The shire is real, you know. On any given day, you can approach the door to Bag End, and stand poised to knock as if you might ask if you could join for dinner and an expedition.
Tucked away in the jewel-toned hills of New Zealand, Hobbiton (the Lord of the Rings movie set) is a stunningly detailed, functioning miniature village. As I left Matamata and made my way towards the grey mist hanging over the rolling slopes, I wondered if the set would be kitschy and disappointing; if it would feel cheap and plastic and hang a similar ashen pall over the books I adored so much. And yet... the chance to have a mug of ale at the Green Dragon was too delightful to pass up.
I descended on a winding road between the hummocks of emerald grass, and the edges of the shire revealed themselves slowly as I went.
The entire site is completely enveloped by the verdant landscape — if not for the endless parade of tour buses, you'd have no idea that any of the hobbit holes were there at all. As I stepped to the edge of the path that meandered towards the famous front door hidden in the shade of the massive tree, the sun began to move from behind the clouds and I was treated to — honestly — a complete fantasy. I was so incredibly excited that I'd brought a toy-camera style tiltshift lens with me, as I personally think the results are so charming and apropos. I will absolutely be sharing more traditional photos of the full grounds and close-ups of the holes, but for this weekend, I hope these convey the whimsy and childlike joy I experienced walking among the tiny fruit-bearing trees and alongside scaled down benches on the lake's edge.
When I look at these photos I feel the sun on my face and smell hints of fresh, wet grass. The tiltshift toy effect isn't always my favourite, but in this case, I love the fantasy of it all.
Sitting outside of Bag End reading a dog-eared, hard-loved, 1976 first Canadian edition copy of The Hobbit, looking up into the branches of the shade tree filtering the light onto the steps where we first saw Bilbo leave on a great adventure...was a surreal and wonderful thing. When we come back to the shire, I'll show you some more detailed photos taken with my regular rig, and lead you through the Green Dragon inn.
All of these photos are my own, taken on my travels all over this pretty blue marble of ours. I hope you like them. 🌶️
I like these pictures, they have good composition. What's your favourite thing to capture?
Welcome to steem it!! :D
@crimsonclad likes climbing things, mountains and stuff, I think nature and landscapes and whatnot?
At least I hope so because I like those and would love to see more of those distant mountains coming closer
Thanks for joining in the fun. <3
This has been chosen as an exceptionally creative post by the audience at @msp-waves, stay creative! we love you, we really do. <3
- J.R.R. Tolkien
I like the walking song.
"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say."
I came here from @msp-waves audience to say..
WE LOVE YOU CRIMMY.
I don't know how you do it, finding time for such beautiful things and all the work you do.
You really are amazing!
I hope you enjoyed the little love in today :)
Keep at it, you are doing great things. <3
Oh, I so want to go there, it looks so real but still like a fairytale (of course). I like how you composed and blurred the photos, really nice!
This place feels like something I need to visit, thanks for sharing!
I love the Hobbit! Amazing photos!
A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to. J. R.R Tolkien
I loved Gandalf and the films seeing this set just brings me back to the days of watching these and reading the hobbit.
God, I love tiltshift. It is so otherworldly! I may have to buy these as prints for my geeky walls if you make them available! <3 <3 <3
I love these pictures and now feel like I need one of these homes!
This is totally on my bucket list, I'm going to see this one day! Absolutely awesome to see this through your lens! Thank you!! This made my day!!
These are fabulous photos!! I love reading your charming, positive, upbeat posts!
thank you so much~ a bit kitschy, but I love them, like little dioramas just waiting for a hobbit figure to be dropped in...
Awesome! I would love to visit New Zealand someday to see the lands of Middle Earth
the houses almost look like display models they are so perfect. this place looks insane!
I live in Hamilton. It's about a 45 minute drive to Hobbiton where I live. I like to think of my city as the town of Bree.
I've been to Hobbiton but I came at a time when there were tremendous amounts of tourists so I wasnt quite able to to capture he scenery without someone in frame. I'm surprised you were able to such nice pictures! 😍👌
I shall go through my photos to share. 😊
Thanks for posting 💚
Fantastic! You live in an absolutely lovely place.
I travel frequently and passionately and almost always aim for shoulder season, so that reduces tourists to begin with. If I do something like this, I try to make it midweek, and on a day where the weather is iffy, and that usually cuts it back even further.
Ooh that explains a lot!
I went on a spontanious whim, in summer time. That's the luxury of living 45 mins away but I guess timing is key. Thanks for your seasoned travel advice! 😊💚
The photos are great and the writing is top notch. The Hobbit was always my favorite of the series, last time I drove across the country I picked up an unabridged audio book version and listened to it the whole way. Thanks for sharing this with us!
everything you serve from this post is very good I salute all its good quality and cool
Beautiful photos, great skills!
Would you mind to share the camera settings that you used in order to take such beautiful photos?
It's less the camera settings and more the lens itself: https://lensbaby.com/tilt-shift-effect/
I don't get to use it lots, but when I do I'm always happy with it!
OMG awesome awesome place its look like hobbit house
that's EXACTLY what it is :)
this is where they actually shot the movies, so they are THE hobbit houses!
i saw in movie .@crimsonclad welcome to my blog today i post my intro post if you have time so
Fantastic pictures babe. NZ is a wonderful country with the most amazing scenery. Nice post.
Fantastic shots , Never made it to Hobbiton on any of my visits back to NZ but wow your shots of it should be used for advertising they are fantastic
Thanks so much! I realize they are a bit over the top, so I will share less stylistic ones as well, but my first sensation there was whimsy so I thought maybe I'd pass that along.
Do you head there often? I'd love to go back a few more times, for sure <3
I love the edit you did on these it really adds to the feel of hobbitiown in my opinion
I used to go back every one or two years bu flying and me do not get along anymore so haven't bene back for over 4 years now
actually less the edit, and more the lens! Not too useful for most things, but definitely came out in an interesting way: https://lensbaby.com/tilt-shift-effect/
Cool that's a fun Lens
I haven't tried that one but recently picked up the lensbaby trio
Can I go there now!! These photos are amazing! I'd like to lay among the blades of grass and embrace the world around me.
I wish I could send you there for a little vacation from reality to put your feet up and have a berry wine. <3
Awesome shots from my favourite film ever
I agree; it was so charmingly well done, all considered. They really didn't need to go beyond the one though, unfortunately, in my mind. (the hobbit that is... the lord of the rings trilogy was very, very well done)
Yes I didn't like the hobbit too, for me the height of rohan and its soundtrack are really hard to achieve anytime soon by mankind
Beautiful photos of this fairy world. Thank you for sharing.
thank YOU. I love having this platform, to be able to relive these moments over and over again each time I bring them to someone else <3
I lived in New Zealand (Rotorua) for 6 months, and as my family from the US came to visit, each time we went to Hobbiton.
Very cool - a bit expensive.
it is, certainly. For me, the trip from Canada to NZ is one I will probably only make one or two more times in my life, so I just had to do it at least once.
Were you living there for school, or...? Rotorua was great; I threw myself off a cliff AND down a hill.
first Canadian edition... my favorite line in the whole post ;-p Great pics!
the book is curvy, and I gotta lotta miles on me
it really is kind of a big deal, lol! http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/booksbytolkien/hobbit/editions.htm
I've never even heard of that lens, but I love the effect! Absolutely agree that they're charming pictures. Amazing.
Tilt shift is a very niche, but interesting effect! I don't like the way it is used most of the time BUT it can make for some seriously cool miniature effects. The one I have is a cheap LensBaby~ definitely worth playing around with.
The time we visited NZ we also came to hobbiton. Very nice place. J
It's definitely great to visit at least once! I love that you've been able to get to NZ more than once.
Brilliant! I am very jealous. It is my favorite story of all time.
I have to admit... it didn't feel like walking around a movie set at all. Sitting under the eaves of the Green Dragon inn with a mug of ale, watching the rain patter on the surface of the lake where there are abandoned fishing nets complete with fish still in them laying just so, as though everyone just ducked inside for a drink by the fire...
magic.
Umm believe it or not, this is a dejavu or I dreamt about this... It triggered when I read the part where you said you brought your tilt lens.
Apparently we are going to be best steemit friends... True story..
Internet best friends! That is a bit weird, mostly because I rarely take it anywhere. Perhaps I'll start bringing it out more?
Yup or maybe i should buy 1..
So jealous! The Hobbit/LOTR are my favorite books and movies! Beautiful shots by the way.
it was an amazing trip. Just got in a campervan and drove until I stopped....I learned a lot in three weeks, that's for sure
grins
😂 love it!
First! :) I love these photos and thanks for telling us about them in discord today. The hobbit was a fav book for me growing up, well, like for everybody, but these sets are awesome and the toy camera photos rule!
I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to why I could imagine was my homeland in a parallel universe. Plunks down on the bench to read over your shoulder... "wait, I'm a slow reader so don't turn the page yet. Thank you."
priceless some day i'll get back to NZ it truly is a remarkable place. can't wait for the next installment :)
Nice post, I can smell the cut grass and feel the hazy nostalgia
Just reading "the hobbit" lol - never be there so far - so thank you for sharing. PS: The filter effect is cool, too - because it looks like a miniature landscape
Really beautiful and refreshing photos. !
Feeling like i am there .
Perfect shots !
🌼👍🌼
👌📷👌
🌼👍🌼
Upvoted !
nic and beautifull place..
thank you! I did really enjoy it. I know that it is purposefully built to be beautiful, but knowing that didn't make it any less striking.
The effect really adds to the whimsical mystery that you captured if not only for a moment. I'm not normally into fantastical worlds, but there's a level of peacefulness that sometimes living in the city, I wish I had.
Liked this a lot c:
Your post was nominated as an awesome piece of creative work during a contest on MSP Waves Radio, and then selected as a crowd favorite by our live listening audience in the PAL Discord Live Interactive Show Chatroom to receive some radio-active radio waves love from the audience of MSP Waves Radio!
Congratulations from all of us on the air at MSP Waves!
@SirCork
Station Manager
MSP Waves Radio Network
This post received a 20% vote by @netuoso courtesy of @sammosk from the Minnow Support Project ( @minnowsupport ). Join us in Discord.
Be sure to go to https://steemit.com/~witnesses, scroll to the bottom of the page, and vote for @netuoso.