Description
Martin Simpson-Hughes is a freelance Director of Photography and Lighting Camera Operator with 19 years of experience across broadcast news, current affairs, corporate, drama, and non-profit production.
His broadcast credits include the State Funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth II (BBC One, 2022), BBC Network News and News Channel (2008–present), BBC South Today, ITV News, CNBC London Bureau, the London 2012 Olympic Games, and the Royal Wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales (2011). He has also worked extensively with ITN Business and covered major national events including Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph across multiple years.
On the corporate side, Martin has served as DoP for clients including Microsoft, Hitachi Rail, Rolls-Royce, Babcock, South East Water, Facebook/Meta, and The Football Association. He is a CAA-licensed drone operator, offering aerial cinematography alongside his ground-based work.
Martin is co-founder of Howling Bear Creative, a PACT-registered production company specialising in corporate and non-profit content, with long-running partnerships with Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Oxford Health NHS Trust, Guide Dogs, and SNG Housing Association.
He shoots on Sony FX9 and FX3 (FX/Venice family) and brings a calm, collaborative approach to set, with a strong track record delivering across a wide variety of genres, locations, and production scales.
Based in Basingstoke, available nationally
Special Interests
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Martin has a particular passion for drama and narrative filmmaking, and is actively developing original television drama alongside his established career as a DP. He brings a strong storytelling instinct to all his work — whether crafting intimate character moments or building visual tension across a sequence — and is keen to expand his drama and long-form narrative credits as both a DP and a creative collaborator.
He is equally at home in documentary and factual work, with deep roots in observational and current affairs filming developed across nearly two decades of broadcast news. This background gives him an instinctive feel for authentic, unscripted moments and the ability to respond quickly and creatively under pressure.
Martin is actively seeking opportunities in scripted drama, single films, and documentary productions, and welcomes conversations with directors and producers working in these spaces.