Coromandel Life Magazine 2018 Winter

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Pauanui
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About Mark Gee
Mark Gee’s images cast NZ in a
great light: showing that this is
home to some of the best night
skies in the world.
The practice of astrophotography is truly a
painstakingly patient art, one that award-
winning Mark Gee has crafted over the years.
And what led him to this passion for capturing
the night skies? His move to NZ.
When the Australian visual effects company
Mark had been working with closed, he took a
brave step to cast his net wider. He was lucky
enough to get an interview to work on ‘Lord of
the Rings’ with Weta Digital and director Peter
Jackson. He got the job and moved from the
Gold Coast in 2003 and has remained here
ever since – all the better for us!
Mark has continued with time-lapse filmmaking
and is currently digital visual effects supervisor
for Weta, where he has worked on many high
profile and Oscar award winning feature films.
“After more than a decade in the film/digital
visual effects,” shares Mark, “I’ve chalked up
a few credits on some amazing films that I’ve
been lucky enough to have worked on.”
Listed or shown are just some of the movies
Mark has worked on (mostly as visual effects
supervisor) with Weta Digital: Lord of the
Rings: The Return of the King(2003); three
The Hobbitmovies; The Chronicles of Narnia:
Prince Caspian;
Avatar; 2017’s War
for the Planet of the
Apes I, Robot; King
Kong; and Peter Pan.
(For complete list see
name/nm1454503)
With his unique eye for detail, self-taught
Mark strives to create work of high quality,
in both his photography and film work,
regardless of the subject matter. He constantly
seeks out new techniques and ways to
improve. His imagination was captured by
astrophotography, and NZ provided the perfect
skies for this craft. He revels in the combination
of striking landscape and night photography.
His love of the NZ landscape is a big part of
the inspiration for his personal photography.
In 2013, Mark won the prestigious Astronomy
Photographer of the Year. Not only did he win
it overall, but Mark also won both categories
– ‘Earth and Space’ and ‘People and Space’
– which had never been done before in the
competition’s history.
Mark shares his knowledge of and delight
in astrophotography on the public speaking
circuit and on his facebook page. One of the
highlights was his well received TEDx talk in
Christchurch, New Zealand in 2014.
See his comprehensive website where he even
shares ‘how tos’.
His awesome photographic works are also
available for purchase at www.theartofnight.
com/. View Mark’s 2014 TedTalk about the
moon video at