about
MIDNIGHT SUN
"Midnight Sun was founded in early 2023 by award-winning photographers and filmmakers Sue Flood and Ian Dawson, following requests from friends and clients for bespoke, small-group luxury travel to many of the adventurous destinations they have been fortunate to explore throughout their careers."
Sue Flood photographer, zoologist and filmmaker with a long-standing interest in the polar regions and the wildlife that inhabits them. Her career began at the BBC Natural History Unit, where she worked for over a decade on BAFTA and Emmy-winning productions including ‘The Blue Planet’, ‘Planet Earth’, and DisneyNature movie ‘Earth’, with Sir David Attenborough. These formative years shaped her approach to storytelling, combining scientific understanding with visual clarity and insight. Since leaving the BBC, Sue has pursued independent projects across the globe, with a particular focus onAntarctica. She often works in demanding conditions to document wildlife, landscapes, and the changing climate.
Her photography has been featured by National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Geo, and other leading publications. She has appeared on screen for the BBC, Discovery Channel, and National
Geographic, and has exhibited her work internationally, including a solo exhibition at the Getty Gallery in London and the Kimball Art Center in the USA. Her book ‘Emperor: The Perfect Penguin’ was a runner-up in the International Photography Awards’ Nature Book category.
Sue’s work has been awarded in several competitions - Wildlife Photographer of the year People’s Choice Award finalist in 2024, Travel Photographer of the Year, the International Conservation Photography Awards, as well as the RPS Science Photographer of the Year competition - Climate Change category. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, the
Royal Photographic Society, and the North American Nature Photography Association, as well as a member of the Explorers Club and an ambassador for ‘Girls Who Click’.
In 2021, she was appointed the first Photo Ambassador for PONANT’s hybrid-electric polar vessel Le Commandant Charcot. New projects include a forthcoming book of polar images in collaboration with Ian Dawson, as well as exhibitions in Norway, France, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA.
Sue lives in North Wales with her husband Chris, and continues to balance fieldwork, exhibitions, and speaking engagements with her ongoing interest in the polar environment.
Ian Dawson is a photographer whose work is guided by a lifelong fascination with the planet’s most remote and fragile environments. A fine art graduate, he has built an international career as a photojournalist, picture editor, and filmmaker, producing work for The Sunday Times, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, and many other leading publications. His assignments have ranged widely - from conflict zones and royal tours to wildlife and environmental reportage.
An award-winning press photographer represented by Getty Images, Ian now focuses on the polar regions, where he documents people, wildlife, and landscapes at the frontlines of environmental change. His approach is grounded in quiet observation and respectful engagement, aiming to bear witness rather than impose narrative.
In 2021, Ian was appointed a Photo and Brand Ambassador for PONANT expedition cruises. His ongoing polar work will soon be published in a fine-art book created in collaboration with fellow photographer Sue Flood, and will feature in exhibitions in Norway, France, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA.
Ian is a member of the Guild of Picture Editors, The Alpine Club, and The Explorers Club. In 2025, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in recognition of his contributions to visual storytelling and geographic knowledge.
Alongside his photographic work, Ian has volunteered for over two decades with
Scottish Mountain Rescue, a commitment recognised with the Diamond and Platinum Jubilee Medals from Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
When not travelling, he lives with his family in Scotland’s Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.
BIOGRAPHIES