Skip to main content

About Peter Haken

I am a UK wildlife filmmaker, camera operator and photographer creating observational work around native species, rivers, wetlands and natural habitats.

My wildlife films are built through patient fieldwork, repeated visits and an understanding that natural behaviour cannot be forced. I work quietly, use long lenses where appropriate and allow the habitat to remain part of the story.

I am now developing this experience into conservation filmmaking for river trusts, wildlife charities and nature-recovery projects across the UK.

Wildlife filmmaker Peter Haken

Observation Before Interference

I am interested in real behaviour, changing light, natural sound and the relationship between wildlife and the landscape around it. Rather than treating an animal as an isolated subject, I look for the wider details that help explain where it lives and how it moves through that environment.

This approach requires time. A useful sequence may come from several visits, long periods of waiting and learning how a species responds to weather, season and human activity.

The result is work that feels grounded in the habitat rather than staged for the camera.

Wildlife filmmaker using a long-lens camera from a vehicle at sunset on the UK coast

Life Along Rivers, Canals and Wetlands

I live and work aboard a narrowboat, travelling through British waterways and spending extended periods close to rivers, canals, wetlands and waterside habitats.

This provides regular access to places that are often difficult to understand through a single visit. I can observe changes in water levels, vegetation, weather and wildlife activity as the seasons move on.

That access is particularly useful for projects involving river restoration, wetland recovery, chalk streams, canal habitats and the species connected to them.

A Return to Wildlife Filming

One of the moments that drew me back towards wildlife happened on Exmoor in 2018. I arrived before dawn with my Dalmatian, Delilah, and stopped in a field covered in fog.

While making tea in the dark, I heard the deep call of a red deer stag somewhere nearby. I could not see it clearly, but the sound, weather and atmosphere brought the landscape to life.

That experience reminded me that strong wildlife work is not only about recording a species. It is about being present long enough to capture the place, conditions and behaviour that make the encounter meaningful.

Wildlife Camera Work

Natural behaviour, habitat footage and species sequences for independent films, conservation productions and wider documentary projects.

Conservation Films

Film production for organisations working around rivers, wetlands, wildlife recovery and environmental restoration.

Photography and Short Content

Supporting photography and shorter edits for websites, reports, campaigns, funding updates and social media.

See the full range of conservation filmmaking services or learn more about wildlife camera work .

Discuss a Wildlife or Conservation Project

I work with organisations and production teams that need honest wildlife footage, clear environmental storytelling and a practical approach to filming outdoors.

Tell me about the habitat, species, project and audience, and I can recommend an appropriate production scope.

Discuss Your Project