A Life in the Wild

Simon King traces a lifelong journey in natural history storytelling, from a childhood spark to fieldwork with cheetahs, snakes, great white sharks, and orcas, sharing the lessons that shaped his craft and the choices that keep viewers close to the action while keeping wildlife first.

For more than 45 years, Simon King has made natural history documentaries and still photographs that bring audiences face to face with the wild. In this image rich talk he charts the beginnings of that path, starting at the age of ten, and revisits defining encounters, including an attack by a rabid cheetah and close work around venomous snakes, great white sharks, and orcas. He explains how shifts in filmmaking style, camera systems, and field workflows have changed his approach on location, and shows where cinematography and still photography meet and diverge. Drawing on recent work from Solas Eilean exhibited at Xposure, he offers practical insights on ethics in the field, visual narrative structure, and the choices that turn raw behaviour into compelling, accurate stories.

What you will take away:
• Fieldcraft principles that improve safety, animal welfare, and image quality
• Practical methods for planning shots, building sequences, and shaping a story in the edit
• Clear comparisons between stills and moving image that inform equipment choices and workflow

Who this is for:
• Wildlife photographers, filmmakers, and conservation communicators seeking practical techniques
• Students, educators, and early career storytellers looking to understand professional standards
• Festival visitors who enjoy true stories from the field and want to learn how they are made