He undertook demanding Arctic assignments, including 23 days observing denning polar bears at Kong Karls Land in -32°C conditions, even in areas that were off-limits.

A celebrated wildlife filmmaker who helped popularize nature storytelling through BBC series like Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, and The Blue Planet has died at 74, leaving a legacy built through decades of pioneering footage and collaboration with Sir David Attenborough.

In 2024, he received an OBE for services to broadcast media and environmental awareness, underscoring his impact beyond entertainment.

His management team described him as endlessly immersed in nature, with breathtaking, intimate footage and a lasting visual legacy that resonated with friends and audiences alike.

Among his notable moments were encounters such as a polar bear approaching him and a walrus grabbing his legs underwater, stories he often recounted of filming close to wildlife.

His early work with the Antarctic Survey, including polar field experience that earned him the Polar Medal, helped shape his observational craft and filming ambitions.

Throughout his career he prioritized traditional wildlife photography techniques, emphasizing skill and dedication over new technologies.

Foreword writer and mentor figure Attenborough chronicled their first meeting and Allan’s early request to begin making natural history television, highlighting the collaboration that defined his path.

Born in Dunfermline, Fife, he earned an honors degree in marine biology in 1973 and began as a research diver with the British Antarctic Survey, where his interest in filming began at Signy Island.

A pivotal 1981 meeting with Attenborough at an Antarctic base inspired him to pursue wildlife filmmaking, catalyzing a long collaboration and the creation of iconic footage after he bought a 16mm camera.

That chance meeting with Attenborough and the decision to buy a 16mm camera launched his filmmaking career, with footage of emperor penguins in the Antarctic later sold to the BBC.

Allan credited Attenborough with guiding him into wildlife filmmaking, a defining moment that shaped his professional trajectory.