Charlie Hamilton James

{{Short description|British photographer and television producer}}

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| name = Charlie Hamilton James

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| birth_date = {{bya|1973|7}}

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| nationality = English

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| occupation = Television cameraman and presenter

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| television = Halcyon River Diaries
I Bought a Rainforest

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| spouse = {{Marriage|Philippa Forrester|2004|2020|end=div}}

| children = 3

| awards = {{Unbulleted list| Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 91/92 | Royal Television Society medal for cinematography }}

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| website = {{URL|charliehamiltonjames.com}}

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Charlie Hamilton James{{efn|Surname is the double-barrelled Hamilton James, not James}} (born July 1973) is an English photographer, television cameraman and presenter, specialising in wildlife subjects.{{cite web|url=http://www.hkmanagement.co.uk/charlie_hamilton-james/charlie_hamilton-james.html|title=Charlie Hamilton-James represented by Hilary Knight Management|accessdate=27 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910094731/http://www.hkmanagement.co.uk/charlie_hamilton-james/charlie_hamilton-james.html|archive-date=10 September 2011|url-status=dead}} He started his career at 16, working on David Attenborough's The Trials of Life. His work has since been commissioned by National Geographic Magazine, the BBC's Springwatch/Autumnwatch shows and The Natural World.

His first film made when he was just 26, was My Halcyon River. Following its success, in 2001 he set up a production company, Halcyon Media, which specialises in wildlife productions.{{cite web|url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04217105/officers|title=Halcyon Media Limited, Company number 04217105|website=Companies House}} In 2007 he produced An Otter in the Family, a short documentary series about the adoption of an otter cub called Grace and his attempts to raise her as a wild animal to be released into the wild.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/listings/programme.shtml?day=yesterday&service_id=4224&filename=20071216%2F20071216_1830_4224_5903_30 |title=BBC Two website programme guide |access-date=2 July 2021 |archive-date=22 July 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722101208/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/listings/programme.shtml?day=yesterday&service_id=4224&filename=20071216/20071216_1830_4224_5903_30 |url-status=dead }} He also produced the four-part Halcyon River Diaries, the first episode of which was broadcast on 16 May 2010 on BBC One. The series follows the wildlife found near his home. An additional episode was shown at Christmas 2010.

Charlie lives in Wyoming, US having moved from Bath in 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/moved-family-bath-wilderness-havent-looked-back/|title='I moved my family from Bath to the wilderness - and haven't looked back'|first=Philippa|last=Forrester|work=The Telegraph |date=15 May 2020|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}} He has three sons, all three have appeared in his television programmes.

During the week of 30 May – 3 June 2011, Hamilton James presented a segment, comprising pre-recorded video and live commentary to camera, on the reintroduction of beavers to the United Kingdom, as part of the BBC's Springwatch. In June 2014 the TV series I Bought a Rainforest, about his £6,000 purchase of 100 acres of Peruvian rain forest, was screened by the BBC.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0461lhs|title=BBC Two - I Bought a Rainforest, Episode 1|website=BBC}}