The Official MIPP Newsletter
May 2016
FOCALPOINT
Issue No. 65
www.mipp-malta.com
EDITORIAL May came along with very
strong winds, so tie your cameras to your tripods and do not get blown away! It can be frustrating for us photographers to work in this wind or to just simply go
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!
out and shoot at leisure, however if you simply look up, the most stunning skies are also gracing our landscapes so really there is no excuse not to shoot. You just have to be safe! I would like to point out to you to circle your diaries for the upcoming MIPP Convention in November. I know November sounds far away but we have set the dates - 19th & 20th November. So stayed tuned with more updates along the year about the much awaited annual convention organised in collaboration with The Societies from the UK. If anyone of you is preparing for their panel do not hesitate to get a mentor and work hand in hand with him or her, and if you want to learn much more and widen your variety of themes, do not miss out on Johan Siggesson’s talk this month happening on the 10th May at Le Meridien! Find us on:
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
MAY 2016 pg 3 pg 4 pg 8 pg 14 pg 19 pg 20 pg 21 pg 22
cover artist
MIPP MIPP Members MIPP Notices Out & About MIPP Talk MIPP Calendar MIPP Notice Members’ Gallery
MIPP: 20th Anniversary Baby Talk: Tiny Miracles captured forever Donation to Mater Dei May Events Johann Siggesson Talk Mark your diaries! Membership Renewal PTYA Round 1
Johan Siggesson Patience and perseverance‌ Due to thick fog, my flight was cancelled. After 5 days flat on my stomach shooting Atlantic puffins from early morning to late evening, this meant that I got to shoot puffins for yet another day. Tempted to stay in, reviewing my images and just relax after a hard week, I decided that the only right thing to do was to gear up and get out there. This actual photo was shot during these last unexpected hours and I think it turned out to be my most special shot from this adventure. If I stayed in, I would never have bagged the shot. This image was taken on Fair Isle - a tiny island north of mainland Scotland. It was shot with a Nikon D7000 and a 300mm f2.8 plus a 2x converter.
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MIPP: 20th Anniversary 2016
marks the 20th year anniversary for the MIPP. We commenced this year by distributing commemorative usb drives to all our members (and by the way if you have not collected it it contact Kevin to give you one). We continued our anniversary celebrations with the donation of 20 framed images to Mater Dei. This event was held on the 23rd of April. We would like to thank our sponsors Intervisions and ILab for their help. Special thanks also goes to the organising committee of this event as well as to the photographers who have donated their images. Still our year is not yet over. In August we will celebrate World Photography Day on the 20th of August. (Doing the events on the actual day - that is the 19th it would be diffcult as it is a week day so we decided to do it on Saturday.) On this day we plan to hold a lecture and lunch at the Hilltop Village in Naxxar. We are also making arrangements to have the mobile unit of the National Blood Transfusion Services so that if any MIPP member wishes to donate blood s/he can do so. Finally this year’s November convention will be slightly different. This will be held during the weekend of the 20th of November. The organising sub committee is busily preparing to provide you with a great photographic event. . We will soon give you further details on this event. This year you are not only enjoying your own birthday but also that of the MIPP. So let us make sure that we will all celebrate this 20th Anniversary year as one big family. Sergio Morana
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Baby Talk: Tiny Miracles Captured Forever we do have the ability to capture the most beautiful of rare moments, even if short-lived, forever and ever. I really wasn’t aware that newborn photography existed in Malta before I started getting into it myself. Various international photographers, who focused on this particular life event, inspired me and I wanted to try my hand at it. Thankfully, some of my friends allowed me to photograph their newborn babies and the rest is history.
p… one doesn’t need to be an excellent rhymer to guess that! Newborns bring so much joy and happiness to those around them but with a full-on schedule (or lack of it) at the start, those small, quiet moments can pass by in a flash. And by the time the family finds a happy balance, the newborn is not so new anymore…
Now that I have photographed a good number of newborns, I am most certain that it takes a particular kind of person to be a newborn snapper. First and foremost one must definitely have patience on top of their list of vitues. All babies are different and sometimes our master plan doesn’t quite match that of the baby. Some of the little ones are picky about their hands or feet; a few do not like to be naked at all, whilst others love to be cuddled a lot (not to mention the ones who freely let it all out, and I mean all of it, on set…).
Cue in the newborn photographer! We’re no magic pixies or fairies but
The thing with being a newborn photographer is that, probably not
They cry, they coo, they smile, they
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too unlike working with Hollywood A-listers, you have to allow time for multiple feedings and a lot of soothing. I want my babies to be calm, relaxed and above all happy. Stress is an absolute no-no because no matter how small they are; they tend to be perceptive, little beings. Being a newborn photographer takes a lot of research and practice. Getting those artistic poses right is not just about the shape or the look, it’s also about knowing how to handle the baby safely and with ease. This style of photography usually works best when the baby is between five and ten days old, so it requires planning and communicating with the parents, both well-ahead of the birth and just after the birth too, to ensure that the right moments are captured. In order to achieve certain creative shots, I had to invest in a number of props; blankets and a few hand made additions that are not easy to find on the high street. Photographing newborns makes one look at things differently. No shopping trip is complete without a few extra, sometimes quirky, purchases to use during the next shoot! I truly love my job. I get to spend most of my days surrounded by beautiful, tiny miracles to ensure that all the moments of pure love, complete utter bliss and sometimes even a few firsts are forever immortalised in a photo; a precious keepsake that will always hold the most treasured of memories, which will last a lifetime and beyond. Article and Images by Francesca Attard (2016)
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Fine Art Photographs donated to Mater Dei Hospital T
he Malta Institute of Professional Photography (MIPP) recently donated a collection of 20 Fine Art framed photographic enlargements to Mater Dei Hospital. The photographs, depicting work by members of the MIPP, have been put up in the hospital corridors in order to beneficially impact the spirit of both patients and visitors to the hospital. The donation was made possible through two of the Institute’s main sponsors, namely ILAB of Qormi and INTERVISIONS of Naxxar. Both companies shouldered the substantial expense of professionally printing the enlargements as well as the framing and mounting of the same artworks. All MIPP members were given the opportunity to submit photographs for this project yet each member could not have more than one photograph selected for this donation. During a presentation ceremony held at Mater Dei, MIPP President Kevin Casha stated that this was the second such donation to the hospital, following a previous one which had been done 5 years ago. He congratulated the members who have had their work chosen as well those members who submitted images for this project. The enthusiasm shown by the members towards this worthy cause was admirable. This donation coincides with the Institute’s 20th Anniversary. Besides members of the MIPP, Dr. Joseph Zarb Adami, the Mater Dei clinical director represented the hospital during the presentation. Dr. Zarb Adami stated that he was extremely pleased that the hospital is at times remembered by organizations such as the MIPP. Hopefully, through this donation others will be inspired to, in one manner or another, do likewise.
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MIPP Donations
Above: Intervisions representatives Alex Seychell and Ramon Sammut with Dr. Zarb Adami and MIPP President Kevin Casha during the presentation.
Dr. Joseph Zarb Adami (left) shakes hands with Stefan Aquilina, the Ilab managing director. MIPP President Kevin Casha looks on.
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EXHIBITING ARTISTS
Photo by Alexia Vassallo
Photo by Charles Mifsud
Photo by Etienne Cassar
Photo by Darrin Zammit Lupi
Photo by Kerstin Arnemann
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Photo by Mario Casha
Photo by Duncan Cauchi
Photo by Keith Ellul
Photo by Lorraine Abela
Photo by Mark Pace
Photo by Martha Anne Zammit
Photo by Martin Agius
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Photo by Nick D’Ancona
Photo by Nigel Spiteri
Photo by Patrick Zammit
Photo by Renata Apanaviciene
Photo by Tonio Polidano
Photo by Rik Van Colen
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Photo by Tomoko Goto
Photo by Simon Attard
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OUT AND ABOUT
May Events
A
s part of the activities to commemorate its 25th Anniversary, the Malta Stock Exchange will be organizing a collective art exhibition called ‘Of Spatial Concerns’. The exhibition will be held at its premises, the iconic Garrison Chapel, in Castille Square, Valletta. Her Excellency the President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca will inaugurate the Art Exhibition on 2 May 2016. Nine visual artists Adrian Abela, Adrian Scicluna, Charles Paul Azzopardi, George Mario Attard, John Cascun, Kane Cali, Mario Abela, Matthew Schembri and Robert Zahra will be participating in this unique event with artworks relating to notions of space. Mr. Adrian Scicluna, the show’s curator, said “People relate to the physical, cultural, social, political, economic, and technological environments in very personal ways. Emotional and psychological parameters play a part in how we experience space too. The very notion of space today is different to what it was say a hundred years ago”. The exhibition will be open to the public between 3rd May and 15th June 2016 on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4-7pm. Entry is free.
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0605 0506 2016 Opening date and time: Friday 6 May 2016, 7.30PM Closing date: Sunday 5 June 2016 Venue: Space A, Spots A and B (St James Cavalier) 0605 | 0506 | 2016 is the fourth MFA exhibition, focusing on our conceptualisation and perception of time, and is the culmination of eighteen months of intensive research and production by Aaron Bezzina, Simon Callus, Audrienne Degiorgio, Samwel Mallia, Daniel Mercieca, Sara Pace, Margerita Pulè, Evgletta Shtohryn and Ezekiel Vassallo. The participating artists work within a variety of media and artistic practices including video installation and documentary, sculpture, photography, animation, digital imaging, painting, illustration, communications design, sound, and interactive applications, through interventions that are driven by contemporary social, political, aesthetic and philosophical underpinnings. The MFA in Digital Arts is a practice-oriented, interdisciplinary programme that seeks to develop a learning environment in which historical traditions and new practices confront and influence each other within a contextual, cultural and theoretical framework. The exhibition is organised by the Department of Digital Arts of the Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences at University, and Spazju Kreattiv.
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The Great Book of Malta Vol 1 Hamrun Opening date: Wednesday 4 May 2016, 9.00AM Closing date: Sunday 22 May 2016, 9.00PM Venue: Space B (St James Cavalier) The Great Book of Malta, Volume I is a unique project which engages young people living in a particular community. Over a period of several months, a team of young (and not-so-young) photographers were given the task of creating a portrait of a community through photographs and videos taken on, literally, every street of the town of Ħamrun. It is, ultimately, a collection of portraits – of people at home, of people at work, of people in shops – hairdressers, tattoo-artists, corner shop owners, bakers, furniture makers, bird-lovers, cat-lovers, dog-lovers, street-sweepers, butchers, bell-ringers, shoe-makers, tailors and so on. In other words, all the individuals who, in some way or other, make up the tapestry of the community. The photographers were challenged with the task to take thousands of portraits and to edit them down into a collection which captures the essence of Ħamrun. The exhibition will include a number of large prints, as well as mini-films which capture unique aspects of the community. Ultimately, the legacy of the project will be a one-off ‘Great Book,’ bound in leather. This initiative is part of the Spazju Kreattiv programme, whilst this project is supported by Arts Council Malta, Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, and the Ħamrun Local Council
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For full details and conditions visit www.avantech.com.mt or call on 2148 8800
Ask about our ‘Try before you buy’ scheme!
From Finland to Madagascar Wildlife photography extremes A
s a travelling wildlife photographer you get to experience many incredible places, cultures and animals. Many of my friends and even close family members often mention to me how lucky I am doing what I do. Being in total agreement with them, I also try to explain that it is not all gold and glory. In this talk I will try to illustrate some of the extremes of wildlife photography. The waiting, the cold and the frustration in a wooden box in Eastern Finland mixed with the pleasant climate, the fantastic animals and the great food of Madagascar.
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CALENDAR Tuesday 3rd May
Preparing files for Printing, the Pro way! - Ramon Sammut 19:30 Le Meridien
Tuesday 10th May
From Finland to Madagascar - Johan Siggesson 19:30 Le Meridien
Tuesday 14th June
Digital Safeguards - Duncan Cauchi 19:30 Le Meridien
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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.
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MEMBERS’ GALLERY
Photo by Allan Falzon
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Photo by Duncan Cauchi - The Last Mile
Photo by Keith Ellul - Spirits
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