2013 September MIPP newsletter

The Official MIPP Newsletter

September 2013

FOCALPOINT

www.mipp-malta.com

Issue No. 32

EDITORIAL

September.....just

one month away from the Annual MIPP October Convention in collaboration with The Societies, and the committee is buzzing with stuff to do in preparation for this big weekend.

This year we have two big contrasting photographers joining us. War photojournalist Heidi Levine will be flying from Israel to join us, and fashion and glamour photographer will be flying from the UK with model Nikki Hafter to show us some good stuff about model photography.

We also will be having Joe Zammit Lucia conducting the Forum, which will be about branding oneself in the photography world.

So really, you have no excuses but to book!

This issue is jam packed with interesting articles which should further inspire you and get you clicking.

Hope you enjoy this issue of the MIPP newsletter!

Happy Reading!

Newsletter Team Editor: Therese Debono Design: Therese Debono Articles: Various contributors Editorial Advice: Kevin Casha Contact: newsletter@mippmalta.com

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2013 pg 3 pg 5 pg 12 pg 17 pg 24 pg 25 pg 27 pg 29 pg 31 pg 33 pg 35 pg 36

cover artist

president’s viewpoint travel feature featured MIPP Member member’s article special feature special feature special feature special feature upcoming event past event calendar notices

Countdown to October Convention Ola! Valencia!

Claire’s Kids The sense of feeling in photography The October Convention Meet Heidi Levine Meet John Denton Meet Nikki Hafter The Liquid Element Waterpolo in pictures Mark your diaries!

September Photowalk & Qualifications

Martin Agius

This time round Martin Agius’s image graces

our front cover. You all know sweet natured Martin, he is the one who organises the photowalks. Here is his take on this image: “The image was taken during the Medieval Mdina event in 2010. Shooting images during events is not easy due to the amount of people going round and passing in front of you whilst you are shooting. So in Photoshop, I had to pen path the knight and change the background to get rid of all the distractions around him to further enhance the knight and take the image up to competition level. I entered this image in The Societies monthly competition under Events category and managed to get a Gold Award.”

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president’s viewpoint

Countdown to October Convention and Qualifications

Dear Members,

August is now over and we will be now moving into the final quarter of this year.

As usual, our main highlights will be the October International Convention as well as the MIPP Qualifications.

We give a lot of importance to both these events. Our international yearly seminar is most probably the longest, uninterrupted international photographic event on the island. It has time and again enabled local photographers to have the opportunity to learn and network with a long, valid list of top photographers from all over the world. In this, the MIPP has been at the forefront in striving to help and encourage local photographers to expand their photographic horizons.

A very significant player in this strategy has been the Societies of UK. Directors Phil and Juliet Jones have never been found wanting when asked and have significantly helped the MIPP and its photographers to not only sharpen their photographic skills and techniques, but to also look beyond our somewhat restrictive shores.

This ongoing cooperation and encouragement has undoubtedly made us believe much more in ourselves and today Maltese photographers regularly manage to stand on the same level as photographers of much more resourceful countries.

The MIPP Qualifications are another factor which has lifted the standard of local photography. We take these very seriously as through them; we have managed to build a reputation for seriousness and quality. One thing most members might not realize is that these Qualifications, first introduced by the MIPP, have enabled local photographers to have the facility to attempt and be mentored for these Qualifications in Malta, when previously, they would have incurred much greater expense and effort to do them abroad. Personal mentoring and the capability of attending the actual Qualification sessions are definite benefits that would have otherwise not been available.

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By now, most of the members who are sitting for the Qualifications would be in the final stages of preparation. It is a long, arduous but very informative and learning journey. I wish all those participating success with their efforts, and should they unfortunately fail at their attempt, look at the exercise as a challenge to further lift their standard of photography.

Failure is no disgrace but never trying is!

See you all at the October Convention.

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Ola! Valencia!

Write up and images by Kerstin Arnemann

My last short holiday destination was

April 2013: Valencia turned out to be an amazing city and a much needed break!

It may be Spain’s third largest city, but for many people Valencia is associated with little more than the oranges it exports across the globe and its annual Fallas street party. Recently, though, a surge in budget airline routes and heavy cultural investment has seen this fantastic city – long overshadowed in the tourism stakes by its big sisters Madrid and Barcelona – emerge as a popular short-break destination.

I spent the first day happily soaking up the sights of the historic centre, from the gothic vaulted ceilings of the Lonja – the former silk exchange – to the glittering blue tiles of the cathedral and so much more to visit. The Silk Exchange Building caught my attention due to its elegancy and story, a testament to Valencia’s wealth and power as a trading city in the late Middle Ages. Naturally you look up, following the rope-like pillars to the heights of the vaulted ceiling above. The importance of the institution encouraged symbolism, the hall representing paradise…. The Saint Mary’s Cathedral keeps another interesting secret… One of the supposed Holy Chalices in the world is revered in one of this cathedral’s chapels; this chalice has been defended as the true Holy Grail; visiting the small Chapel, I felt in some way transferred into a different era of ancient times.

Wherever I turned during my walk around the historical city I was greeted by beautiful baroque architecture, with intricately carved wooden doors and wrought-iron balconies providing a hint of the city’s former glory as an international trading centre. A short visit to the busy Mercado Central was a must for me as well, I found

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travel feature

plenty of small shops exposing their delicious “Jamon”, I was very tempted to buy a whole “Jamon” …. The same day I managed as well to make a short scouting trip to the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, wandering through the Turía garden, which follows the course of the city’s long-since diverted river ……The wide belt of cooling greenery snakes for miles around the historical centre and is dotted with lime trees, fountains and children’s playgrounds, providing a welcome relief from the heat of the centre and offering the Spanish people an awesome and relaxed place for sports activities. After a really packed day and hours of walking I felt all the blisters on my feet and decided to stop in one of the many Tapas Bars in Valencia and enjoyed the real Spanish lifestyle until late…

On the second day I woke up very early, 5 o’clock in the morning, as crazy as photographers can be, to visit again the impressive City of Arts and Sciences. My main aim was shooting abstract architecture. I wanted to catch the reflection of the buildings in the surrounding pools, but unluckily the sun that day went on strike and shortly after sun rise it started to rain….. anyhow I have had a great time wander-

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ing around the impressive modern buildings, as only very few people were there and still managed to get some nice shots.

Valencia is very versatile and offers so much…. in the afternoon I visited the Bioparc (zoological parc). I am definitely not a fan of zoos….. I prefer to see the animals in their real habitat, but I was very curious having read a lot about this special parc. The Bioparc Valencia is a singular zoological park created according to the concept of zoo-immersion, which seeks to immerse the visitor in a meticulous recreation of natural hábitats. I really think it is impressive and how they treat and protect the animals has to be praised even more.

The third day was reserved for full relax, taking care of my many blisters and I decided to visit the beach, Las Arenas. You find a promenade sitting at the back of the beach, offering a pleasant place to take a stroll along the beach and excellent seafood restaurants, a great place to try Valencia’s legendary paella. Like everywhere else choose carefully the restaurant as you can find tourist traps as well here. All in all, you need look no further than Valencia for the perfect balance of culture, relaxation and history. I was enchanted by the different sides of this city of contrasts and

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hope to explore more of its charms during future visits. There’s certainly a lot left to see… My short holiday was not yet finished so I drove from Valencia up south to Javea, a coastal town in the province of Alicante. On my way to Javea I did several sightseeing stops, which were really worth it….. but this will be another chapter!

Pg 6: Shot of the Science museum Pg 7: Typical facade found around Valencia Pg 8: Left - the impressive Cathedral Pg 8: Right - La Lonja Opposite Page: Two people flying a kite on Las Arenas Beach On this page: The Oceanagraphic and the Calatrava Bridge

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travel feature

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CLAIRE’S KIDS I

have been following Claire Farrugia on Facebook for quite a while and absolutely adore her child photography.

She manages to capture their innocence and vulnerability so well that I had to catch up with her and persuade her to run a feature about her work. words & images by Claire Farrugia

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So let’s start from the beginning...

Why and how did you start shooting?

I always recall myself, as a little girl running around with my Minolta 35mm point and shoot camera and drawing landscapes and objects. I’ve always dabbled in photography as a hobby for as long as I can remember. My attitude definitely stems from my childhood.

When I was growing up, I dreamt of being an artist and traveling around the world! Who knows! :-)

How did you get into kids photography?

Babies, toddlers, kids! ... I was always inspired by the fragility and vulnerabilty in them. The eyes, the nose, the mouth, their movements and expressions. They are God’s purest angels and the subject simply inspires me! I always knew from the beginning that I would work mainly with children. I think my images are expressive, insightful yet simple.

How do you approach your subjects and the parents?

I think it’s worth saying that you want to get the children that you are photographing as comfortable as can be. I try to take as many candid shots of the kids as possible. Showing kids photos after you’ve taken them, letting the child look through the viewfinder and even take a few shots (if they’re old enough), spending time with the kids before taking shots – all of these things can help set the child at ease.

The more relaxed they are the better. I always discuss with parents as regards clothing and favourite toys. My motto with clothes is to choose some that the child feels comfortable in and that reflects their personality.

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Any tips you might want to share about maybe how to keep em quiet or look at you?

Less is more! The less people around during the shoot the better since kids get easily distracted. I ask them to do funny things, and be funny myself!

How do you approach editing? Do you use any special filters maybe etc I just edit and post-process depending on the mood and feel of the subject in the photograph. I like to learn, and read alot. When I´m not learning something new, I get bored, so I constantly seek out new information and experiment with what’s new.

What do you like most about shooting kids? and what do you like least (hihi the screaming maybe!)

They are never dull or mundane, as soon as they are at ease, each shot becomes unique. Patience, patience and more patience come to play thereafter leaving the screaming aside....! :-D With toddlers, you cannot instruct to pose. You just have to wait and be funny, and wait and capture the perfect moment and expression!

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Do you prepare yourself for it as in posing, the best lighting available etc When it comes to posing, it’s hard to explain to newborns and toddlers, unless they fall asleep! I just love to shoot eye-level with children, it gives more intimacy to the shot with particular attention to the eyes. And with light, I am a natural light photographer and love how natural shadows create a sense of depth on the faces.

Why do you do it?

Passion - It might sound strange, but I don’t believe that talent is enough; I believe that passion is fuel and I am deeply and madly in love with photography, combined with determination and willingness to learn.

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the EOS 5D Mark lll joins the rental family! ... now available for rent.

for full details and conditions visit www.avantech.com.mt or call on 2148 88 00 Avantech Building St Julian’s Road San Gwann SGN 2805

The sense of feeling in photography....

I firmly believe that we have six senses rather than the usual five....the sense of feeling.

Capturing this in an image can be a challenge but when you get into it, you just can never get enough.

In this short article, I will try to describe how I get into this zone, in this case I was in Bordeaux. article & images by Therese Debono

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As photographers we are have an ele-

ment of curiosity within us. Where this curiosity leads no one really knows, not even the photographer him/herself.

It is a journey of self discovery above everything else. A long journey which I hope it will never end, in my case.

Having chosen this genre as my art, makes me selfish, and I am not ashamed to admit it. It takes a lot of time and energy to evolve well and in the right direction, however I find that nothing gives me such great satisfaction as when I am out with my camera. I am quite a sociable person by nature, however I crave me time in big amounts.

This is especially true when I am out travelling.

And here comes to mind the song by ‘The Doors’ called ‘People are strange’, which goes something like this ‘people are strange when you’re a stranger...’.

And there is no better situation for shooting when you are a stranger in a foreign country. I find myself looking more closely and observing more my surroundings, and this is due to the fact that whilst away from my country am more apt to be relaxed and in a more open minded frame of mind to explore, observe and get curious.

Now to allow myself to explore and get the images which I want to, I know that I can’t stay with the whole bunch of people I am travelling with. Fortu-

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nately enough, my friends understand this need of mine to explore so usually before we set out for the day we make sure our cell phones are in working order, just in case I get lost (which is not an unusual thing mind you!).

You have to allow yourself to be taken away by the crowd. You have to allow yourself to be taken up by the smells, the sounds of what is happening around you in this foreign land..... and what better way to do this than to surrender to your senses....of which we have five. However I debate this! I think we have 6, because let’s not forget the sense of feeling....which is the greatest

sense of all really. When you manage to surrender to all this, you can truly start to feel the place you are in, feel the people, the pace of the day and that is when you would have totally become part of the experience. I believe that you can’t feel one sense without the other.

I happened upon a food market on my recent trip to Bordeaux. The time was round 8, however I thought it was earlier since the light was brighter than in Malta. Somehow it felt like I stumbled in paradise, photography paradise I mean. There I was in the middle of this food market, surrounded by wonderful smells, people speaking French (which is not my forte, however I allowed myself to get used to it..), with a band playing in the background (Walking on the Moon by The Police), colours all around me due to the different food on offer, and then the sense of taste started complaining because I was taking too long to choose....and there I was touching these macaroons because they looked so colourful......and finally the sense of feeling took over....I felt part of this big community, simply living like they do.....and of course I had to record this...and I found myself snapping away at the macaroons, the apero, the ‘jus de pomme’, the ‘escargot’...the bread.....the people.....

And this is what I mean by feeling in photography. Capturing shots, not because they are there, but because you felt the way everything fitted in. It is like putting a memory in a picture.....

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You can’t do this, with friends waiting for you till you finish. Nor can you do this knowing that you have a time limit. You can’t keep the time, when you are surrounded by such beauty, by such feeling. So you have to rely on your sense of sight... yes light. We all know that photographers need light to shoot (flashes not allowed here...). So when you see that the light is changing drastically, you can rest assured that yes it’s getting late, and that your friends are somewhere down that lane, waiting for you with a glass of a nice Bordeaux red.

Salut!

Image pg 17: Flowers to please your sense of sight and smell Image pg 19: Macaroons to tantalise your sense of taste Image pg 20: More sweets to tempt your sense of taste Image pg 21: sweet kids to put a smile on your face and touch your heart

Ok instead of wine I found these two cute sisters waiting for me down the lane!

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The Annual MIPP October Convention in Collaboration with The

Societies is coming up soon!

Circle the 18th, 19th & 20th October and book for the upcoming convention to be sure you do not miss out on the great photographers who will be taking part!

The following pages will give you some information about the guests who are participating. However do have a look at our convention programme Meanwhile check out schedule here: http://convention.mipp-malta.com/programme/ And book through this link: http://convention.mipp-malta.com/prices-and-booking/

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OCTOBER CONVENTION 2013

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MEET HEIDI LEVINE One of this year’s highlights at the convention is Heidi Levine. Heidi will discuss Female photojournalism on the front line; another topic which she will conduct with local photojournalist Darrin Zammit Lupi is called ‘Keeping It Together’, and will finish off on Sunday with a discussion.

Heidi Levine is an award-win-

ning American photographer who has made an international career that has spanned the globe, particularly the Middle East. What was originally intended to be a oneyear experience in the Middle East has turned into a life dedicated to capturing critical moments of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in addition to other conflicts throughout the region.

Levine has spent more than two decades documenting the Palestinian-Israeli conflict with clarity and honesty. She has covered the numerous tragedies that have shaken the region and the many attempts to bring peace between the two sides. She lives in Israel, where she raised three children, but travels frequently to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on a daily basis. Levine has never lost focus on the human element of the conflict. More than once she has found herself in the home of a Palestinian family mourning the loss of a loved one killed during an Israeli military operation and, later the same day, covering a suicide bombing on the streets of an Israeli city with only a checkpoint separating the two sides of the conflict. Her passion for the story and her compassion for the victims have never wavered.

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october convention special

Together with leading international journalist Patrick Martin and other members of Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper, Levine was nominated for an Emmy award for her work in the multimedia “Inside Hamas” as videographer in the category of New Approaches to News and Documentary Programming: Current News Coverage.

Levine has covered the construction of Israel’s so-called separation barrier; her work on this was published worldwide and featured by Stern, Paris Match, Newsweek and others. Levine also put together a powerful photo essay for The New York Times Magazine on life under rocket fire in the bomb shelters in northern Israel during the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

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MEET JOHN DENTON If you are into fashion and glamour, or just plain model photography then John Denton’s lectures and workshops at the upcoming October Convention are the ones for you!

I personally attended John’s classes at

the October Convention in 2010 and also at The Societies Convention in January 2011 in London, and I must add that John makes it all so easy to understand and perform.

His fun loving approach to photography makes it all the more easier to learn and shoot. So do not miss out on this opportunity and book for the October Convention to reserve your place!

John will be in Malta this October with professional model Nikki Hafter. They are a photographer and model team that travel the world shooting nude to fashion imagery.

They will describe their world to you and in a question and answer session respond to any query you have as to why nude photography is vital to photographers, how models feel, how they like to be directed, what information they need before a shoot, how they feel when examining their images........No boundaries, no questions unanswered come and talk.

wording by Therese Debono

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october convention special

Above: John Denton during one of his lectures in the UK. Left: Nikki Hafter, the model who will be accompanying John during the October Convention.

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MEET NIKKI HAFTER Nikki Hafter is the gorgeous professional model who will be accompanying John Denton during his lectures and workshops at the October Convention. Read on to find out more about Nikki and her start in the modelling world! images by John Denton

Nikki started out as a hair

model for a chain of local salons, Westrow, while at university in Leeds. Working for Westrow took her to London and Milan, with shows for hair brands L’Oreal and GHD. In June 2012 Westrow’s West Park salon won the prestigious L’Oreal Colour Trophy with Nikki modeling their winning look, and scoring a front cover for industry magazine Hairdresser’s Journal.

Aft er graduating that summer, Nikki was keen to further her modeling career and

by September 2012 had begun working for John Denton Training and joined agencies Shine Model Management and DK Models, all based in the north of England. In January 2013 she had the op-

portunity to model at The Societies’ Convention, and during this year has toured all over the UK for both Denton training and the Societies. She is now a full-time professional model and having recently relocated to the London area she is expecting big things for the future! Nikki has never visited Malta before and having heard so many good things about the place and people, is looking forward to being part of the Convention.

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october convention special

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The Liquid Element: still life in an aquarium

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upcoming event

Join us this September 3rd, for our

monthly lecture, this time featuring Duncan Cauchi talking about how he shoots these amazing bubbles and drops!

Duncan will guide us through his procedure with a live demo so do not miss out on this opportunity to see his amazing work in the making!

Le Meridien; 19:30hrs

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Waterpolo T

here was a great turn out for this event with 16 members turning up and veterans Kevin Casha, Christopher Azzopardi, Domenic Aquilina and John Ambrogio.

The game turned out to be a one way game, since the Sliema team were much stronger than Exiles team however the game offered great shooting opportunities with the final score ending 23-11.

It is clear from the images uploaded on facebook by various members, that you all had fun shooting this event and there are also some great images from the submissions. There will surely be another event like this since it was such a great success, however it has to be next year since the Waterpolo season just came to an end!

Images & wording by Martin Agius

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past monthly event

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CALENDAR 3rd September Duncan Cauchi- A man & his Legacy Le Meridien; 19:30hrs

17th September PTYA Judging

Le Meridien; 19:30hrs

22nd September Football Premier Division Ta’Qali; 16:30hrs (see opp page for details)

1st October MIPP Monthly Talk

Le Meridien; 19:30hrs

18th, 19th & 20th October MIPP Convention Le Meridien

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UPCOMING PHOTOWALK

If you are a paid up member, then

do not hesitate to join Martin Agius on this fantastic photowalk opportunity, to shoot two (not one!) matches at the Football Premier Division, on 22nd September.

Attendance is by booking only, by 12th September, so hurry and book on bookings@mipp-malta.com.

Match 1: Balzan vs Mosta Match 2: B’Kara vs Hiberians Time: 16:30hrs Venue: Ta’ Qali, National Stadium (Blue Bridge)

QUALIFICATIONS

As is custom during the MIPP International Convention, we will be holding

qualifications on Friday afternoon. Applications for Licentiate, Associateship and Fellowship applications are to be received by the 5th October in order to be considered for this year’s judging. Below is the documentation required for submission.

Please read carefully before submitting for qualifications.

Regulations: http://convention.mipp-malta.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/MIPP-FullQualification-Regulations-Sept-2012.pdf Application Form: http://convention.mipp-malta.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/mipp_qualification_form-jun20091.pdf

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