Doug Allan was a wildlife and documentary cinematographer. Born in 1951 in Dunfermline, Scotland, he was the son of a photographer and photojournalist. He graduated with an honours degree in marine biology from Stirling University in 1973. His first job was as a pearl diver with Bill Abernathy, the last pearl hunter in Scotland. In 1976, Doug embarked on his first Antarctic adventure as a research diver with the British Antarctic Survey.
Over the next decade, he returned to Antarctica multiple times, working as a scientist, photographer, and diver. In 1985, Doug transitioned into full time cinematography and became a principal cameraman on many of the BBC's most iconic wildlife programmes, including Wildlife Special Polar Bear, The Blue Planet, Planet Earth, and Frozen Planet. Doug was awarded eight Emmy Awards and four BAFTAs, and in 2017 he was honoured with an Outstanding Contribution Award at the British Academy Scotland Awards.