Malta Institute of Professional Photography Newsletter March 2016

The Official MIPP Newsletter

March 2016

FOCALPOINT

Issue No. 63

www.mipp-malta.com

EDITORIAL And here we are

once again bringing you the MIPP Newsletter. Apologies for this month’s delay in publishing, but never late than never right! So many things are happening

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!

this month. In less than 3 weekends it will be Easter, and I know some of you are fans of Good Friday. So for sure we will be seeing quite a few shots from Good Friday Procession. However if you are like me and have a sweet tooth, come Easter I will be gulping down the annual delicious Figolla! This month it is my turn to give a monthly talk and I will be discussing the importance of Narration in Photography. Still images, whether in a sequence or just standing alone tell stories, and which story are you telling? I hope to see most of you on the 15th March for this talk. I surely look forward to give it. I also urge you to visit Keith Ellul’s exhibition running from the 21st March till the 20th April called ‘Harvesting Light’. Keith’s body of work is surely not to be missed! Find us on:

See you soon! Therese

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

CONTENTS

MARCH 2016 pg 2 pg 6 pg 10 pg 14 pg 22 pg 23 pg 24

cover artist

President’s Viewpoint Featured MIPP members Out & About Member’s Article MIPP Calendar MIPP Notice Members’ Gallery

The Times Picture Annual 2015 The Half Marathon by Vince DeBono March Events When Clients Complain Mark your diaries! Membership Renewal PTYA Round 1

Keith Ellul This image was shot in ‘Tal-Hamrija’ just below the Imnajdra Temples in Wied izZurrieq limits of Qrendi. Being a Lord of the Rings fan, this image brought me memories of the mythical region of Mordor which in Sindarin (a fictional language used by the Elves) means ‘The Black Land’ or ‘The Land of Shadow’. I don’t usually give a name to my images, but most of them remind me of particular places either real or fictitious; so I decided to call this one ‘Mordor’. I find this place very interesting and I keep visiting over and over again and never feel I have exhausted the photo opportunities this place offers. The rocks look as if they have been torn from the land, there is soil embedded in the cliffs and interesting patterns and colours can be seen squeezed inside the sediment of the rocks, maybe that is why it’s called Tal-Hamrija.

The Times Picture Annual 2015:

A Pictorial Narrative of Malta and its Lifestyle.

At the end of each year, is has become

customary for the Times Picture Annual to make its appearance on the bookshelves. This publication, now in its tenth edition, gathers together some of the most outstanding images, captured by the press photographers of Allied Malta Newspapers, during the outgoing year. It is not only a mere record of their most iconic images but also a pictorial gallery of the main events and topics, which made up part of the local news scene. Furthermore, like in previous editions, the book shows an incisive look at our Society. The Annual is a publication which makes a welcome addition to the bookshelves of Melitensia collectors and, as time relentlessly goes by, provides a lasting memory of each eventful year on our little island. The quality of the pictures contained in this book is also proof of the high level that local press photographers have attained. Equipment and technology have further equipped photographers to immortalise the exact split second where the peak of the action happens; empowering them to capture images in lighting conditions which would have previously not sufficed to even attempt an exposure.

It is no surprise that I look forward to the issue of any publication that has to do with local Photography. This island has always been blessed with an everevolving crop of photographers who are regularly capable of providing work that is on a par with the best of foreign photography; if only the authorities would recognize this fact and help more the local photographic community. The establishment of a “Centre for Photography,” a museum and a dedicated gallery for photography are badly needed initiatives which would immensely consolidate and bolster the photographic scene in Malta. The Times Picture Annual is a collection of images which primarily depict the power of the photograph. Although the right equipment does help, it is the skill and the input of the photographer – sometimes working in difficult and trying conditions – that makes the picture. The photographer’s eyes and brain have to instinctively work in tandem in order to produce work which has meaning and is not only a ‘pretty picture.’ Whenever I am assessing photographs, one of the first things that I look for is what Americans call the ‘Wow Factor.’ With so many billions of images being

viewpoint

generated and available, particularly on social media, it is no easy task to arrest peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention. Images today must not only be technically perfect but need to go further than just documenting a subject. To engage a viewer, photographs must harness and encompass factors such as interesting subject matter, storytelling narrative, creative viewpoint and, at times, leave space for the viewer to personally interpret the image. Concept is truly vital but not at the expense of aesthetics and technique. Whilst one leafs through this book, most of these perceptions are borne out. One of the first images that made me reflect was the one on page 60 and 61 by Matthew Mirabelli. Here we have evidence of the photographerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clever intervention in capturing not just a document but a striking and intriguing image. It is a photograph showing one of the coffins of 24 immigrants who perished during their desperate search for a better life. The way the photograph has been composed just gives enough information to spur the viewer to investigate the image and search deeper into what is being recorded. This is just one of a number of images that, understandably,

depict the immigration issue â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an issue which causes strong debate and even a dangerous division in Maltese society. There are other images on this same subject, particularly by Darrin Zammit Lupi, which makes one further evaluate; we have now seen so many such photographs that we tend to dismiss them and become insensitive to what they portray. It is not an easy job for a photojournalist to keep capturing the fickle attention of an audience which, after a time, seems to become desensitised and immune even to the most powerful imagery. Two more images of Matthew impressed me: one is that on page 98, of a police parade, whilst the other is on pages 30/31, this time of a boy celebrating a narrow victory for the hunting lobby during a referendum on another very hot issue for the Maltese. Both images demonstrate the keen skill of the photojournalist to produce imagery through what is a quick, instinctive multi selective process. Practice, experience, awareness, technique and culture are all necessary values for the successful photojournalist. Another relatively young photographer who is making his mark is Mark Zammit Cordina. Very often, his images are different and illustrate a sense of aesthetics and composition which is particularly pleasing. One can easily gauge this through his images on pages 78, 91, 95 and 130. There is also evidence of a keen perception of

light and its employment in photography. This ideally brings me back to the work of Darrin Zammit Lupi. Darrin needs no introduction. He is the perfect person for not only up and coming photographers to look up to, but also for experienced, seasoned professionals. His work never fails to impress and is imbued with a lifetime of dedication to the genre of photojournalism. Aesthetics, technique and storytelling properties are very evident in his imagery. He has done so much for local photojournalism that I am surprised, to say the least, that he has not yet been honoured by the government in the end-of-year awards of recognition â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but then again, perhaps it is the lot of local photographers to be appreciated more in the international arena than in the local sphere! In this short review I cannot, naturally, speak about so many other impressive images contained in the publication. Chris Sant Fournierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creative viewpoints enhance a good number of his images; his picture of the cat on page 129 is an example, whilst the work of the young Steve Zammit Lupi brings out his eagerness to try out new things. I hope that this reflection on yet another remarkable edition of the Annual, will spur people to buy, scrutinise and treasure this incisive look into our country and Society.

THE HALF MARATHON MIPP Member and Committee Member, Vince DeBono, enjoys shooting events and last month he made sure he got a good position to get us some shots from the Half Marathon. He likes to capture the not so obvious emotions, and this half marathon offered him just the right opportunity for that! vince say: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I enjoy going to events and always try to position myself away from the other photographers, especially if I am not working to a brief for a client, I look for emotional moments as they reflect my experience of the occasion. I also feel freer to experiment with technique and viewpoints.â&#x20AC;?

OUT AND ABOUT

March Events

Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, in collaboration with Valletta 2018, the Malta Maritime Mu-

seum (Heritage Malta) and artist/curator Raphael Vella, is once again launching the Divergent Thinkers project, which is an innovative exhibition about the “brainstorming” mental processes involved in the creation of works of art.

Young artists between the age of 20 and 30 should bring proposals to be considered for this exhibition by noon, Tuesday, 3rd May, 2016 to Aġenzija Żgħażagħ. All artists who bring in proposals will be informed of the outcome by Tuesday, 24th May, 2016. Selected artists will receive an honorarium and will participate in a curated exhibition opening on Thursday 20th October, 2016 at the Malta Maritime Museum in Birgu. The exhibition will last until Friday, 18th November, 2016. The works will be included in an illustrated catalogue accompanying the exhibition. The artist with the best work will be awarded with a month-long residency at Youkobo Art Space in Tokyo, Japan in August, 2017. The prize will cover expenses for flight, accommodation, studio space and an honorarium, and the selected artist will also be able to organise a small exhibition at Youkobo Art Space at the end of his/her stay. See more at: http://valletta2018.org/events/navigate-call-forproposals/#sthash.3lCkzegA.dpuf

9th March

Meet the Artist kerstin Arnemann

Kerstin welcomes you to her last artist talk on Wednesday 9th March at 6pm, at

Sistina Wine & Co, Gzira.

18th March

Harvesting Light by Keith Ellul

Recently I came along a quote by a novelist named Marcel Proust which, quite

frankly, describes my own personal view towards photography:

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in having new eyes.” This is what I describe as being the ability to see with the eyes of an artist. Being a photographer, a painter or any other visual artist, one portrays a vision which is, in turn, consumed by the viewer. Through my photographs I attempt to express my mood and feelings of the locations I capture so that I can hopefully impart my experience to the viewer. The way we see is a very personal thing. A great photograph does not merely document but rather it is all about fusing one’s vision with the message that the artist wants to pass on. In this body of work, I have photographed various places around Malta which are familiar to most of us; yet through a new perspective. The vision which I have tried to create in every image is to immortalise a period in time, sat times of only a few

mipp notices seconds and sometimes minutes that arrests that magic moment just before the break of dawn. This gateway in time is a parallel universe in which I can briefly escape from the chaos of daily life. I rarely display or show the photographs I produce and lately I have even ceased sharing my images on social media, with the intention that 2016 will be the year in which I take the plunge and showcase my work in a more serious and conceptual manner. Together with other nine artists, I have recently published a photo-book, thus meeting another challenge I had set myself. This exhibition, done with the professional help of my mentor and friend Kevin Casha, is another step in my artistic evolution. I thank Kevin for his guidance and inspiration which has further helped me to nourish my passion for the photographic medium. I started practicing photography in 2011. At the onset, by experimenting and trying to discover a genre in which I felt comfortable. Eventually, the two genres I feel mostly attracted to are scenic and people. I consider myself to be rather a loner; an introvert but I observe a lot, sometimes while alone in a busy place: I observe people moving, walking, interacting with their phones, crossing their paths with other people; and I think to myself… What IF someone is watching US? What would that someone say about the human race?! Perhaps at the same as I am observing others someone out there is observing me; immersed in my hectic life and routine. Capturing scenery, particularly seascapes, came after. Since I was a child, the seaside has been my playground, filling my early life with some of my fondest memories. As an adult, I often strive to find myself in front of the sea. I enjoy having time alone where I can ‘reboot’ my brain and focus. The day to day responsibilities can make one’s life stressful: whilst shooting by the sea, I feel that my balance can be rediscovered. It has not been easy for me to get out of my shell and display my works. I only hope that this exhibition will engage the viewers and make them reflect through their own conditioning. OFFICIAL OPENING: 18th March VIEWING: 21st March - 30th April

WHEN CLIENTS COMPLAIN In any job and at any workplace you

are bound to have an episode where the boss or the clients are not satisfied with your work. This happens in photography too, and I can assure you that when it happens you will go through an emotional roller coaster, because letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face it, if clients are not satisfied with the work you produced, it feels like they do not like you.

In any job and at any workplace you are bound to have an episode where the boss or the clients are not satisfied with your work. This happens in photography too, and I can assure you that when it happens you will go through an emotional roller coaster, because letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face it, if clients are not satisfied with the work you produced, it feels like they do not like you.

The line between personal and professional blurs in these cases, however it is during such episodes that you have to pull up your socks and be professional as much as you can, and leave emotions at home hidden under the bed, never to be taken out in broad daylight.

I remember vividly when I had this couple showing discontent at my work, and even though I have had many clients who were super satisfied with my work, it is this one set of clients which haunts me till this very day.

The assignment was a post wedding shoot, and I was super excited to narrate a story for them through photography with Valletta as a backdrop. In hindsight, when they said that they wanted to show that they were in Malta, I should have asked more specifically

what they were after to be more sure what they meant. However I completed the assignment in two and a half hours spanning from St Barbara Bastions to Lower Barrakka Gardens. The bride’s dress was so awesome and they were such naturals at posing that the shoot flowed like no other. We were lucky to have an overcast day in May, which further helped in having less shadow contrasts and less heat. I recall there was a slight breeze which worked perfectly in keeping us cool and level headed. During the shoot, as per usual, I was showing the clients the shots I was snapping. Their feedback was keen and enthusiastic and quite frankly I couldn’t wait till I went home to edit and give them the work I produced. However I was to be very disappointed and this hurt. You see, a photographer who enjoys his or her work, will understand that when they do an assignment like this, they do it from the heart because for them it is art and not merely a shoot with no artistic expression.

whilst the rest falls in a soft blurry out of focus. I recall reading their email in a hotel room and I felt a cold chill running up and down my spine. For the first time since I started freelancing, I had a couple who were unsatisfied. I dissected the photos, I went through them over and over again with other photographers and the only thing which maybe was a bad call from my side was the choice of filter I used in post processing since it had a vintage feel to it which was giving a slightly creamier white balance than one sees with the naked eye. Now what would you do if this happened? Useless crying out in defence, useless trying to explain, useless bad mouthing their critique. The fact remains that your work was not appreciated, so the next course of action would be that of trying to find a solution. I quickly offered a re-shoot, including the hiring of the groom’s suit and a make-up artist for the bride, all expenses on me. However the couple were not happy with this solution. The only thing which could make them slightly less sore was a total refund. I did just that, however I re-edited the images for them without a filter so that they see that my work was technically correct even with proper highlights and white balance.

What followed was the clients stating clearly that they were unhappy because the background was blurred and they could not make out the place they were in plus they reckoned the white balance was off. This puzzled me a bit since Do not expect a thank you when you working with apertures at f/2.8 and f/4, oblige to a client’s request because they it was normal to get the couple in focus won’t offer it. They believe it is their

right to be harsh, and would not really hear what you tried to do with your work. However I learnt a few things which I wish to share with you all: 1. ALWAYS discuss properly what clients are after. Even though I do this religiously, I overlooked the fact that they wanted a very clear and crisp background, which means shooting at f/8 and over. Quite frankly you can shoot with a point and shoot and save the hassle of using your SLR. If you are not willing to compromise your style to their request then pass on the assignment to someone else. 2. Never argue with the clients because it will make matters worse. I am glad I kept my head cool with them, or else it would have gone worse. Plus they were nice people anyway so I really did not want to make enemies out of them. 3. When clients use photographic jargon, do not assume that they are professionals. It is very easy to get a colleague who dabbles in photography and use some phrases he or she throws at your work. Even picking up a photography magazine can make one knowledgeable in such jargon. Just keep your cool, read and re-read what clients wrote and reply diplomatically. 4. Do defend your work, however not to the extreme of stating that they know nothing about photography. Just say the truth, that you did your best and apologise if they did not like it.

5. Move on. This is the hardest part. When someone puts your work down, suddenly you get insecure about other future work and it hurts too since you know that you did your best. 6. Use this experience to get back to basics and shoot simply and naturally whilst making sure that clients are enjoying the experience. 7. Do not remain upset. You know that this was just one set of clients who did not like your work compared to the many others who did. Learn from it to keep you humble enough and determined to improve your skills and produce work of higher standard. Finally remember that the world is made up of different mentalities and different people have different visions. Never assume that clients who hire you went through your portfolio. Make sure you pass on a link of your work to prospective clients asking after hiring you. And if they call you, get their email and send it. These are little things which we take for granted however in the long run they can make or break a shoot! My advice after such an episode is to keep on shooting more than ever before with bigger passion, and rise above those who tried to put you down. Of course this applies if you really did a good job and with all your good efforts and intentions. It does not qualify if you did a sloppy job in half an hour! Happy Shooting! Article and Images by Therese Debono NB: Photos used for this article are not the clients mentioned in this article

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CALENDAR Tuesday 15th March

Narration in Photography by Therese Debono 19:30 Le Meridien

Tuesday 5th April

Handling the Media in Sports Photography by Dominic Aquilina 19:30 Le Meridien

Tuesday 19th April

I was here: Photography, Memory & Death by Stephanie Scicluna 19:30 Le Meridien

Tuesday 26th April

Image Assessment - PTYA Entries & General Members Entries by Kevin Casha 19:30hrs, Le Meridiena

mipp notices

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

We would like to remind you that we are now accepting payments for 2016 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: · Get reduced rates to our courses and workshops · Become a qualified photographer with our three levels of qualification: Licentiate, Associate and Fellowship · Reciprocal photographic qualification with the best UK Institution · Informative monthly lectures and newsletters · Exclusive photographic competitions ONLY for MIPP members. .....and much more 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” OR 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.

MEMBERS’ GALLERY

Allan Falzon

Kerstin Arnemann

Sandra Hotrum

Marisabelle Bonnici