Meet Erin Ranney, a wildlife cinematographer whose work spans the remote landscapes of Alaska, Washington state, and the Falkland Islands. With a background in wildlife ecology and documentary production, Erin’s career has taken her from the rainforests of Madagascar to the depths of the ocean aboard exploration vessels like Nautilus. As a sought-after cinematographer for prestigious networks including BBC, PBS, and National Geographic, Erin’s expertise shines through in her latest projects, the self-funded My Alaskan Journey, and the eagerly anticipated National Geographic/Disney+ series Queens, which premiered in early March 2024.

WMJ: Tell us about your childhood and how it shaped way you view the world?

I was born in Alaska and we moved down to Washington state when I was in school to be on my mom’s family’s tree farm. We continued to spend summers in Alaska fishing. It was the best of both worlds – a big forest to play in and coastal beaches to explore. I learned about the natural world through the lenses of tree farmers, Alaska bush pilots, and commercial fishermen. Being in these environments taught me valuable outdoor skills and how to communicate about conservation with diverse groups of people. I absorbed so much knowledge from many talented teachers and skilled outdoorsmen / women. I’ll forever be grateful for the lessons I had growing up and wouldn’t be where I am today without those places and people. 

“I learned about the natural world through the lenses of tree farmers, Alaska bush pilots, and commercial fishermen. Being in these environments taught me valuable outdoor skills and how to communicate about conservation with diverse groups of people.”

Erin Ranney
Wildlife Cinematographer

WMJ: Share about your career journey thus far. How did you become a wildlife cinematographer? What were some key steps along the way?

I actually didn’t realize being a wildlife cinematographer was a job until I was in college! I had originally started pre-veterinarian school and switched to studying wildlife ecology and natural resources. I applied to two masters programs in the UK, was rejected from University of West England, and ended up going to the University of Salford’s Program in Wildlife Documentary Production. Immediately after graduating, I attended Jackson Wild and met my first mentor – Mark Emery. I spent a couple years assisting him in Alaska and Florida. (We both had a connection to Bristol Bay, where I fish, and he and his wife spend summers.) While assisting, I kept fishing and doing other seasonal work in Alaska. I eventually bought my own RED camera to learn on. (I had full scholarships for university, so had managed to save all my fishing money to pay for my masters and the camera, etc). I shot non-stop in my free time and continued assisting, eventually selling some stock on the side and working as a camerawoman on shoots. In 2019, I used all my savings and took six months off to film my own project. It was amazing to spend every single day filming in remote Alaska. I learned so much! I got the job filming on Queens two days after getting off that project in an interview at Jackson Wild. 

WMJ: How has mentorship shaped your career path and why is it valuable? What key lessons have you gained from your mentors that have significantly contributed to your professional development?

Mentorship is a huge reason why I’ve been able to get to where I am. Giving someone your time and knowledge are some of the greatest gifts you can offer.  I’ve had several amazing mentors in the industry who stepped up, shared their experiences, and helped me learn and grow. When I was an intern on the Nautilus, my boss (who I would consider a great mentor) asked me to promise him I’d always “lift as I climbed.” That became a huge part of who I am now and how I work. 

WMJ: What is an early project you are proud of and why? What did you learn from it and how have you improved since then?

The BBC Natural World we did in Florida was one I’m still very proud of, as it’s the first film I was hired as a main camera person on. I think my personal project (My Alaskan Journey) is one I look at and see so much I would do differently, but I’m so proud that I completed it. I’ve learned a lot since these projects and it’s amazing to look back and see how much my shooting has changed just in a few years. Both really showed me that I could do it and that I was good enough. My personal project came at the perfect time, as I had been on a rough shoot before it and I needed to gain that confidence back. Each challenge it presented gave me a chance to grow and make mistakes without being scared of failure. 

WMJ: We are so excited to see your most recent work! Where can we learn more?

• My Alaskan Journey – This is a personal project that I self-funded. I spent six months in remote Alaska following the stories of places my grandma, dad, and uncle had spent time in. It was a huge lesson on climate change and how things are shifting. 
• Queens – I worked on four episodes in this series over almost 3 years. I can’t say too much yet but I’m really looking forward to people seeing this series, which premiered on March 4th. (Watch now on Disney+!)
• Incredible Animal Journeys – For this NatGeo series, I was on a shoot in the Arctic. We took a helicopter into the mountains to film caribou and wolves. It was a very chilly shoot (sometimes -40 or lower) while we camped in the mountains. 

WMJ: Tell me more about the recent workshop you organized on the Olympic Peninsula for wildlife camerawomen!

I put together this workshop with the Wildlife Camerawoman Community because I really wanted people from outside of Bristol (a global hub for wildlife filmmaking) to have the opportunity to meet up and work with industry standard gear. I also wanted to create a network of camerawomen that can work together to learn, grow, and share knowledge. It was a lot of work, but I think we can safely call it a success. It was just an idea I had and started contacting different people / companies to see if we could get support for it. I really wanted it to be as affordable and accessible as it could possibly be (we all know film festivals can be expensive and getting to Bristol is too). We had generous support from Wildstar Academy, Kuhl, Wildmotion, Sound Off Films, and RED Digital Cinema. I think my favorite memories were seeing the women getting on these RED cameras and realizing they could do it, they aren’t scary! We had another workshop meetup in LA in mid-February and are working on getting a South America trip together. 

WMJ: Any final thoughts? Hopes for the future of the industry?

I’m very hopeful for the future. I think there are a lot of people working hard to support a more diverse storytelling community. I’m really proud of how far so many of the members of our Wildlife Camerawomen Community have come in the last couple of years and I think you’ll start seeing more and more of them in the credits soon!

🐾 Follow Erin’s journey, check out her website and follow on Instagram @e.ranney

📢 Learn more about Erin’s favorite environmental campaigns at United Tribes of Bristol Bay and Defend Yakutat.