I’m very proud to announce that National Geographic’s Untamed Americas series won the Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary and Long Form. I was one tiny piece of a very large team that contributed to this series. This award …

Check out this funny behind the scenes video of me from National Geographic’s Secret Life of Predators. In this clip you’ll see boredom get the best of me while filming Harpy Eagles in the treetops of Panama’s rainforest.

During 2011 I spent almost 200 days in the field working on the National Geographic TV series Untamed Americas. It was an adventurous, exciting year with shoots in Peru, Arizona, California, Alaska, and Texas. I even ended up in some of the behind the scenes videos.

Trying to get my website back up to date with all new photos and videos to share from recent years and films. It’s tricky to keep things current, since most of the time my work takes me far from easy internet access, and in most cases, I am contractually obligated to keep my work private until the films are finished, sometimes years later.

Austin’s awesome free culture magazine Tribeza has featured me in their June outdoor issue! Thanks to all the folks at Tribeza for the flattering piece. I will try not to let it go to my head.

Check it out here http://www.tribeza.com/magazine_content/skip-hobbie.

In 2010 during the months of September and October I traveled throughout the Himalayas working on an Arrowhead Films documentary destined for television on Discovery’s Asian networks.

Quick bit of exciting news! The National Geographic Explorer program “Climbing Redwood Giants” has been nominated for two Emmy Awards, including myself and the other cinematographer’s for Best Cinematography – Nature. Can’t say how ecstatic I am to be nominated for such a prestigious award. This definitely was a life goal, but I never expected it so early in my career.

In May I was contacted through a longtime family friend about a non-profit with whom she volunteers, that looking for a videographer to help document their work on a June trip to Ethiopia. With no paid work on the calendar, I was excited to donate my time and equipment to aid their cause. The group, Water to Thrive, funds and oversees construction of clean water projects in rural communities throughout Ethiopia. For me this was a very special opportunity. Not only was it a A marvelous chance to get to see a new country, it was also a chance to shoot something outside the norm of my natural history work, while helping tell the story about a really important issue.

I recently spent a month on the island of Langkawi, Malaysia, a hotbed for the gliding mammals and reptiles famous to southeast Asia, and that is precisely what we were there to film for National Geographic Television. In a stark contrast to my last few major projects, I’d be out of a sweaty tent and instead staying in a truly 5-star hotel. Thanks to Tourism Malaysia and The Andaman Hotel, we were extremely comfy, but filming gliding animals in the rainforest canopy would still be a big task.

My roommates and I were already scheming about traveling between Christmas and New Years, so when some other mutual friends suggested a road trip out west, it was a no brainer. We first headed straight out to Los Angeles to stay with a friend, and then spent the next week working our way back home with stops in Joshua Tree National Park, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, White Sands National Monument, and Carlsbad Caverns.