Careers in nature and investigative filmmaking are rarely shaped by speed or spectacle. They are built slowly, through time spent waiting, observing and returning to the same place until a story reveals itself. That was the central message delivered by award-winning documentary filmmaker Abraham Joffe during a focus group session at the Xposure International Photography Festival 2026 in Aljada, Sharjah.

Speaking to an audience of emerging photographers and cinematographers, Joffe reflected on the realities of working in a field driven by patience rather than immediacy. Drawing on decades of experience filming across all seven continents, he emphasised that commitment to subject matter is more important than technical mastery at the outset.

“You have to have passion for the subject,” Joffe told participants. “The craft comes with it.”

Best known for directing the Southern Ocean episode of the Netflix documentary series Our Oceans (2024) and Tales by Light (2015), Joffe also discussed his directorial debut Trade Secret (2025), a six-year investigative exposé into the international polar bear fur trade, filmed across nine countries. The documentary examines how conservation, commerce, and politics intersect in ways that often remain hidden from public view.

“You need to love and be obsessed with the subject you are filming,” he said. “The best camera people I’ve ever seen are totally committed to the species they are covering. It takes so much time and energy. You have to be happy sitting for hours, days, even weeks waiting for behaviour to happen. If you don’t love that process, even when nothing is happening, you won’t be ready when it does.”

Time, Joffe noted, remains the greatest challenge in wildlife filmmaking, particularly in an industry constantly searching for “never-before-seen” behaviour. Preparation, he explained, is what allows filmmakers to respond when those moments finally emerge. Pre-visualising shots and building a storyboard before entering the field has consistently shaped his work.

Reflecting on his early influences, Joffe credited an unconventional childhood for sparking his curiosity. At the age of ten, his parents took him and his siblings on a three- to four-year journey through the Australian outback in the early 1990s. “Meeting people and seeing the work my parents were doing gave me a sense of curiosity that never left,” he said.

His professional breakthrough came, he explained, when he began creating opportunities rather than waiting for them. “I interviewed photographers. I took initiative. Even when I wasn’t being paid much, I used that money to test ideas and push myself,” he said. “Make your own opportunities. This is a tough industry. Without commitment, you will not overcome the obstacles.”

Taking cameras into the field for test shoots proved essential. “Stress tests are really important, especially when you are looking for funding,” Joffe added. “When you take initiative, it shows people how committed you really are.”

On technology, Joffe acknowledged the importance of technical competence in cinematography, where visual expectations are high. However, he drew a clear line when it comes to investigative storytelling. “People don’t watch investigative films for cinematic beauty,” he said.

Addressing the growing role of artificial intelligence, he cautioned against its use in nature storytelling. “There has to be trust. For nature photography and videography, it has to be real. It cannot be generated.”

Organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), the 10th edition of the Xposure International Photography Festival runs from 29 January to 4 February 2026, bringing together photography, filmmaking, and visual arts within a knowledge-driven programme.