And the nominations are ...

Ewan McGregor – Cold Chain Mission, BBC2
Director of Photography: Graham Maunder
TX date/time: 22.04.2012
Type of programme: Factual
Reason for nomination:
Transmitted over two Sundays on BBC & BBC HD, this programme, which followed Ewan McGregor on the 'Cold Chain' (the route that vaccinations take to reach the most remote parts of the world), contained some amazing cinematography and was achieved in a very short space of time, following the trail as it actually happened with no chance for retakes in very remote parts of India, Nepal and the Congo.
There was a great mix of cameras involved that worked seamlessly together including XDCAM, Canon 5D, GoPros and even a bit of FlipCam by Ewan himself. Graham shot from helicopters (with no proper mounts), motorbikes, cars, boats and dug-out canoes to bring the viewer closer to the action yet always very aware of letting the action tell the story.
Given the remoteness of the places visited and the extreme environments (including some filming from the cockpit as a plane landed at one of the most dangerous airstrips in the world), just keeping the equipment working was an achievement in itself and  the care and skill used throughout to help give the viewer a wonderful experience is evident.

Jules Annual Hootenanny, BBC2
Camera: The crew
TX date/time: 31.12.2012
Type of programme: Multi-camera (Studio or OB)
Reason for nomination:
Consistent high-quality camerawork during the programme and over the series.

Earthflight, BBC HD
Aerial Camera: Christian and Paola Moullec
TX date/time: 31.12.2012
Type of programme: Natural History
Reason for nomination:
Stunning aerial photography thoughout the programme and series.
This was episode 5 of 6.
 

Look North: Army Passing Out Parade, BBC1: BBC Yorkshire (Regional)
Camera: Ben Cryer
TX date/time: 13 December 2012, 6:30pm
Type of programme: Factual
Reason for nomination:
This was a typical 'bread and butter' item in a regional television programme, but it showed that through the cameraman's eye (together with a very good script and voice over) the cameramen can still add so much to the finished output. Many of us start in regional television, where, from my point of view, it's harder to maintain a good standard, working on a busy production line with no time and few resources and so it's important that this part of television making is not forgotten.This item covering an Army Passing Out Parade at Harrogate showed much creative flare and good use of the weather conditions. This is the essence of good regional television.

Great Continental Railway Journeys, BBC2 (Boundless)
Filmed and directed: Dave Minchin 
TX date/time: Monday 31 December 2012  (this was a repeat)
Type of programme: Entertainment
Reason for nomination:
This has been a wonderful documentary series using the train to take us television armchair travellers on some delightful journeys through Europe. This one was from London to Monte Carlo using the 1913 Mike Bradshaw Guide as told through the eyes of Michael Portillo. The photography by Dave Minchin, maintains an excellent standard throughout, and as anyone knows who has filmed on trains, this is no mean feat. There are no gimmicks; the camera is used to tell a very visual story in a gentle empathetic way, with well framed interviews and set-ups. Anyone wanting to know how to tell a story in documentary style should use this programme for reference. A really lovely piece of work.

Coldplay MX World, BBC1
Camera Supervisor: Nat HIll
TX date/time: 27.12.2012
Type of programme: Multi-camera (OB)
Reason for nomination:
While the staging, lighting, editing and performance all make dramatic concerts of this type the programmes they are, within that the strongly framed images and beautifully executed tracking and crane shots gave the viewer the best possible chance to experience the event. Moves were adapted to the pace and mood of the music and the whole programme was marvellous to watch.
 

HM Queen's Jubilee Service, St Paul's Cathedral, BBC
Camera: Bruce Miller and Crew
TX date/time: 5.6.2012 
Reason for nomination: 
The service was the culmination of a whole weekend of celebrations of HM Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The coverage of the service had to reflect both the celebratory mood of the nation and the religious nature of the ceremony. Given the huge scale of the event, 27 cameras were used in order to provide a wide variety of shots. The planning was exemplary, matched in quality by the camera crew's sensitive execution. The composition and development of all shots displayed high producction values, took due account of the nature of the occasion and reflected the grandeur of the cathedral's architecture. Throughout the OB, the camerawork was faultless and provided the vast global audience an opportunity to see an excellent example of how well these events can be covered.

Restless, BBC1 (three separate nominations received for this programme)
Camera: David Higgs, Christopher Blauvelt
TX date/time: 27/28.12.2012
Type of programme: Drama
Reason for nomination:
Delightful images across both episodes of this period drama set during and after the Second World War. Beautiful tracking shots, static frames, hand helds and extensive, very imaginative crane work made this a joy to watch.
Reason for nomination:
Camerawork was good, steady worklike with occasional brilliance. Whilst the whole crew should have some recognition I believe that the main operator should be particularly applauded.
Reason for nomination:
Excellent camera operations on a well made british drama 

Great British Bake Off (series), BBC2 (Love Productions)
Camera crew: Anthony Dalton, Sam Montague, Ric Clark, Simon Cox, Richard Maxwell, Arun Taylor, Micah Walker
TX date/time: TUE 8pm, 14/08/12-16/10/12
Type of programme: Multi-camera (Studio or OB)
Reason for nomination:
I think this quote from the GTC Forum says it all: "I've been very impressed with the consistently great camera work, there have been some super little set-up shots, some lovely jib work, really nice shallow depth of field shots and just generally a pleasure to watch."
 

Heroes of the Skies - Wingwalker, Five
Director of Photography: Marcus Elliot
TX date/time: 4/10/12, 20.00
Type of programme: Factual
Reason for nomination:
Well crafted camerawork on the re-enactment scenes was essential to the construction of this episode. A rare example these days where wobblycam is perfectly justified and motivated!

Last Tango in Halifax (series), BBC1
DoPs and camera crew: Alan Almond, Sam McCurdy, Barney Batchelor Jessica Oxley Brian Bassnett, et al
TX date/time: Wednesdays 21.00
Type of programme: Multi-camera (Studio or OB)
Reason for nomination:
Reassuringly expensive? I expect so...the camerawork looks great - lighting, viewpoint, framing, exposure, movement, focus, everything is correctly motivated. No camerawork imposes itself on the viewer and the lighting is both dramatic yet amazingly realistic for a comedy series.

Atma Refuge Camp. Syria (BBC News), BBC1
Camera: Fred Scott
TX date/time: 26.11.12.
Type of programme: Factual
Reason for nomination:
Great composition: a selectiveness that showed sadness, innocence and pride in the individuals' faces. Good all round capture of the situation without the usual guns firing, bombs exploding and dead bodies.

Solar Mamas (Why Poverty? series), BBC4
Camera: Mona Eldaief and Jehane Noujaim
TX date/time: 2 December 2012
Type of programme: Factual
Reason for nomination:
Beautifully told, sensitively shot with good sound and accomplished editing, this programme captured the emotions and feelings of a Jordanian mother from a desert village who travelled to India to train as a solar engineer in spite of her husband who sat around doing nothing trying to prevent her as he was losing control, which he did.

Later with Jools Holland, BBC1
Camera: Whole crew
TX date/time: 27 11 12
Type of programme: Multi-camera (Studio)
Reason for nomination:
The show itself has been transmitting for 20 years, and the current camera crew have got to be one of the best on TV for consistently executing fantastic shots. Eric Metcalfe is named as Camera Supervisor but the whole crew deserve it in my opinion.

Daybreak: Ben Affleck interview, ITV 
Camera: Geraint Warrington
TX date/time: 6/11/12
Type of programme: Factual

Grand Designs: The Water Tower, Channel 4
Camera: Tony Etwell 
TX date/time: 17/10/12 
Type of programme: Factual
Reason for nomination
I was particularly impressed by the camerawork for smoothness of operation and excellent lighting in an environment where space to work must have been a major problem. One is never aware of the problems of working at extreme heights, where lamps must have been seemingly suspended in space. The shot of Kevin McCleod scrambling through a tiny duct to reach the interior of the original water tower tank, made me wonder how this shot was achieved.  Finally, the balancing of interior to exterior lighting at the extreme top of the tower, after its conversion, with its panoramic views of central London, was superbly handled.

Deadly 60 - Venezuela, BBC CBBC
Camera: Graham McFarlane
TX date/time: 16.11.12 afternoon
Type of programme: Natural history
Reason for nomination:
I would like to nominate cameraman Graham McFarlane for his hazardous and dangerous camerawork on the currently transmitted “Deadly 60” series.I watched an episode of series 3 last week on the BBC’s CBBC channel (for whom the programme has been commissioned) in which presenter Steve Brackshall and his crew travelled to Venezuela in search of lethal animal predators for their Deadly ’60’ list.
First they combed the Venezuelan wetlands looking for the biggest snake in the world, the mighty green anaconda, capable of growing to over six metres in length. Then beneath the rainforest into a dark cave infested with vampire bats, where a true toxic terror lurks, the scolopendra, a giant centipede armed with a powerful venomous bite.
The camera craft was innovative and showed great resourcefulness under extreme pressure and danger.

Hunted, Kudos production for the BBC. 
Camera Operator: Paul Kirsop
1st Assistant Camera / Focus Pullers: Tim Battersby, Toby Eedy, George Grieve. 
2nd Assistant Camera: Alison Lai, Gabriel Hyman. 
D.o.P: Balazs Bolygo H.S.C.
TX date/time: BBC1: Thursday 4 October 2012
Type of programme: Drama 
Reason for nomination:
The photography / cinematography was excellent. So many artistic and nicely crafted shots with subtle focus pulls.

Extreme World – Episode 1 Karachi, BBC1
Lighting Camera: Jonathan Young
TX date/time: SKY1: Tuesday 4 September, 9pm
Type of programme: Extreme
Reason for nomination:
Jonathan captured an excellent sequence with a captivating storyline showing the harsh reality of being shot at inside a building under siege.

Indian Ocean with Simon Reeve, BBC 2
Camera: Jonathan Young
TX date/time: 20:05, Sun 13 May 2012
Type of programme: Factual
Reason for nomination:
Fantastic camerawork in difficult environments.

Weightwatchers Commercial, Channel 4
Director of Photography: Marcel Zyskind
TX date/time: 01/01/2012. Available on YouTube
Type of programme: Innovation
Reason for nomination:
I wish to nominate the Camera Team for the Weightwatchers commercial 'for the excellence and originality of their work'. See the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqIhQBde0YU&feature=youtu.be

Seal of Approval  

Nominee: Sony HDVF-EL75 studio colour viewfinder

Reason for nomination:
I would like to nominate the Sony HDVF-EL75 studio colour viewfinder. It has a 7.4-inch screen with high contrast, wide dynamic range and a fast response time due to the use of Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display technology. This gives it very deep blacks and a contrast ratio of more than 1,000,000:1. The lack of a backlight means it uses less power than might be expected.

It has a very wide viewing angle, meaning you can see the image clearly from any angle and the extremely fast response time means it is, once again, possible to focus on fast moving targets using a colour viewfinder, such as during sports coverage.

In addition, it features Focus Assist and a revolutionary new type of peaking. This is not to everyone's taste but can be switched back to normal, if desired.

Mike Baldock Award

Nominee: Holly Bantleman

Reason for nomination:
Having read the excellent article about Holly's charitable work in Kenya, published in the recent edition of Zerb, I can think of no better nominee. Read the article now.

The details of her exploits both with and without her camera on the Raise the Roof in Kenya project make her an excellent candidate for the Mike Baldock Award.