Shropshire photographer shares memories of Sir David Attenborough

As national treasure Sir David Attenborough marks his 100th birthday, a wildlife photographer has recalled what it was like to work alongside him in some of the world's most remote locations. Ben Osborne, from Shropshire, said it was a "privilege" to join Attenborough in South Georgia, in the South Atlantic Ocean, during the filming of the Life in the Freezer series. "We stayed up far too late, drank more red wine than we should have, and the conversation was incredible," he said, reflecting on evenings after filming. The six-part documentary, filmed in 1993, explored the natural history of the Antarctic continent. During the shoot, the team braved freezing conditions and encountered more than 200,000 penguins and elephant seals, Osborne told BBC Radio Shropshire. "He made my job easier," he said. "At the end of each shoot, he'd ask: 'Ben, are these the pictures you need from this location? If not, let's go and get them.' He made sure I got what I needed and what I wanted." Osborne described Attenborough as "a genuinely lovely person", adding that he was both thoughtful and considerate. "He understood the importance of publicity images for BBC Wildlife magazine and the press. He made my life much easier by being incredibly thoughtful and generous to me - that was a real privilege." Born on 8 May 1926, Attenborough is behind some of the world's most celebrated natural history programmes, including Life on Earth, The Private Life of Plants and The Blue Planet. Osborne added: "We got on really well, he was a great guy. We all regarded him as, 'he's quite old, so we have to look after him', but he was having a great time and coping perfectly well with all the conditions." "We sat around every evening in the cramped lounge area of the yacht and just chatted about everything. Listening to his stories was an honour and a privilege for me, and I couldn't believe it sometimes."