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Loch and roll Wildlife in her native Scotland one day, football the next and as comfortable in front of the camera as behind it, Libby Penman refuses to stay in one lane
ind your niche, become brilliant at it and make sure everybody
knows exactly what you do. That’s the traditional career advice for filmmakers, but Libby Penman has taken a slightly different route. The creative Scottish filmmaker might be behind a long lens waiting patiently for wildlife one day, shooting fast-moving sport the next or directing a documentary, editing, creating online content or stepping around the other side of the camera to present. “I don’t think the traditional advice of ‘picking a lane’ and only focusing on that works any more,” she says. “As the industry has dramatically changed and budgets are smaller and everyone wants more for less, I now think being multi-skilled couldn’t be more beneficial.” It’s an approach that’s paying off. Penman was named Scottish Influencer of the Year in 2026 and took the Royal Television Society Scotland award for On- Screen Personality. Her broadcast credits include Springwatch and Winterwatch , while as a shooting producer/director she has worked across documentary, sport, travel and children’s wildlife programming. She has filmed personalities including Andy Murray, Rob Rinder and Monica Galetti, self-shot and directed a 20-episode BBC children’s wildlife series in Kenya and worked on a BBC sports documentary in New York with her identical twin sister Pip. She is also an accomplished long-lens cinematographer whose wildlife footage has been narrated by Sir David Attenborough. Online, her nature and camera-themed content has amassed millions of views. For Penman, these aren’t separate careers but are all part of being a modern filmmaker. “Self-sufficiency is one of the best feelings in filmmaking, or any creative industry, when you’re a small operation,” she says. “If filmmaking is your passion, it’s a good time to go for it and work in different genres and different roles. It all helps.” Wild beginnings Penman’s ability to follow unpredictable subjects didn’t start with wildlife. Growing up in Fife, she fell in love with skateboarding, BMX and rollerblading and began filmmaking by pointing a camera at Pip performing tricks at their local skatepark.
Tweet spot Libby Penman excels both behind and in front of the lens but is never happier than when outdoors filming
After studying film and completing a master’s in wildlife documentary production, Penman gradually turned her passion for the outdoors into a career. It has since taken her from Scotland’s mountains, caves and lochs to Africa, Alaska and New York – and from solitary wildlife shoots to major broadcast productions.
“I found that I had the skillset to film animals because you’re following fast- moving subjects and it requires a lot of patience,” she explains. “When someone’s not landing the trick, you might have to do a few takes – and it’s the same with wildlife. The animal doesn’t just come up and do what you want it to do.”
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November/December 2026
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