Mark Lapwood NZCS ACS - Cinematographer

My first ever Ruru photograph! I was told recently, ‘if you walk into the bush in the last hour of light (here in New Zealand), and you go to where you hear the blackbirds alarming, you’ll find the Ruru’… so that’s what I did, and there it was, a gorgeous Ruru / New Zealand native Owl. Amazing eyes, to see in the dark, love them!!

I’m super grateful to see this great article in our local paper the Gulf News on Waiheke today! Written and a photo by our legendary local arts journalist Emma Hughes with one photo by Christine Spicer! It’s profiling yours truly and the gorgeous native Manu / Birds featured in my current exhibition. Thanks Emma and Gulf News! 🙏🤩💫

You can read the article here:

https://gulfnews.partica.online/gulf-news/06-june-2024/flipbook

Very excited to be hosting my "Nga Manu o Waiheke - Birds of Waiheke' Exhibition Opening 5pm next Friday at Gallery Anomalous, Surfdale on Waiheke Island!

Come along friends… seeing these images printed up large fills me with joy! 🤩

A percentage of the proceeds goes to support Waiheke Native Bird Rescue!

It's finally here in NZ! 'Stephen Fry, Willem and Frieda - Defying the Nazi's' Tomorrow night, Anzac Day April 25th on Maori TV in New Zealand. And available on demand on Maoriplus.co.nz until 2026 - Enjoy! 🙏😊🎥

https://www.maoriplus.co.nz/movie/stephen-fry-willem-and-frieda-defying-the-nazis?&title=Willem

Sometimes you get lucky! After multiple attempts, I finally managed to capture a Sacred Kingfisher - Kotare - Diving!! So great to see the colour of its wings, one of my fave little Manu (Birds) in Aotearoa / New Zealand 🙌🤩🎥

So great to hear this important documentary I shot, The Exiles continues on PBS America and screened on the PBS UK last night - I just found out, did anyone catch it? If not see below.

- Part 2 tells the story of Chinese and Malay men who bravely defended Australia during the Second World War, only to be forcibly deported to Hong Kong and Singapore when the war ended.

Families were ripped apart, causing trauma that has lasted generations. This documentary follows the descendants who battled this discriminatory policy, and reunites one Singapore family after seventy-five years apart from their Australian relatives.

I’m super grateful to Series Producer and Director - Tom St John Gray, and my wonderful Field Director - Mak CK for having me on this journey as Cinematographer in Australia.

Grateful also to the CNA team for bringing these incredible stories together, some being told for the very first time.

You can watch here:

The Untold Generational Trauma From The 'White Australia Policy' | The Exiles - Part 2/2 In 1901, Australia passed a set of racialised laws around immigration commonly known as the White Australia Policy. It sought to severely limit the number of...

Three Timelapse cameras filming the Sunset over the Auckland Skyline at Devonport the other night. One wide shot on a motion control slider doing a rise up reveal, one close up motion control panning shot and a static medium shot for good measure! 😉🙌🎥

I don’t usually find cows that photogenic, but this moment happened as I was driving North through the Waikato recently, and I had to capture it. Cows on the ridge at sunset 🤩🙌🎥

A little New Moon Goodness over the Auckland Harbour Bridge last night 🌙🎥✨

Hard work and a great team effort pulled this one together. A Silver ACS award for my Cinematography on Stephen Fry: ‘Willem and Frieda’.

*Screening tomorrow night (Tues 13th Feb) @8:30pm on SBS in Australia.

Great to receive the actual gong in the post at the end of last year from .nsw

Thanks to for your great direction, for your wonderful performance every time, and to the entire team from in London and Amsterdam for making it all happen.

Producer
Director
Writer Rik Carmichael
Director of Photography
Music by
AC & B Cam
Gaffer Frank van Hekken
Sound Recordist
Editor
Costume Designer Joy Moore
Production Designer
Production Manager Amsterdam

Golden light in full flight! Taken by moi at home on Waiheke Island, Aotearoa - New Zealand 🤩🙌🏝️

Some days you get lucky, and this was one of them! A beautiful dawn filming at Tapapakanga with 🙌🤩🎥

Such a beautiful evening shooting Timelapses of Sydney’s spectacular skyline a couple of days ago! Lucky the weather turned on a good show! My Mum Rita even came along as my ‘camera assistant’ 🤩🙌🎥

I am thrilled to hear ‘Willem & Frieda’ won an ACS Silver Award for my Cinematography in the Documentary category on the weekend!

Thanks to Director for the opportunity,
for your superb performance, my wonderful AC & B Cam Op , Gaffer Frank van Hekken, Sound Recordist David Lindsay, Editor Shane Cooke, Costume Designer Joy Moore, Art Director Amelie Moore, Producer Julian Scott, Line Producer Janet Verheijen, plus everyone else in our great little team! Thanks also to the ACS Australian Cinematographers Society - NSW Branch for another brilliant awards event!




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Filming Timelapse’s up at Te Rerenga Wairua - Cape Reinga, Aotearoa - New Zealand’s northern most tip, the place where Māori spirits leave to return to the land of their ancestors Hawaiiki-A-Nui. Such a magical place and a phenomenal time over the last few days filming with Ngati Kuri on Hikoia Te Pepiha! More pix to come! 🙏🤩🎥

Just found out that ‘Willem and Frieda’ with Stephen Fry which I shot in Amsterdam last year, Won Best Documentary at the European Cinematography Awards!!

Thanks to my wonderful Director for the opportunity to work together and for entering these awards! Plus thanks to our wonderful crew! 🙏🤩💜🎥✨

Beautiful morning this morning, four cameras on the sunrise with a high angle view of Auckland as the fog unfurls… I love capturing the magic! 🙏🎥🥰

Stephen Fry on the Dunes, a reflective moment in ‘Willem and Frieda’ for UK Channel 4, filmed in Amsterdam. Coming to SBS in Australia this January. NZ broadcast dates to be announced.

Featuring Directed by Commissioned by
Cinematography by

Here’s a collection of fun pix from our recent trip to Tavewa Island, in the Northern Yasawa’s, Fiji. Gorgeous spot!!

Coconut Beach, Tavewa Island, Northern Yasawa’s, Fiji

Heres a few more images from my work on ‘Dame Valerie Adams - More Than Gold’

Just launched in NZ cinemas! If you can get along and see the film in the next two weeks that makes a huge difference to our cinema run! Thanks so much! 🙏🎥💪💃🏻☺️🥇

Thanks to my director for the opportunity, your great ideas, story insights and creative vision!

Thanks to for your raw power, focus, courage and sense of humour!

Great to be able to share some of these images from my work on ‘Dame Valerie Adams - More Than Gold’

Thanks to for the opportunity, your great ideas, story insights and creative vision on this one!

Thanks to for your raw power, focus, courage and sense of humour!

It was so awesome to work on this project as cinematographer with the wonderful Briar March directing! Dame Valerie Adams shares the compelling story of her life and Olympic journey. Coming to cinemas on October 22nd!! Producer Leanne Pooley, Production Company, Eight Production… Enjoy! 🤩🙏🎥

Here is the first look at the official poster for Dame Valerie Adams: More Than Gold.

The feature-length documentary will have its nationwide cinematic release on October 20. Keep an eye out for the trailer dropping next week!

The film is directed by Briar March (Mothers of the Revolution) and produced by Leanne Pooley (The Topp Twins, Beyond the Edge).


Dame Valerie Adams: More Than Gold Valerie Adams

A little night Timelapse motion control action last night ✌️

… then this happened!

The Kereru NZ Native Wood Pigeon taking off on Waiheke Island, shot by me 🤩 on the Canon R5, with a Tamron 150-600mm @ 200mm, 1/2000sec, F/16

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Four cameras filming the foggy dawn this morning above Auckland!