Stephen Foote

A Biography.

Documentary Cameraman and Photographer

I began my photography journey at Plymouth College of Art in the early 1980s, where I specialised in underwater photography. At the time, I was already an experienced amateur diver and had recently become involved in the excavation of the Mary Rose, the iconic Tudor warship of King Henry VIII.

This early involvement with the Mary Rose Project sparked a lifelong adventure. In 1982–83, I became the staff photographer for the Mary Rose Trust during the historic recovery of the ship’s hull—an extraordinary and unique achievement in maritime archaeology. It remains one of the proudest moments of my career.

In 1983, I transitioned into television, working as an assistant to BBC cameraman Tim Johnson, who filmed the Mary Rose for the BBC Chronicle series. This led to our first major international project: filming in Kenya for a Natural World documentary on soil erosion. Soon after, we covered the America’s Cup yacht races in Newport, Rhode Island, capturing the moment Australia ended the USA’s 134-year winning streak—an unforgettable summer in broadcast history.

Over the next few years, we created a series of documentaries focusing on boats and diving. Then in 1986, I stepped into the role of cameraman in my own right, working on iconic British TV programmes such as Timewatch, Crimewatch, That’s Life, The Heart of the Matter, World in Action, and Brass Tacks, all shot on 16mm film.

My work extended to underwater cinematography for major television dramas, including filming the now-famous Colin Firth swim scene in the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

Throughout the 1990s, I focused primarily on current affairs programming, including The Big Story and World in Action, before becoming a regular cameraman for BBC Panorama, the network’s flagship investigative series. Over 20 years with Panorama, I contributed to many award-winning and nominated programmes, recognised by the RTS, BAFTA, Grierson, and Broadcast Awards.

In recent years, I’ve continued working on documentary films, most notably a series on Brexit, directed by Patrick Forbes for Oxford Films for the BBC

My career has taken me to over 75 countries across six continents. I’ve filmed in rainforests, war zones, remote islands, and conflict areas, always carrying my still photography gear alongside my video equipment. My photographs have been published globally, and selected works can be viewed in the photography portfolio section of this website.