John Fenner BSC was born in Islington, London, on 19 June 1951. He entered the film industry at a time when practical experience within the studio system remained the principal route into cinematography. His early career included work in the lighting and camera departments, giving him a broad technical grounding before he moved into principal cinematography.
During the 1970s and early 1980s, Fenner worked on a number of major British productions. His credits during this period included The Night Digger, A Bridge Too Far, Superman, The Shining and For Your Eyes Only. His work included lighting and technical roles, giving him experience of working alongside some of the leading cinematographers and directors of the period.
His work on Superman (1978), photographed by Geoffrey Unsworth BSC, was followed by work on Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980), photographed by John Alcott BSC. He also worked on the James Bond production For Your Eyes Only (1981), photographed by Alan Hume BSC. These large-scale productions provided experience in the highly technical environment of major studio filmmaking.
Fenner subsequently moved into cinematography and developed an extensive career in television. His credits included The Storyteller, the series created by Jim Henson, for which he photographed several episodes. He also worked as Director of Photography on The Jim Henson Hour and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
His association with the Henson companies continued into feature films. Fenner was Director of Photography on The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), directed by Brian Henson and starring Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge. The production combined live action with extensive puppetry and visual effects, requiring careful coordination between performers, sets, lighting and the Muppet characters.
Fenner subsequently photographed Muppet Treasure Island (1996), again directed by Brian Henson. The film combined the Muppet performers with a large-scale live-action adventure setting and continued his association with the Henson production team.
His feature work also included The Borrowers (1997), directed by Peter Hewitt. The film presented particular cinematographic challenges because of its contrasting scales, following a family of tiny people living beneath the floorboards of a house. Fenner later photographed the television miniseries Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001).