Malta Institute of Professional Photography (MIPP) newsletter: January-February 2017

ISSUE

69

The official MIPP Newsletter

Photography by Romana Wylie

www.mipp-malta.com

2017

JANUARY | FEBRUARY

Photography Kevin Casha

Editorial Seeing the Light Dear Members, Whilst teaching photography, one strange thing that I regularly encounter is the lack of motivation and willingness to engage in research by a good number of students. I find this rather curious as today there are so many ways of absorbing knowledge and improving oneself. Books, online media, video, blogs, and webinars – the list is endless. Yet even from a few simple questions, one can usually gauge the lack of involvement of learners through their attempted answers. It seems that most students are all looking for a quick fix and, unfortunately, this does not exist.

We are all a product of our conditioning. How many times do we hear this when we come to, for example, nutrition issues? We are told we are what we eat, and naturally, this is a true empirical statement. But, leaving physical needs apart, our brain also requires the right feeding to evolve; and the food for the brain is filtered and selected knowledge. Scientific research indicates that by keeping the brain active and challenged, even illnesses like dementia can be combated. What better reason to keep exercising our minds? Valid photographers are artists and need to know what is happening around them, what issues are concerning society, what their peers are producing or instigating. Granted, today’s lifestyle is difficult to handle: we all have time constraints. However, one needs to rethink one’s lifestyle and prioritize matters in order to make more time for absorbing knowledge and research. If we really delve into the way we go through our lives, and reflect sincerely, I am sure that we can avail ourselves of more time through really being selective in what we do and see . . . and this is all for the benefit of art and society.

In fact, being selective is the key. Ok, it is nice to read fiction, it provides an escape from reality and everyday life, however if we are to be creative, we should engage with more instructional material. Life is full of choices, and I believe in absolute freedom as long as this does not impinge on other people’s freedom, but we must identify what we want out of life. Do we want to plod through life and try and isolate ourselves from all that is happening around us? Do we want to live in our own little world and not care about trying to leave a better society than the one we lived in? Do we really not care about who comes after us? Transferring this line of thought into art, how can we become ‘artists’ if we do not engage in raising public awareness on issues which are for the common good? If an artist is to engage with an audience, there is the vital need to identify concepts that can help to pass on a message and make an impact in daily life - however small that might be. It is all good that a person engages in art practice for his/her own satisfaction but that is a fragment of the benefit that art can do to our society.

Unfortunately it seems that most people today are trying to shut out the difficult world and situations that we are continuously confronted with. This is quite understandable as dwelling too much on negative issues is not conducive to great peace of mind or good health - however, blocking out what is happening around us will not make problems disappear - on the contrary, it gives scope for worse situations to arise. If we were to all do our little part, the overall picture would surely improve - this is the role and duty of a serious artist. I do not criticize those who wish to quietly live their life and not challenge themselves but I do criticize those who are all the time moaning about this or that and not doing anything about it. I just hope that these few lines make at least a few people reflect. I will leave you with an Ansel Adams quote, which I find very apt:

“The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it” Kevin Casha President.

Editor: Kevin Casha

Design: Articles: Sita Azzopardi & Malcolm Sammut Various contributors

Proof Reading: Louisa Tonna

Members Profiles: Daniel Vassallo

If you want your photos featured on the newsletter’s front page just send the images to: newsletter@mippmalta.com Your contributions are always welcome

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Contents Illustrated Academic Essay by Lorraine Abela

pg 04

The MIPP International Convention 2016 by Kevin Casha

pg 07

Richard Farrugia by Daniel Vassallo

pg 10

‘Malta Street Life’ – Artist Statement by Martin Agius

pg 15

Comments Still Image Course | The MIPP Image Editing Course

pg 18

Annual General Meeting | Agenda for the AGM

pg 19

Jot down dates

pg 20

Light Hearted Moments by Mario Casha

pg 21

Exhibition feature by Tomoko Goto

pg 22

Membership Renewal and newcomers

pg 24

MIPP Benefits of Being a Member

pg 25

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Illustrated Academic Essay Contextual and cultural referencing in art & design

fine art.

“Mann’s photographs suggest that the camera is as adept at depicting the desires of the subconscious as it is rendering the shapes of everyday life.” Andy Grundberg, the New York Times.

by Lorraine Abela Part three

Contemporary Work “ Photographs open doors into the past but they also allow a look into the future” – Sally Mann. http://dgh23train.blogspot.com/2012/10/quotes-by-sally-mannartist-that-we.html

Figure 19 | JESSIE AT 5, 1987 https://artofplatinum.wordpress.com/tag/sally-mann/

Reinterpretation of paintings This quote defines precisely what another artist, Sally Mann has in mind. Mann is a contemporary lady

The question regarding whether photography should

photographer born in Virginia in the mid twentieth

be considered as art is one which remains debatable

century, who was inspired by the pictorialists and

in our society. However, whatever one’s opinion may

influenced by Julia Margaret Cameron and Eugene

be, there is an excellent representation of the merging

Atget. Her photography, portraying her own children,

of photography and art displayed in the works of Bill

captures moments in daily life, whilst emphasizing the

Gekas (born and living in Melbourne Australia), whose

cultural perception surrounding sexuality and death.

photographs provide reinterpretations of historical

Her work is intriguing and abstract. She combined

paintings. Gekas mainly uses his daughter as his

technicalities and ideas from the past together with

model. Even though he is reinterpreting paintings

Figure 18 | BLOWING BUBBLES 1987

Figure 20

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from the past, meaning he must have been in some

similar artists. He is mainly influenced by Caravaggio,

way inspired by them and their particular style, he still

Rembrandt, Vermeer and Velazquez. One can admire

manages to give them his own personal artistic twist,

his mere authentic work below.

making his work unique and recognizable from that of

Figure 21

Figure 22

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Figure 23

http://www.profotos.com/education/referencedesk/masters/masters/helenlevitt/ helenlevitt.shtml http://www.masters-of-photography.com/L/levitt/levitt_articles2.html http://www.laurencemillergallery.com/levitt_just_kids.html http://academic.uprm.edu/laviles/id194.htm http://www.iphf.org/hall-of-fame/lewis-hine/ http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Lewis-Hine.html http://blog.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/2013/04/24/find-out-when-a-photo-wastaken-identify-collodion-positive-ambrotype/ http://theghostdiaries.com/memento-mori-victorian-death-photos/ http://sallymann.com/ http://www.artnet.com/artists/sally-mann/ http://www.gagosian.com/artists/sally-mann http://sallymanninsideandout.blogspot.com/p/influences.html http://www.billgekas.com/about.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2280946/When-Instagram-meetsRembrandt-Photographer-uses-tricks-light-create-illusion- Baroque-masterpiece.html http://digital-photography-school.com/interview-with-fine-art-portrait-photographerbill-gekas/ http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/adag/hd_adag.htm http://perimeterbooks.com/Linda-Fregni-Nagler-The-Hidden-Mother

Works Cited

Figure 24

http://www.eastmanhouse.org/icp/pages/postmortem_port.html http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2002/jan/levitt/020117.levitt.html

Scrutinizing child portraiture and exploring from where it all commenced was very fruitful. Observing firstly, the methods which accommodated the traditions from one century to another and secondly, the development of how photography was approached and altered according to different periods; mainly taught me that photography is a developing art which is constantly flourishing.

Bibliography Jeffrey, Ian (1981). A Concise History of Photography. Thames and Hudson Stieglitz, Alfred (1903-1917) Camera Work – The complete Illustrations. Tuschen Lee, SriKartini (2011) Reading Photography – A sourcebook of critical texts 1921-2000.

Lund Humphries Clarke, Graham (1997) The Photograph. Oxford Documentary Photography-Life Library of Photography Mann,Sally. Immediate Family Frizot, Michael (1998) The New History of Photography. Konemann http://www.photographymuseum.com/sandh1.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270169/Post-mortem-photographyMorbid-gallery-reveals-Victorians-took-photos-DEAD- relatives-posing-couchesbeds-coffins.html http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2013/dec/02/hidden-mothersvictorian-photography-in-pictures http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/photography/10475137/Early-Victorian-familyportraits-and-the-disappearing-mother.html http://fadedandblurred.com/spotlight/gertrude-kasebier/ http://codystudies.org/kasebier/bio.php http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/33.43.132 http://reelfoto.blogspot.com/2011/09/helen-levitt-new-yorks-unassuming.html http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2002/jan/levitt/020117.levitt.html http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/helen-levitt-photographerrenowned-for-her-portraits-of-street-life-in-new-york- 1670451.html http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Helen-Levitt.html

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http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/lewishine161834.html http://dgh23train.blogspot.com/2012/10/quotes-by-sally-mann-artist-that-we.html https://artofplatinum.wordpress.com/tag/sally-mann/

Photos Figure 1 | Figure 2 | Figure 3 | Figure 4 http://www.formerdays.com/2012/09/daguerreotype-children-ii.html Figure 5 | Figure 6 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270169/Post-mortem-photographyMorbid-gallery-reveals-Victorians-tookphotos-DEAD-relatives-posing-couches-beds-coffins.html Figure 7 http://www.domusweb.it/en/art/2013/06/17/the_hidden_mother.html Figure 8 Camera Work 3,1903 | Error! Bookmark not defined Figure 9 Camera Work1,1903 pg96-97 Figure 10 | Figure 11 http://fadedandblurred.com/spotlight/gertrude-kasebier/ Figure 12 http://www.laurencemillergallery.com/gallery.htm Figure 13 | Figure 14 http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Helen-Levitt.html Figure 15 http://tomclarkblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/lewis-w-hine-cotton-she-jessworks-for.html Figure 16 http://drx.typepad.com/psychotherapyblog/2008/05/photos-of-the-3.html Figure 17 http://imgfave.com/search/1908.%20%20by%20lewis%20w.%20hine Figure 18 http://www.artnet.com/galleries/edwynn-houk-gallery/sally-mannimmediate-family/ Figure 19 http://fadedandblurred.com/spotlight/sally-mann/ Figure 20 http://sallymann.com/selected-works/family-pictures Figure 21 | Figure 22 | Figure 23 | Figure 24 http://www.billgekas.com/p1014938437

Lorraine Abela

The MIPP International Convention 2016 Article by Kevin Casha

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The MIPP’s 20th anniversary celebrations came to a final crescendo with the recent International Convention held at Monte Kristo Estates in November. Weather was not very cooperative but the fantastic settings and facilities of the venue’s wine vaults helped in no small manner to make this

yearly photographic gathering a success.

and Amanda Hsu together with top local protagonists Alex Attard, Keith Ellul, Domenic Aquilina, Guido Bonett,

This convention was a special one as no less than sixteen

George Abdilla, Charles Calleja, Ramon Sammut, Duncan

lecturers took part. The international flavor was ever

Cauchi and Sean Azzopardi. Throughout the two days

evident as besides our main guest speaker John Denton

of the convention, three lecturing, projection and studio

and his delightful model, Matilda Jane, we had Tom Lee,

set-ups were prepared in the spacious Monte Kristo

Dennis Orchard and Podge Kelly at the convention.

vaults and this provided the delegates with a wealth of

Added to these were foreign photographers based in

inspirational choices to engage with various genres of

Malta of the caliber of Alan Carville, Johan Siggesson

photography.

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Stands by MIPP main sponsors Ilab, PhotoNK

the Year (PTYA) trophy.

(Intervisions) and Avantech further enhanced the networking experience of all those who participated.

The trophy, designed purposely and exclusively for

As is the norm, Juliet Jones, director of the Societies

MIPP by top international artist George Muscat,

of UK, was present at the convention. Unfortunately,

was presented to Sean by Martin Agius who was

this time round, Phil Jones could not be with us due to

responsible for co-ordinating the PTYA competition.

a convalescence period but he was definitely with us

Sean was also presented with vouchers worth over

in spirit. The Societies have been collaborating with

â‚Ź1000 by sponsors Ilab, PhotoInk and the Societies.

the MIPP for the past sixteen years and have been the

Members Johan Debono and Domenic Aquilina were

main force in regularly embellishing our convention

also presented with their well gained Associateship

with international speakers and personalities.

Qualification certificates. Johan got his with a Nature panel whilst Domenic with a Sports panel. The MIPP

The convention came to a close on Sunday evening

Still Image Award students were also presented with

with the MIPP’s award night held at the Le Meridien

their certificates and Martin Agius was presented

Hotel. During the event, Sean Azzopardi was

with the MIPP Award of Recognition for services

presented with the fabulous MIPP Photographer of

rendered to the MIPP.

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Another pin, another line, another adventure

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD FARRUGIA

Richard Farrugia Richard Farrugia, 26 years old, lives in Rabat, Malta. He

super-telephoto photography.

studied business and management and he is currently a production planner at STMicroelectronics. He loves

In 2014 Richard decided to step up to a mirrorless

metal music, he plays the piano and calls himself a

camera. He bought a Fujifilm X-E2 which has a 16

metalhead, besides that he also likes travelling, body

mega pixel APS-C CMOS sensor. He prefers to buy

art - namely tattoos - philosophy and photography.

from local dealers and only reverts to online purchases when items are either not available locally or they are

Richard has been nourishing his passion for

way more expensive. With the X-E2 camera came a

photography since he was young. He started

kit-lens, the 18-55mm, later on he purchased a 50-

snapping his first shots when he was 13, using his

230mm telephoto lens and also a 35mm and a 12mm

father’s Petri SLR film camera. Prior to that, his dad

wide-angle lens. The primes are the lenses that he

had owned another three or four cameras as he was

uses the most at the moment as he feels that with the

quite passionate about photography and that is who

zoom lenses he was becoming too lazy.

Richard inherited this pastime from.

Richard is a fan of Fujifilm cameras because they In 2006 Richard switched to his first digital camera.

look and handle like classic SLR film cameras and he

Back then he was still in post-secondary education

likes that vintage feel with all the manual settings and

and he managed to convince his father to buy him a

the aperture ring on his lenses. He hails mirrorless

bridge camera for his Systems of Knowledge project.

cameras for their colour representation, the vintage

The Fuji S9600 was an excellent camera and easy

design, the versatility and most importantly the

to use, especially for travelling. At that time he

electronic view finder which helps him to expose his

visited several Asian countries, he carried his S9600

shots much more easily compared to the viewfinders

everywhere with him and he did not have to bother

found on DSLRs.

swapping lenses. Bridge cameras have a substantial

Richard argues that since he does not earn money out

zoom that covers everything - from wide-angle to

of photography, he pays attention to the amount of

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money he spends on equipment. Some of the lenses

course held by the MIPP. Richard tries to attend most

he buys are third party lenses and he is forced to

of the monthly lectures that are provided free of

focus manually but he actually enjoys shooting in

charge to the MIPP members. He looks forward to

manual and thinks that autofocus makes him lazy.

the continuation and advancement of the Still Image course and he hopes to be able to achieve a Diploma

In 2014, he also started attending an Introduction

or a degree in photography with the MIPP.

to Photography course at MCAST. In 2015, at the end of the first course, he decided to undertake the

Before these courses, Richard could not decide what

Intermediate Course in Photography at MCAST. It was

kind of photography to focus on, he used to shoot

during this time that he met Kevin Casha who was his

anything, simply exploring the different genres. In

lecturer. Since then he has developed a relationship

2016, after the Still Image Course he felt that it was

with Kevin who became Richard’s mentor and they

easier for him to choose a direction.

now consider each other close friends.

He combined philosophy with photography and

he decided to accept another challenge and he has

depicting addiction artistically and this is a huge

successfully completed the Still Image Award training

challenge for him because of his timid nature, he

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Addiction

I can still keep you joined

I can still keep going...

I can still protect you

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD FARRUGIA

photography. He started a project with the aim of

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD FARRUGIA

Institute of Professional Photography (MIPP). In 2016,

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD FARRUGIA

he focused more on conceptual and minimalistic

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD FARRUGIA

In July 2015, Richard became a member of the Malta

has to work directly with people and direct them to

art and he describes it as the expression of a human

achieve the shot that he sets in mind.

being. A part of his soul is imprinted in his works and Richard sees photography, music and tattoos as the

He has already taken some shots which give a

main forms of art shaping up his future.

comprehensive view on addiction compared to the most common topics that come to mind. At the end

One of Richard’s favourite shots is his self-portrait

of this project, Richard plans to have a panel of 20

shot in his garage which he also uses as his studio.

photographs which he will then showcase in an

He particularly likes to work on his tripod, admittedly

exhibition.

it slows his work down, but the gains in precision are definitely worth it. The self-portrait is an image that

He also has another idea which is still being developed

took him a lot of preparation and he set up the shot

by the name of The Art of Pleasure and Pain, it is about

using one of his friends as a model.

capturing the most important moments of tattoo making in an artistic way. He started getting tattoos

Richard has a very interesting view about photography,

on his body in the last year and a half and he plans to

he argues that at this day and age, everybody can snap

keep adding more tattoos in the near future and he revealed that this form of body art is the main reason he got more involved into photography. Richard loves

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD FARRUGIA

Remembering the gone

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD FARRUGIA

St Patrick Cathedral

reality. Even in commercial images such as a wedding photograph, the photographer can create a new reality by asking people to stop whatever they were doing and to pose for him.

Richard’s photography is inspired

by Hiroshi Sugimoto who is known for

his

extremely

photography

and

minimalistic also

Shigeru

Yoshida. One of Richard’s greatest ambitions for the future is to become commercially viable and perhaps work in photography.

Daniel Vassallo

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD FARRUGIA

Release

pictures but not everyone is a photographer. What separates a photographer from the rest is the ability to look at the world in a photographic way, expressing what he sees and imagines in a creative manner, giving viewers something to ponder about when looking at the photograph. For him photography is about creating realities as imagined and perceived by the photographer that might have never existed.

Photographs do not necessarily show reality, often they channel the message that the photographer had in mind.

A landscape shot can show a different reality if taken with a long exposure. A picture of a street in Valletta, taken 70 years ago will show a different

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD FARRUGIA

Waiting for Flight

2016

Continental Cars Ltd.

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‘Malta Street Life’ Artist Statement “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst”

in my personal projects It is curious that when I first started photography I always thought that I did not want to take photographs of people. It is strange how things work out during the course of time. In fact, I ended up obtaining my Associate Qualification with the Malta Institute of Professional Photography (MIPP)

“Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera”

and the Societies (UK) in Fashion & Glamour, started

“It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera…

Kevin taught and mentored me in my photographic

they are made with the eye, heart and head.”

journey. I consider Kevin as the best photographer on

work as a photojournalist and sports photographer and gradually becoming enamoured by street photography.

Besides my wife, I happened to come upon two great people in my life, Kevin Casha and Ramon Sammut.

the island and I am particularly proud to be working I feel that the above quotations by French iconic

with him within the MIPP, in order to continually

photographic legend Henri Cartier-Bresson, amply

strive to improve photography on the island. Ramon

describe me and my work. Being a photojournalist by

Sammut was also my tutor and mentor when it came

profession, I try to retain these lines of thought during

to image editing. With these two stalwarts how can

my work. Such reflection has helped me focus more

one go wrong in photography? My successes are very

on what I need to achieve when I press the camera

much thanks to them. Like any other dream, it has not

shutter – be it during my commercial work as well as

been an easy one to achieve, but with the continued

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support of my wife Therese I have managed to

they enquired if I want to work part-time for them.

achieve these satisfactions.

Without even thinking I said yes – and right after I had my doubts about to what I was doing; after 27

Whilst I was in the army I met Maj Ivan Consiglio and

years in the service it was not easy to start working

he asked me if I would join him at the Army Media

outside the army world. However, my trepidations

Office as a photographer. It wasn’t an easy decision

were unfounded and I immediately clicked at my new

because in the last year of my army service I had to

workplace. I was now working in a job that I loved. In

change regiment, but I accepted as the photographic

September 2013 I was offered, and promptly accepted,

bug had bitten deep and I had already decided that

a full-time job with Media.Link Communications.

on retirement I would try to work as a photographer.

So this was a great opportunity to improve my

Throughout my photographic journey, I have won

capabilities and gain valuable experience.

the Societies (UK) Press and News Photographer of the Year in 2011. In 2015 I was awarded a distinction

When I retired from the army in July 2010, I was

in the Level 3 ‘MIPP Award in Still Photography’. I

contacted

have managed to gain several awards, both locally

by

Media.link

Communications

and

and abroad, participated in collective exhibitions in Malta, UK, Italy, Egypt and Greece and my work has been published locally and internationally. In 2011 I joined the MIPP as a Committee Member in the post of Treasurer and Competitions Co-Ordinator.

The collection of work I am submitting during this exhibition encompasses my recent work in the genre of street photography – one genre which I find embodies the true spirit of photography.

Martin Agius

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Recently the MIPP Still Image Course in photography came to an end. Hereunder are some comments received from the students: Dear Kevin, “Thank you for your encouraging feedback! I feel enriched by the Still Image Course and am acutely aware of how far it pushed my boundaries- I do not believe I would have ever attempted such spontaneous candid photography without it. (This would have been a pity- I have found that I enjoy it tremendously and feel it has given me the opportunity to grow as a person too.) Thank you once again.”

Martha Zammit Dear Kevin, “Many thanks Kev, it was a good journey. I learned a lot and this course pushed me to pursue avenues which I previously shied away from. Many thanks”.

Mark Anthony Bugeja

For details of the course go to

http://mipp-malta.com/courses/mipp-award-instill-photography/

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Hi Kevin, It was a great experience doing this course - not only I made new friends and colleagues but also improved my skills as well. The course was the key to providing an environment in which we could grow and mature in our photographic endeavours also stimulating our creativity and uniqueness. It was a pleasure working for the final panel, as I could challenge myself in areas I wasn’t comfortable in, trying to make sense of a theme that I did not fully understand, but this led me to improve myself not only photographically but also as a person.

I recommend this course heartily to anyone who has a serious desire to learn photography in a more detailed approach, as I have to admit, without this course I would not have been able to produce the stunning work I submitted in the last 3 sessions of the PTYA and all the great images during my recent trips. Thanks a lot for the patience and mentoring you gave us, Kevin, we owe you big time.

Thanks and Regards Richard Farrugia

Annual General Meeting As you have already been informed, the MIPP’s Annual General Meeting will be held on TUESDAY 7th MARCH at Le Meridien Hotel in St Julians at 7.30 pm. Only fully paid up members will be eligible to vote.

Agenda for the AGM 1 Approval of minutes of AGM 2016 2 Hon. Secretary General’s Annual Report – Sergio Morana 3 Hon. Treasurer’s Statement of Accounts – Martin Agius 4 MIPP’s Vision for 2017 by MIPP’s Hon. President – Kevin Casha 5 Amendments to the statute 6 Nomination of two tellers 7 Presentation of members standing for election 8 Election of the new committee 9 Other Matters

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CALENDAR January February

January /2 017

February /2 017

1

10 Jot dow n the da tes

February/2017

January /2017

MIPP Members’ meeting

MIPP Members’ meeting COMMISSIONER OF DATA PROTECTION EXPLAINING THE LAW

Richard Farrugia, Brian Aguis. Samuel Masini Wednesday 1st February | 19:30

GAINING THE STILL IMAGE AWARD 2015 - 2016 Tuesday 10th January | 19:30 Le Meridien

March /2017

MIPP Members’ meeting

Le Meridien

March /2017

MIPP Members’ meeting GUIDO BONETT GORILLAS IN THE MIST

Annual General Meeting Tuesday 7th March | 19:30

Tuesday 14th March | 19:30

Le Meridien

Le Meridien

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LIGHT HEARTED MOMENTS

EVERYONE IS A PHOTOGRAPHER

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by Mario Casha

Adam Jeppesen Out of Camp” exhibition at C/O Berlin Exhibition Review

by Tomoko Goto Adam Jeppesen’s “Out of Camp” exhibition (16/07/16 - 25/09/16) is the first instalment of the “Thinking about Photography” series at C/O Berlin, a major art gallery and educational institute which specializes in contemporary photography.

Jeppesen is a Copenhagen-based photographer who traveled solo with his camera from the North Pole to the Antarctic. He documented the footprints of his journey, and he shot a series of landscape images along the way: mountains, seas, rivers, glaciers, hills and valleys.

Jeppesen experimented with how he produces, perceives and presents his images in an attempt to

I’m sure most photographers would be happy with any

bridge the gap between his experienced reality and

images that they managed to bring home from such

photos which simply project “pretty” mountains or

a trip. But Jeppesen stopped to question whether

deserted fields.

his photographs in fact truly represented what he experienced out there in the wilds. This left him with a

The result was one of the most interesting and

sense of distance between the many hardships of his

innovative displays of landscape photography I’ve

journey and the stereotypically “beautiful” landscape

seen so far. For example, several prints had dust

images that were the result.

and scratches on them. Jeppesen left them that way because this is what the trip did to his prints. Other prints were cut into pieces and then reassembled and stuck on the wall with pins.

Jeppesen also showed large prints of glaciers in Iceland which had folded marks on them. He printed these images on semi-transparent rice paper, and the end result gives the impression of having been stored in a dusty drawer for decades.

Jeppesen also experimented with the photogravure technique. He

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created a series of 8 prints of the same image, but

fade away like ghosts — just like our memories of

he only coated the printing block with ink once. The

those journeys fade away over time.

first image in each series is of course the most sharply defined, but by the time we reach the last image, the

In experimenting with the idea of imperfection

ink is gone and all we see is the imprint of the block on

and its aesthetic value, Jeppesen retains what

paper. As you move through these prints one by one,

many photographers choose to erase or crop with

figures such as airplanes and open desert landscapes

Photoshop. He treats photographic images and prints as “objects”, something we can touch and feel, and

he

chooses

to

manipulate his photos using

only

analogue

methods.

His

images

emotionally

become intense

and real as a result.

I felt the ‘textures’ of his prints without touching the

them,

and

landscapes

he

captured

as

prints

spoke to me about the physical challenges of his journey.

23 | The official MIPP Newsletter

Membership Renewal

We would like to remind you that we are now accepting payments for 2017 membership renewals. By renewing the €40 fee (from 2016 it is €40 even for those that have been members for 5 or more years), you will have a chance to

Become a qualified photographer with our three levels of qualification: Licentiate, Associate and Fellowship

Reciprocal photographic qualification with the best UK Institution

Get reduced rates to our courses and workshops

Informative monthly lectures and newsletters

Exclusive photographic competitions ONLY for MIPP members and much more

OR

One may pay by either sending in a cheque to: “27, Moonlight, Giovanni Papaffy Street, Ta’ Paris, Birkirkara, BKR 4021, Malta”, together with the relative membership fee.

(Cheques are to be made payable to “The Treasurer, MIPP”)

24 | The official MIPP Newsletter

Pay directly from the BOV website: www.bov.com and log in to BOV internet banking with your Securekey.

OR When attending an MIPP Event.

www.mipp-malta.com 25 | The official MIPP Newsletter

26 | The official MIPP Newsletter

27 | The official MIPP Newsletter

28 | The official MIPP Newsletter

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DOMENIC AQUILINA

SUCCESSFUL AMIPP QUALIFICATIONS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHAN DEBONO

SUCCESSFUL AMIPP QUALIFICATIONS 29 | The official MIPP Newsletter

The subjects and submission deadlines for the 2017 MIPP Photographer of the Year Award are:

Session

Subject

Qty

Max Points

Submission Deadline

1 2 3 4 5

Valletta Children Interiors Events Food Panel

3 3 3 3 3

60 60 60 60 180

28 Feb 17 30 Apr 17 30 Jun17 31 Aug 17 31 Oct 17

Date of Judging

19 Sep 17

Full details to enter can be found on http://mipp-malta.com/qualifications/qualification-forms/

30 | The official MIPP Newsletter

THE MIPP SPONSORS Non-Profit organizations like the Malta Institute of Professional Photography are constantly in need of funds in order to be able to function in a modern and professional environment. That is why it was important to have various sponsors interested in networking with the MIPP and at the same time involving them in important issues concerning the photographic trade.

The MIPP feels it is vital to stimulate joint events and initiatives together with our sponsors. This policy helps our members to be constantly aware of products and services that our sponsors market thus not only encouraging an increase in business but also benefitting our members through special occasional offers and deals.

This co-operation and belief by our sponsors, most of who have been with us since the MIPP’s inception, has helped in no small way in making the Institute what it is today. It is one of the MIPP’s main objectives to help keep this co-operation improving. We urge our members to truly support our sponsors by making use of their services and products whenever possible.

Our sponsors show faith in the MIPP so it is only fair that our members should reciprocate. Give your custom to those companies and entities that help us.

31 | The official MIPP Newsletter

CONTACTS

Web: www.mipp-malta.com Email: president@mipp-malta.com Address: 27, Moonlight, Giovanni Papaffy Street, Ta’ Paris, Birkirkara, BKR 4021, Malta Tel No: 21486097

2017 JAN / FEB