Birkebeinerspelet 2018 was performed over three February evenings against the stunning backdrop of Sør-Mesna at Mesna Activities and Accommodation. A resounding success, over 2000 people attended and they were both entertained by the markets and stalls and wowed by the spectacle of a mid winter night time outdoor play. Plans are now well underway for an even bigger event in February 2019. Mark your diaries now – this is one Norwegian event not to be missed. This year I was able to use my new Nikon D850 as the camera of choice and the high pixel count, low noise and superb focussing all combined to help me take some images I am very proud of.    
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Next week I return to Mesna in Norway, to take part in Birkebeinerspelet 2018. The following is an interview I undertook for the programme. Photographer and author Ian Brodie has many years’ experience in the film industry. He has specialised in film location tourism, and has published a number of location guidebooks that showcase the beautiful places in his native New Zealand where both the the Lord of the Rings and the The Hobbit film trilogies were shot. In 2012 he was invited to speak at a film tourism conference in Lillehammer, having never been to Norway before. At the conference he met representatives from the Norwegian film industry including Paradox Film. In 2014 they asked him to be unit stills photographer on Birkebeinerne. The rest, as they say, is history. Ian now spends many months every year in Norway working on a number of varied projects. – I fell in love with Norway immediately, says Brodie. – To me, it was a lot like home, like New Zealand, another Middle-earth, but with a long history and a broad mythology that actually inspired Tolkien. – The people, too, are similar: sensible, practical, reserved till you get to know them, but […]
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Being a unit stills photographer on set is one of the most exciting aspects of my work. I love the process of film making and how so many people with just extraordinarily varied talents work together cohesively as a team to create movie magic. Watching a film being created is an aspect few people can experience. I consider myself very fortunate.
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So another year draws to a close and it is time to give thanks to 2016. Once again, life provides a rich abundance of experiences that shapes our lives and provides us with life-time memories. Thank you to all my clients, friends and especially my family for being such an important part in a good year. When it comes to highlights, its hard to choose. This gallery presents just some of what 2016 meant to me. Three books released. The Birkebeinerne Location Guidebook, Into Norway and Visit Somerset. Watching the sunset over the Mediterranean from Monaco. Achieving a lifelong dream by seeing Zermatt and The Matterhorn. The beauty reduced me to tears. Going to Berlin and standing underneath the remains of the Berlin Wall. Spending time with wonderful friends at Mesna Activities and Accomodation and experiencing magic. Walking Kew Gardens with my amazing wife. Experiencing the beauty of a Bluebell Wood. Soaking up the English heritage at Somerleyton. Staying on the Norfolk Broads. Visiting the set of my favourite television series, Dads Army. Spending time with friends – Jerry and Galya, Trevor and Jenny. Smelling the aroma and seeing the beauty of an English rose garden at Mottisfont Abbey. Walking the streets of […]
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