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Lex Jones

@lexwildlife

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šŸŽ„ Emmy award winning wildlife cameraman
šŸ“ŗ Nat Geo | Disney+ | Apple | BBC | Netflix
āž”ļø Tips, stories, and life behind the lens
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I never went to film school. Somehow, I ended up becoming an Emmy-winning wildlife cinematographer. šŸŽ„šŸ˜ For the past 15 years, Iā€™ve worked as a professional wildlife filmmaker on productions for Disney, National Geographic, BBC, Netflix and Apple TV, filming everything from tiny insects to some of the worldā€™s most iconic wildlife. I learned wildlife filmmaking the hard way: years in the field, plenty of mistakes, and slowly figuring out what actually works. Thatā€™s a big part of why I created the Lex Jones Wildlife Film Academy. I wanted to build the wildlife filmmaking resource I wish I had when I was starting out, covering the practical skills, fieldcraft and industry knowledge you need to make better wildlife films, and ultimately pursue wildlife filmmaking professionally. So, if you want to learn how to become a professional wildlife filmmaker, improve your wildlife cinematography, or turn a passion for wildlife and cameras into a career and finally break in, youā€™re in the right place. Welcome! šŸ‘‹ Follow along, and check out the link in my bio to learn more about the Academy. taken in Puerto Viejo, Limon, Costa Rica by @lexwildlife
56
24 days ago
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Sometimes ā€œright place, right timeā€ takes four days and a bit of preparation! I knew this was a regular perch for a jacamar bird that regularly catches blue morpho butterflies, so I set up and waited. I didnā€™t have to wait long, but getting the sequence was harder than I expected. Jacamars are SO fast, and when the action finally happens youā€™ve got just a fraction of a second to get it right. Thatā€™s why I used a camera that can shoot 1,000 fps and Iā€™m quite happy with how it turned out in the end though. What do you think? There are only a few weeks to go until I launch the Lex Jones Wildlife Film Academy - this is where Iā€™ll be teaching everything Iā€™ve learned about filming wildlife after 15 years working on some of the worldā€™s biggest wildlife productions. If you want to learn how to get shots like this and how to get paid for it, hit the link in my bio to join the list and get early-access pricing when we launch. taken in Puerto Viejo, Limon, Costa Rica by @lexwildlife
188
14 days ago
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Iā€™m not sharing this to put you off a career in wildlife filmmakingā€¦ actually itā€™s quite the opposite! I want this industry to be easier to understand, easier to navigate and more accessible to people trying to break into it. But for that to happen, we need to talk about the things nobody talks about. Money is a big one. Rates are still weirdly taboo in this industry. People will ask you to work for free or to use your footage for free. Theyā€™ll offer you far less than your work is worth and hope youā€™ll say yes because you want the credit or the opportunity. And itā€™s not just camera operators. It happens at every levelā€¦ researchers, scientists, conservation organisations and lots of others who make wildlife productions possible. Thereā€™s also an incentive within productions to keep costs as low as possible. Production managers receive bonuses for coming in under budget, so negotiating rates is part of the business. You need to understand how the industry works, know what your time and skills are worth, and know when to say no. And thatā€™s just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many things about this industry that nobody tells you until youā€™re on the inside figuring them out for yourself. I donā€™t think that knowledge should be a closely guarded secret, so Iā€™ve spent the last 12 months putting everything Iā€™ve learned over 15 years in the wildlife film industry into the resource I wish Iā€™d had when I was starting out. The Wildlife Film Academy is launching very soon. If you want to improve your camera skills or build a career filming wildlife (and understand the industry behind the camera too) join the early access list through the link in my bio for a lower launch price. taken in Bristol, England by @lexwildlife
28
16 days ago
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Watch until the end to find out who this little egg becomesā€¦! Capturing this sequence was challenging on a whole new level. Iā€™m pretty sure this is the first time a time lapse of a blue morpho butterfly egg forming has ever been captured professionallyā€¦ and now I know why šŸ¤Æ The timelapse alone took four days after finding the right one. I built the setup inside my closet so I could completely control the lighting and itā€™s environment. With many caterpillar species you can spot signs that theyā€™re getting ready to hatch. With these guys though there was no warning. You waitā€¦ and waitā€¦ and then suddenly they start popping out one by one. You basically have to be ready and get lucky. Getting this entire sequence took me around two weeks of filming, all day, every day. If you want to learn how I capture shots like this, including the timelapse techniques and tricks I use in professional wildlife filmmaking, Iā€™ll be sharing everything we use on the inside of the wildlife film industry in the Lex Jones Wildlife Film Academy. Coming soon - link in bio for early-access pricing. taken in Puerto Viejo, Limon, Costa Rica by @lexwildlife
54
18 days ago
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I spotted this hummingbird perched just above eye level here in Costa Ricaā€¦ so naturally the only solution was to climb onto the fence so I could get the camera exactly where I wanted it. Getting eye level with wildlife can completely transform an image. Instead of looking up or down at an animal, youā€™re suddenly pulled into its world. If youā€™re interested in getting into professional wildlife filmmaking, the Lex Jones Wildlife Film Academy is coming soon. Check out the link in my bio to learn more and get early access! by @lexwildlife
6
22 days ago
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Donā€™t get me wrong, I love filming lions and elephants too, but Iā€™m always on the lookout for the smaller characters as well! When we drove past this chameleon crossing the road in Zimbabwe I couldnā€™t resist getting down to eye level with him. Chameleons rock backwards and forwards like this to mimic the movement of leaves and branches in the wind, helping them blend into their surroundings and avoid being spotted by predators. Learning to notice moments like this and knowing how to turn them into a shot or a sequence is a big part of wildlife filmmaking. If you want to learn more about filming wildlife or breaking into the wildlife film industry, the Lex Jones Wildlife Film Academy is coming soon. Check out the link in my bio to learn more and get early access! by @lexwildlife
29
a month ago
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Iā€™ve loved bugs for as long as I can remember (which didnā€™t exactly make me the most popular kid at school)! I was forever getting into trouble in the garden catching insects, snakes and bees. Iā€™d somehow figured out a way of catching bees without getting stung, and thought it was hilarious to run up to my parents and release handfuls of them. I collected insects and for years was convinced I was going to grow up to be an entomologist. I never did grow out of that obsession, I just found a different way to turn it into a career. Now I get to photograph and film these animals and share a glimpse into the magical little world of macro that most people walk past without ever noticing! If you love the natural world and want to learn how to film wildlife or break into the wildlife film industry, Iā€™ve got something very special coming soon. Check out the link in my bio to find out more! by @lexwildlife
28
a month ago
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What youā€™re seeing here is the very end of a long process of me slowly sneaking closer and closer to this black-cheeked woodpecker as it hollowed out a cavity in a dead tree for a nest here in Costa Rica. Iā€™m learning the birds circle of trust. You start far away and gradually move closer, always watching the animal rather than worrying about the shot. The moment you notice any change in behaviour because of your presence, youā€™ve gone too far. Back off. Itā€™s a rule I always stick to when filming wildlife. If the animal changes its behaviour because of you then youā€™re too close. That circle of trust might be quite big when you first arrive. But if youā€™re patient the animal can gradually learn that you arenā€™t a threat. The circle gets smaller and thatā€™s when you can start getting shots like these. If you want to learn more about how I approach and film wild animals, Iā€™ll soon be launching the Lex Jones Wildlife Film Academy where Iā€™ll be teaching everything Iā€™ve learned from 15+ years of doing this professionally. More coming very soon - check out the link in bio for early access! taken in Puerto Viejo, Limon, Costa Rica by @lexwildlife
13
a month ago
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How I like to spend my Friday night! taken in Puerto Viejo, Limon, Costa Rica by @lexwildlife
5
a month ago
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Patience. I literally have it tattooed on my arm! Thereā€™s nothing quite like spending 12+ hours sitting in a stuffy hide in the jungle waiting for a very shy hummingbird to come and feed her babies. She would fly in, feed them, and then disappear again. Getting enough footage to build a full sequence took weeks. Worth it though! My Wildlife Film Academy is launching soon. If you want to learn the tips and tricks behind getting great wildlife footage (while always putting the animal first) come and join me! Link in bio šŸŽ„ taken in Puerto Viejo, Limon, Costa Rica by @lexwildlife
13
a month ago
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This was a tough one. Hermit hummingbirds are very skittish, but when I found this tiny nest in the jungle I knew immediately that I wanted to film it. I set myself up what I thought was a safe distance away, hidden in the undergrowth, and waited. And waitedā€¦ Mom didnā€™t come back. I was silent, well hidden and quite far from the nest, but eventually I started wondering whether I was the reason she wasnā€™t returning. With eggs in the nest, it wasnā€™t worth the risk. So I packed everything up and left. A few days later, I came back with a different plan. I placed a hide about 20 feet from the nest and left it there for several days so she could get used to it. Then, little by little, I moved it closer. Another dayā€¦ a little closer. Eventually, it was close enough to film from. I climbed inside and waited. It worked! She came straight back to the nest and carried on completely unaware that I was there. Then there was the next problem - light. This was deep rainforest, and by about 3pm it was already too dark to film. So every day I only had a small window to get the shots I needed. It took weeks of patience but I got to watch those little eggs hatch, the chicks grow, and eventually the nest was empty. I missed them actually fledging, but thatā€™s wildlife filmmaking. You can do everything right and still miss the moment. Maybe next time! If you want to learn how to film wildlife like this, Iā€™m putting everything Iā€™ve learned over my career into the Lex Jones Wildlife Film Academy. Itā€™s coming soon - link in bio for early access! taken in Puerto Viejo, Limon, Costa Rica by @lexwildlife
27
a month ago
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Love birds? We areā€¦ N U T S A B O U T B I R D S C O N T E N T: Red-capped manakin (Ceratopipra mentalis) L O C A T I O N: Costa Rica šŸ‡ØšŸ‡· PHOTOGRAPHER: @lexwildlife āœØPosted by @cgarley13 NAB hub Owner Caroline @cowpi32 #nuts_about_birds Personal Tag #lexwildlife_nab Bird Tag #redcappedmanakin_nab The NAB team: @mollyfoxzhu @kalebfriendphotographyā£ @naturebyomar @lookingbackonearth @krista_c_photography @smichalec #costaricabirds #redcappedmanakincostarica taken in Costa Rica by @lexwildlife
94
a month ago
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