CAPTURING YELLS, BELLS AND SMELLS

ED KIRWAN, FOUNDER OF EMPATHY WEEK AND A REGULAR SPEAKER AT FILMMAKING AND PHOTOGRAPHY EVENTS, TELLS US HOW TO CAPTURE KEY MOMENTS ON OUR TRIP, WITH A PHONE

Lord Byron, when he visited Malta, was recorded as describing Malta as a nation of “Yells, bells and smells.” In Malta for the Traverse Keyframe conference, Ed Kirwan took some time out to talk to me about how to really capture the essence of a moment in time.

“You know the scene, you visit a local market, wander the backstreets, and want to show the colours and varieties, you want to show people what a place is really like; well, a place is made up of its people so getting an authentic shot, which isn’t staged or rehearsed, can really speak volumes.”

Last month the Traverse Keyframe Conference was held in Malta, an event which teaches travel bloggers and vloggers the technical skills behind photography and videography. Ed was in particular teaching about filmmaking and photography on the go, or ‘Run and Gun’ as it’s also known, the art of using natural light and the environment around you to tell the story you want.

The new trend is towards ‘flawsome’ imagery, more real, more authentic. We all know that many shots we see online are filtered and overly edited and these are having an unhealthy effect on society. However, this doesn’t mean taking a bad picture it what's being called for, but rather it means trying to capture the unique surroundings you’re in instead. This is how you can do it:

Always look for movement. Whether taking video or a still, look for a car, boat, bird in the background – and let that object do the moving and you hold your ‘camera’ still. If you’re taking video too, avoid the panoramic swoop - it’s over done and can just give your viewer motion sickness - not great!

Search for ‘leading lines’. These are where straight or curved lines draw your eye to the main focus of the image. One of my favourite places is the bottom of Savoy Hill, looking up to that beau tiful old building - especially in golden hour

Move your eyeline. Either you stretch higher, or you go lower to capture your image from a different angle. You might look and feel a bit strange – but the picture will be worth it.

Look for contrast. Natural light can create some great shadows, this can be really great for taking photos of stunning architecture.

Take photos or take videos at what we call golden hours. One hour after sunrise and before sunset are perfect for a softer, more flattering light. If you shoot in the middle of the day, you will have harsh shadows which make your subjects seem harsh – which of course, might be the effect you are after but if it’s not - get shooting in golden hour.

Find your own style. Sure, look on social media for inspiration but don't just copy the style, try creating your own. Check out hashtags of where you are going to see what others have done and then think of a different way of capturing that image or environment - get creative!

Don’t overthink the image. The joy of digital cameras is that you can take hundreds of shots and delete the ones that didn’t work plus you’ll be learning and getting better each time.

Ed Kirwan was the photographer responsible for the images of Hannah Pisani in the May edition of Il-Bizzilla and counts DHL, Philips and Formula E as clients. He is a Ted-X speaker and regular guest at photography events. Ed is the founder, CEO of Empathy Week, an award-winning global schools programme having engaged over 175,000 students in 40+ countries, that uses the power of film to develop the crucial skill of empathy in students aged 5-18. You can find out more at www.empathy-week.com