---
name: "Martyn Colbeck"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/martyn-colbeck"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-17T18:53:36.411107+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Martyn Colbeck

Cinematographer.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q24806457, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1700426/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1346422

## Streaming the US now

- **Discovery+:** [*Planet Earth II*](https://film.one/tv/planet-earth-ii.md) (86)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Martyn Colbeck is a British wildlife cinematographer, director and photographer. He studied Biological Sciences at the University of Birmingham, graduating in 1979, and began his career in 1980 at London Scientific Films before going freelance.

Colbeck has worked extensively with the BBC Natural History Unit. His credits include cinematography on *Planet Earth* (2006) and *Planet Earth II* (2016), as well as *Africa* (2013). He is particularly known for long-term filming of African elephants, including *Echo of the Elephants* (2005) and related films. He won a Primetime Emmy for his work on *Planet Earth*.

*Sources: imdb.com, oldjoe.co.uk, mikebirkhead.com, independent.co.uk.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Planet Earth II* (2016), Fi1m 86, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/tv/planet-earth-ii.md)

## Complete filmography (18)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Orangutan* (2026), Director of Photography
- *Tiger* (2024), Director of Photography
- *In the Footsteps of Elephant* (2020), Director of Photography
- *Elephant* (2020), Director of Photography
- *Planet Earth II* (2016), series, Director of Photography — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/planet-earth-ii.md)
- *Monkey Kingdom* (2015), Director of Photography
- *Nature: Love in the Animal Kingdom* (2013), Director of Photography
- *Wild Namibia* (2013), Director, Writer, Camera Operator
- *Sri Lanka: Elephant Island* (2013), as Narrator
- *Chimpanzee* (2012), Director of Photography
- *The Himalayas* (2011), Director of Photography
- *Echo and Other Elephants* (2005), series, Director
- *The Life of Mammals* (2002), series, Director of Photography
- *The Making Of The Trials Of Life - Once More Into The Termite Mound* (1990), Camera Operator
- *Trials of Life* (1990), series, Director of Photography
- *The Trials of Life* (1990), Director of Photography
- *Amazon: Land of the Flooded Forest* (1990), Director of Photography
- *Natural World* (1983), series, Narrator, Participant, Director of Photography, Director

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/martyn-colbeck