MIPP Newsletter - November 2015

The Official MIPP Newsletter

November 2015

FOCALPOINT

Issue No. 57

www.mipp-malta.com

EDITORIAL I cannot believe that already we are close to the end of another year.

The November issue always features the November convention which is a major event on our calendar.

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!

If you haven’t booked yet, then I urge you to have a look at the programme here: http://www.mipp-malta. com/images/stories/pdf/ ConventionBooklet2015.pdf Meanwhile, hope the end of October was not too scary due to Halloween!

Looking forward to seeing you all at the “Tune up your Top Image: Editor Therese Debono Above: Assistant Editor Kerstin Arnemann

Photography” convention at Monte Kristo.

Regards Therese & Kerstin!

Newsletter Team Editor: Therese Debono Assistant Editor: Kerstin Arnemann Design: Therese Debono Article Vetting: Vince DeBono Articles: Various contributors Editorial Advice: Kevin Casha

Find us on:

Contact: newsletter@mippmalta.com

NOVEMBER 2015 pg 2 pg 4 pg 8 pg 14 pg 18 pg 20

cover artist

President’s Viewpoint

Featured MIPP members Out & About Member’s Exhibition MIPP Event MIPP Calendar

CONTENTS November Viewpoint Hardik Montu November Events Nature’s Moods MIPP November Convention Mark your diaries!

Damian McGillicuddy Front cover image by Damian McGillicuddy, who will be one of the foreign speakers giving workshops at the upcoming MIPP Convention called ‘Tune up your Photography”

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November Convention

by Kevin Casha

Dear Members, It’s that time of year again when we are fully gearing up for the forthcoming edition of our International photography convention. This convention has now been one of the MIPP’s main yearly events for over ten years and again brings us in collaboration with the Societies of Great Britain (formerly known as the SWPP). Like all things in life, the convention has always been in a state of flux and after each and every edition, the Committee always tries to come up with different ideas in order to keep its content fresh and innovative. This year is no exception and sees some slight new permutations of what has still proved a successful formula.

This year our main foreign guests are Damian McGillicuddy from the UK and Cristina Venedict, from Romania. Damian needs no introduction as he has been already with us in Malta on more than one occasion. His all round skills, fantastic imagery and high level tutoring experience puts him as one of the most requested tutors on the photographic circuit. Cristina, although a newcomer to Malta, is no newcomer to photography and her high level conceptual, moody and sensuous work will surely inspire us towards this genre of photography. On the Maltese side, Ramon Sammut will be making up the trio of top lecturers with his usual nononsense, direct approach towards his chosen subject.

As usual, we will have amongst us directors Phil and Juliet Jones, from the Societies, who will be joining us for what is expected to be an eventful, fun weekend packed with inspiration and hands on workshop experience. Another highlight will be the assessment of the MIPP Qualification panels, which will be held on Saturday evening. Although usually a nail-biting affair, (particularly for those who will enter their panels), the experience is a ‘must’ not only for those who envisage to sit for a future Qualification, but for all those who wish to experience high standards of both photographic work as well as photographic judging. During the event, our main sponsors, Avantech, Ilab, Intervisions and others, will set up ministands in which they will be showcasing their latest products and services.

The convention this year will come to a close with the Awards Dinner, which will be held at Le Meridien Hotel, the MIPP’s usual meeting venue. A highlight of the

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viewpoint event will be the presentation of Certificates to those Learners who will have obtained their Level 3 Qualification in the first academically accredited “MIPP Still Image Photography Course�, which was successfully concluded in October.

This convention is aimed at catering for all levels of photographic enthusiasts.

Full information and booking can be found by viewing the convention brochure on http://www.mipp-malta.com/images/stories/pdf/ConventionBooklet2015.pdf We look forward to having you with us!

Above: Image courtesy of Cristina Venedict

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SHOOTING FLOWERS WITH HARDIK PANDYA

MIPP Member Hardik Pandya kindly shared a very interesting article about shooting flowers. I am sure this informative article which is divided into two parts will be useful to all of you who are nature friendly!

Flowers offer the photographer so much: striking hues, graceful curves, and dramatic color contrast. It’s no wonder that so many people photograph flowers.

Furthermore, it all seems so easy – just point the camera at one of the beautiful blooms and release the shutter. Unfortunately, the images that result often do not depict the beauty that the eye perceived. The reality is that it is easy to get a picture of a flower; it is not so easy to create an image that portrays the elegance, beauty, and intricate detail that the flower displays.

Like any other area of photography, creating flower images that rise above the ordinary requires knowledge and skill. However, once mastered, the knowledge and skill will lead to dramatic flower images.

This article covers both the technical and artistic aspects of flower photography.

One might be tempted to think of the technical aspects as boring and want to bypass them in order to go straight to the fun, artistic stuff. This would be a mistake.

The technical aspects form the foundation for the artistic work. Without a firm understanding of the basics of equipment; light; white balance; exposure; and wind, the artistic efforts are likely to result in disappointing flower images.

EQUIPMENT In addition to a good camera, several pieces of equipment will make photographing flowers more enjoyable and successful.

Tripod: A tripod is essential for flower photography. Often, the light during flower photography is fairly low. This occurs for a couple of reasons. First, flowers are often found in areas of shade (such as the forest). Second, low light levels (such as an overcast sky) often produce the best flower images. Consequently, slower shutter speeds are often required to compensate for the low light levels. In addition, for

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closer flower shots, smaller apertures will be required (unless a very shallow depth of field is desired). The smaller apertures will require slower shutter speeds. A tripod will allow the use of slower shutter speeds without the blurring that will occur if the camera is hand held (blurring due to wind will be covered later).

Since most flowers are fairly low to the ground, it is essential that the tripod allow the camera to get very low. There are a couple of ways that this can be done.

Some tripods have legs that can be unlocked and spread out (see Figure 1).

Lenses: To make the most of a flower excursion, a few lenses will be needed. To capture a field of flowers, a wide angle lens will be needed. A normal lens will be required for those times when a smaller group of flowers are being photographed.

Telephoto lenses can be used when it is necessary to compress distances (e.g., to make flowers appear close together). Of course, an alternative is to use a zoom lens that covers all the focal lengths that might be required.

However, sooner or later, most serious flower photographers want to move in close.

This requires some special equipment. Four of the most common approaches to photographing close-up are: • Close-up lens • Extension tube • Teleconverter • Macro lens

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A close-up lens looks more like a filter than a lens. It screws on the front of a regular lens and allows the lens to focus closer. The advantages of a close-up lens are that it is inexpensive, is small and light weight, and does not reduce the amount of light that reaches the lens. The disadvantage of a close up lens is that a close-up lens generally has lower optical quality than a high grade lens. Therefore, the use of a close-up lens will likely degrade image quality somewhat.

An extension tube fits between the lens and the camera body. An extension tube is essentially a hollow tube that contains no lens elements. An extension tube moves the lens farther from the sensor; this allows the lens to focus closer. The advantages of an extension tube are that it is inexpensive, is small and light weight, and will not degrade image quality. The disadvantage of an extension tube is that it will decrease the amount of light that reaches the sensor.

A teleconverter is similar to an extension tube in that it fits between the lens and the camera. However, a teleconverter does contain lens elements. A teleconvertor increases the focal length of a lens, but it does not change the minimum focus distance. This results in an increase in magnification. The advantages of a teleconverter are that it is less expensive than a lens (but more expensive than a close-up lens or an extension tube), is relatively small and light weight, and causes little or no image degradation (at least the high quality ones don’t). The downside is that a teleconverter will decrease the amount of light that reaches the sensor (usually resulting in a one or two stop light lose).

While close-up lenses, extension tubes, and teleconverters get the job done, the gold standard for close-up work is the macro lens (see Figure 2). A macro lens is a highly corrected lens that is designed to focus very close to the subject. Many macro lenses create a life size (1:1) image on the sensor. However, some specialty macro lenses can focus even closer. The advantage of a macro lens is the very high quality images that it creates. The disadvantages are that a macro lens is larger and heavier than the previously covered options.

Polarizer: A polarizer can improve flower images in a couple of ways. First, polarizers can help reduce glare. Second, polarizers can improve the saturation of the flowers and the surrounding environment.

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Reflector: Small, collapsible reflectors (see Figure 3) are great for reflecting some extra light onto flowers (especially the undersides of the flowers). These reflectors generally come in white, silver, gold, or a combination of these colours. White reflectors reflect a soft light of relatively low intensity. Silver reflectors reflect the brightest, coldest, harshest light. Gold reflectors warm up the light. Reflectors that have a combination of silver and gold reflect a good amount of warm toned light.

to be continued.....

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OUT AND ABOUT

November Events

Celebrating the Life and Works of Antoine Camilleri (1922-2005) Venue: St James Cavalier Dates: 16th October - 23rd November Through a diverse selection of drawings, prints, designs, paintings, artistic tools and video, the exhibition traces Camilleri’s growth as an artist and as a person – a life-time of continuous rediscovery – from the primordial years of his education at the Malta School of Art, to his studies in Europe, to his personal relationships with his family, nature and religion.

Over the course of the seven weeks in which the exhibition is open for the public, a number of workshops and lectures will be held, as well as a competition particularly addressing Primary, Secondary and MCAST students.

The exhibition will now extend to the upper section of St James Cavalier (Spaces C1-C4).

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THURSDAY NOVEMBER 5TH Antoine Camilleri: The Lino Painting Process Lino Borg, 19:00hrs THURSDAY NOVEMBER 12TH Antoine Camilleri: The Self Portraits Lawrence Pavia, 19:00hrs SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14TH Antoine Camilleri Evening for Literature, 15:00hrs THURSDAY NOVEMBER 19TH Antoine Camilleri: Exhibition Tour Hilary Spiteri, 19:00hrs SUNDAY NOVEMBER 22ND Antoine Camilleri ZiguZajg Festival Workshop, 12:00

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ATTEMPTS ON HER LIFE is still happening! directed by Dave Barton Choreography by Sandra Mifsud Starring Lizzie Eldridge, Anonella Mifsoode, Bettina Paris, Ruth Borg, Mariele Zammit, Marie Keiser-Nielsen, Larissa Bonaci, Vladislav Ilich, Philip Leone-Ganado, Timmy Paris at St James Cavalier, Valletta on the 30, 31 October, 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 November 2015 Attempts to describe her?

Attempts to destroy her?

Or attempts to destroy herself?

Is Anne the object of violence?

Or its terrifying practitioner?

Martin Crimp’s 17 scenarios for the theatre, shocking and hilarious by turn, are a rollercoaster of late 20th-century obsessions.

From pornography and ethnic violence, to terrorism and unprotected sex, its strange array of nameless characters attempt to invent the perfect story to encapsulate our time.

Ticket Prices: Friday 30 October - €15 All other Fridays - €18 All Thursdays - €15 All Saturdays - €20 All Sundays - €18

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The RIMA Film Festival Date: 6th & 7th November Venue: Casa Pereira, 224, Republic Street, Valletta This festival will be showing short films directed BY migrants, to give a voice to unheard stories and realities.

A debate with the public and in the presence of the film director, Zakaria Mohamed Ali will take place after the projections.

Projections start at 20:00 on both nights Held in the beautiful Casa Pereira.

Entrance : 3,50â‚Ź for 1 night, or 5â‚Ź for 2 nights Drinks will be availbale at the bar https://rimaprojectblog.wordpress.com/filmfestival/

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The Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale, scheduled between 13 November 2015 and 7 January 2016, will establish a spiritual space celebrating creativity. It will create a stimulating modern environment, in which different works of art by artists from diverse cultural backgrounds are displayed together under one theme. The theme for 2015 is ‘Christianity, Spirituality and the Other’, ‘The Other’ standing for faith and non-faith, belief and non-belief, theist and atheist, agnostic and polytheist.

The Mdina Biennale traces its roots back to the previous Christian and Sacred Art Biennale of the 1990s, and the forthcoming 2015 event will radically widen its creative spectrum. The idea that all art is spiritual remains the central concept. This thematic approach is profoundly important for a complete appreciation and understanding of the event. It plays a central role in the Artistic Director’s concept and to establish the Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale as a spiritual space of and for creativity.

APS bank is the main partner of the Mdina Biennale http://www.mdinabiennale.org/

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Nature’s Moods Two months ago we saw the opening of the exhibiteion of Mipp Member Etienne Cassar, curated by Kevin Casha.

As the exhibition’s name implies Cassar showcased a body of work portraying various moods captured in nature when he sets out on his early morning sessions.

“I fumble to switch off the alarm clock... it is 4am and outside is windy, wet and dismal… getting out of a warm bed needs willpower and discipline. One really questions the sanity of it all...is it really worth the effort to venture out in inclement weather in order to attempt to capture landscape photographs?

Yes, for me, it definitely is!

I am a rather reserved and withdrawn person and, at times, I find it difficult to engage with certain genres of photography, such as portraiture or street photography.

Yet, the photographic medium is fascinating because every one of us can relate to a genre that embodies one’s mood and feelings. I have found my niche in landscape work.

Soon after I make that initial, hesitant step of moving out of bed, drinking a strong coffee, grabbing my equipment and venturing out, it all becomes suddenly worthwhile. Arriving at the location, I very much feel like a primordial human being who is gazing at the forces and beauty of nature. Looking out at the heaving waves,

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feeling the wind and salt spray on my face and gazing in awe at the rising sun, the scene must be very similar to the same one my ancestors would have witnessed thousands of years before. It is the play of contrast on the restless waves. It is that sudden shaft of light beaming out from the dark clouds. It is the thrill I feel on attempting, alas, mostly in vain, to fully harness and capture in one simple, fleeting image the elusive sensations I feel.

It is extremely difficult, if not impossible. One cannot convey the sense of smell or the feeling of the wind in an image - yet I try, and keep trying. The challenge and the struggle is worth it and it can all come together in a short magical instant.

Yet, more often than not, on later viewing the images I have captured, they fail to provide me with the same exhilarating feeling that invariably envelopes me whilst on location.

The quest continues...�

Artist Statement and images below and in following page by Etienne Cassar

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Xrobb l-Ghagin

Gozo Astro Camping

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MIPP NOVEMBER CONVENTION We are very excited to announce that this year our Annual MIPP Convention in collaboration with The Societies from the UK, will take place over two days on the 14th & 15th November. This time round we will be hosting you at Monte Kristo Estates, with guest speakers, Damian McGillicuddy, Cristina Venedict and Ramon Sammut.

Programme of events can be found here including prices: http://issuu.com/mipp-malta/docs/convention_booklet_2015 See you there!

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CALENDAR 14th & 15th November 2015 Details on Website and Facebook Monte Kristo Estates

12th December 2015

MIPP Xmas Party TBC

12th January 2016

PTYA Award Launch, MIPP PROGRAMME REVIEW & MEMBERS’ DEBATE NIGHT

Overview of the new PTYA Award – Those taking part are urged to attend – Kevin Casha and Sergio Morana

19:30 Le Meridien

26th January 2016

KEITH ELLUL – SHOOTING SEASCAPES & SHORES 19:30 Le Meridien

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