your focus pulling is essential in cinematography. Try editing your own footage. Editing always helps you learn what shots you need to cut a sequence and hence what you may have missed.
Watch lots of movies. Work on being physically strong and fit. You’re going to need it and have fun.
