Temporal devotion brochure 2017

Temporal Devotion EXHIBITION

FF

-7.

7

11

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ME E T T H E P H OTO G R A P HER S 21ST October 2017

21ST to

November 2017

Venue S E AT

showroom

GZIRA

Our Sponsors Continental Cars Limited

was founded in 1952 and was formed for the

purpose of importing the Volkswagen Beetle cars. The Mizzi family, at that time, had the Morris (currently known as Rover). Mr. Nordhoff, who led the Volkswagen Company as it became the third Largest automobile group in the world and the biggest company in Germany, required a representative in Malta who was in the car business industry and chose the Mizzi family to market the Volkswagen brand.

Following the successful partnership with VW, the company was then appointed sole distributor for Audi and Porsche in 1977 and they added SEAT to their portfolio in 2009.

In 1999 the premises was demolished and a new state-of-the-art facility was built in line with specific franchise requirements.

In these premises, one may find four different showrooms: Volkswagen showroom, SEAT showroom, Audi showroom and Porsche showroom. There is also a direct access to both the parts and service receptions. The workshop further includes a fully equipped diagnostic area, as well as offers wheel alignment and wheel balancing services.

As from 2018, all showrooms will undergo refurbishment, in order to be in line with the latest franchise standards and corporate Identity. http://www.mizzimotors.com

Our Sponsors ILab Photo Ltd is the leading photography printing laboratory that does not just settle to keep the highest quality and standards but is continuously striving to improve its products and services. We do not rest on our laurels, and with the introduction of new high-end printing equipment, we have pushed our quality ever higher. Our higher standards can be gauged through the increase in our services by top photographic artists, both foreign and local, who are trusting us with their work and exhibits.

As from the first quarter of 2017, Ilab is planning to continue enhancing our level of quality and services; which will be introduced in the coming months. To mark this new restructuring and up-scaling, Ilab Photo Ltd is concurrently rebranding its corporate image with a new logo. Furthermore, new products will be added to the vast range of photographic equipment that we supply to the photographic trade.

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Temporal Devotion an exhibition by MIPP Still Image Award photographers

Kevin Casha FOREWORD In our current society, we are undoubtedly increasingly inundated with imagery; one cannot imagine how different our everyday life would be without images. Digital photographic technology has truly opened up and made photography accessible to an ever increasing multitude of people whilst the internet and online media has, for the vast majority, made the practice of taking pictures an ever-present part of our lifestyle.

The speed and stress of today’s way of life has Devotion: Love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.

Temporal: Relating to worldly as opposed to spiritual affairs.

certainly made us less likely to find time to read and has made us more dependent on imagery in order to keep apace with what is happening around

us.

Yet,

the

ease

and

diffusion

of

photographs – combined with our hectic lifestyle –seems to have made most photographers less likely to avail themselves of one of the most

powerful tools of photography: that of passing on a message or raising awareness on an issue. We are inundated with ‘beautiful’ imagery which unfortunately does not convey any further message or engagement with our society. I do not want to be misunderstood, beautiful imagery is important in order to enlighten our everyday lives – there is enough bad news and problems that escaping and savouring aesthetic and pleasing images is surely a good therapy.

However, when one starts analyzing the majority of the work being produced by Maltese photographers, one realizes that very few of our local photographers are tackling conceptual and meaningful work that will engage and stimulate viewers. The process of working on a project which has a final, conceptual end is usually shunned by most photographers. Many a time have I noticed that whenever local students and photographers are faced with a theme, they encounter a rather un-surmountable

‘block?’ Is it because our education system is not stimulating and encouraging our students enough; is it because our society is becoming more and more concerned with the way in which we personally exist in our microcosmic world; is it because commercial factors and daily needs have by far eclipsed our thirst for knowledge and keeping us away from the daunting challenge of attempting to engage ourselves in a more wider spectrum? The reasons are many and highly debatable and have often made me think and attempt to spur more learners to endeavor to go deeper into the more valid elements of the photographic medium.

Often, as a curator of such projects, I have to juggle between finding a challenging theme that, at the same time, is broad enough to produce a varied cross section of work and is also not so abstract as to discourage participants. The theme chosen for this exhibition is “Temporal Devotion.” It aims to set both photographers and viewers a vision to explore the many non-religious non-spiritual facets of secular devotion or passion which many of us seem to thankfully have. Have we ever thought about the loyalty and love that many of us have for their family, children, pets, hobbies, country, sport, profession or craft? Have we actually conducted some sincere soul-searching in order to identify whether our devotion has gone too far and perhaps is starting to border on unhealthy fanaticism? The dividing line is rather thin and tricky. The scope of this exhibition is to not only raise awareness on important issues which most of us engage with but also to stimulate those who do not seem to have a passion for anything to perhaps begin thinking of enriching their lives through ‘devoting’ more time to experience exciting emotions or feelings which, I feel, makes our everyday existence more interesting and worthwhile.

The participants in this exhibition, who have all successfully completed the MIPP Still Image Award, come from a very diverse cross-section of society, ages, profession and conditioning and this helps to make the final collective oeuvre much more heterogeneous.

Kevin Casha – Exhibition Curator President Malta Institute of Professional Photography; Master of Fine Arts in Digital Arts (Uom); FMIPP; FSWPP; AMPS; AMPA; Hon FMPS; Master SWPP.

Aaron Azzopardi Aaron Azzopardi was born in1986. His interest in photography started during childhood when he began using a film camera. As a child, Aaron explored and ventured into photography on his own capturing whatever caught his curiosity and interest.

As

time

passed

photography

and

started

technology moving

more

changed, towards

digitisation. During this time, Aaron was intrigued with the possibilities of post-production and took several courses on computer editing and picture manipulation. He saw this as an opportunity to experiment creatively since he was able Aaron feels that his love towards street photography comes from the passion that he has for his social work profession.

to combine his knowledge gained from an academic background and amalgamate it with his inbred passion for drawing. It was here that Aaron started to explore how he could manipulate and improve his drawings with the help of various editing techniques.

Aaron works as a Social Worker within one of Malta’s main welfare agencies. His professional life calls for him to take a very structured approach; however, there is still the need to be creative and find alternative ways and means of how to support people. Although his profession offers an element of creativity, Aaron finds peace of mind when capturing nature and street photography. Moreover, Aaron feels that his love towards street photography comes from the passion that he has for his social work profession.

During these last few years, Aaron rekindled his interest in photography and started to invest time in gaining new knowledge and skills geared towards the art of photography.

The interest grew stronger whilst travelling to Scotland with friends, particularly since he was joined by a friend who is passionate about photography and who encouraged

Aaron to re-explore this art together. They decided to pursue an introductory course on photography to gain a more technical background as, previous to that, skills and knowledge on this art form had been self taught.

In these last two years, Aaron has deepened his knowledge, skills and practice through various part-time courses at MCAST. During one of these short courses, he met lecturer Kevin Casha. It was thanks to Casha that Aaron started looking towards the art of photography in a more serious and disciplined manner. Casha’s commitment towards his professional photographic career influenced Aaron to take photography to a higher level. He joined the Malta institute of Professional Photography in 2015, and started to regularly attend talks In

and

2016,

conventions.

Aaron

photographic

took

his

interest

further when he decided to undertake a demanding course

that

challenge

his

would skills

and

creativity. Therefore, in that same year he pursued and achieved the MIPP Award in Still Photography.

Besides photography, Aaron is interested in computer digital gaming, particularly the fantasy kind. He is also a keen on music and live bands, tending to favour Metal music. He is also fascinated by body art and tattooing and has a great affinity with animals and nature: elements from which he draws inspiration for his photographic work.

As of late, abstract photography has also gained Aaron‘s interest since he appreciates the idea of leaving the viewer to self-interpret an image. Aaron would like to continue to further his photographic journey by embarking on personal projects and pursuing an MIPP qualification in the near future.

Andrew Muscat Since I was in my early teens I used to love using my mum’s automatic film camera, taking photos of family events and scenery. I eventually treated myself a DSLR for my 31st birthday just three years ago, with the presumption that a bigger, better camera would deliver higher quality photos. Of course, I was only familiar with the Auto mode of the camera – I never had the patience to sit down and teach myself how to really operate the camera controls in Manual mode.

A year ago, I offered to take photos of my nephew’s baptism, and my sister and brother-in-law left it in my hands since I was always the one carrying “I have to admit, the utmost satisfaction I get is when a photo captures the true emotions and mood of a person”.

the camera around and my photos were always of ‘acceptable’ quality. On the day, I decided to risk to switching the camera into manual mode - (to appear professional in case anyone was looking) - even though I had never done this before! Although I was aware of the terminology

‘shutter speed’ and ‘aperture’ – I had no idea how they really worked. This resulted in an inevitable disaster, as out of 40+ photos that I took not a single one turned out right.

Understandably, this did not go down too well with my sister and brother-in-law!

However, this was a turning point for me – I decided I needed to attend some sort of instruction to learn how to properly operate my camera and broaden my knowledge about composition and other facets of photography. I eventually joined the MIPP and enrolled for the Still Image Course. Soon after starting the course, I realised that I practically knew nothing about photography. I was one of those people who loved the sound of a snapping shutter, and rarely paid attention to composition. I soon started to learn that there were so many other things I had to observe before snapping the shot, such as backgrounds, light and shadows, depth of field, etc.

I also learnt the importance of post-processing. Having no clue whatsoever about Photoshop, I took up another course also offered by the MIPP in image-editing and this opened my eyes to the creativity of today’s technology. From being completely ignorant about the software to learning to use its tools in such a short time has given me more confidence and again, I am now ever eager to practice using different tools in order to attempt different types of photo editing.

Throughout the course, as well as in my free time, experimenting with different subjects, I found that people photography

is

what I feel most comfortable with. is

For

sure

daunting

it

and

challenging since you

never

have

full

control

over

your subjects and there are a myriad of things that the photographer has

to

with.

Sometimes

it

is

deal

inclement

weather, at other times a grumpy child who does not want to be photographed, or simply something appearing in the background just when you think you have the perfect shot. But I have to admit, the utmost satisfaction I get is when a photo captures the true emotions and mood of a person.

Today, most of my efforts go towards achieving that fleeting instant that hopefully captures and encompasses the moods and emotions of the persons who are framed in my camera.

Angie Conti I am a keen hobbyist photographer who mostly enjoys sports, street and child photography, mainly because I strive to capture authentic, honest emotions and ‘real life’ moments. I am always on the lookout for new opportunities and fascinating events and people to photograph.

I harboured a desire to learn photography for a very long time. Way back before my teen years, I can remember asking for a camera for Christmas and carrying it around with me wherever I went. For some reason, I never managed to bite the bullet and get down to learning it; perhaps because I chose to pursue other things, or possibly because “I strive to capture authentic, honest emotions and ‘real life’ moments”.

I felt that I was not so suited to it.

I am not quite sure why I waited until I was in my forties to actually put my thoughts into action. It was not long after I started that I realised I had been bitten and hooked by the photographic

bug. I followed up by attending a number of courses, and most recently, completing the Still Image Award with MIPP. This was a turning point in my photography adventure, as it led me to experiment and challenge myself to improve.

My sports photography portfolio conjures up a reminder of how it feels to give your very all and to attempt to give due credit for the determination that reside within those dedicated to the sport they love.

Another subject which is growing on me is Street Photography. What I find exciting about shooting this genre is that it is not unlike a lottery. You never know what you are going to find, you have no control over things such as lighting, backdrops and clothing and you can never plan or anticipate the result. A scene can change within seconds. I tend to spend a lot of my free time taking images and enjoy telling stories

of those simple and fleeting moments in everyday life that so often go unnoticed but the memories of which kindle feelings of nostalgia.

Yet, what I find most rewarding is photographing children. It does not come without challenges, but I love how they let their personality shine without inhibitions and I love to capture their care-free attitude, curiosity and imagination.

I am currently working on learning to use light more effectively. So far, natural light is what interests me. I may venture into artificial lighting in the future though it is not something that attracts me at the moment.

Ultimately, for me, it’s all about people

and what makes them tick. A thousand stories can be told from the tiniest mannerisms and micro expressions to the grandest of gesticulations and genuine beaming smiles.

I enjoy taking p h o t o s and

feel

privileged to be given the opportunity and

the

support

to

record those s p e c i a l moments

in

the lives of the

people

who feature through lens!

my

Brian Aguis Brian Agius has been interested in photography for just over 3 years; working hard to make quick strides in his passion for immortalising moments in time.

His fervour for photography first started with a semiautomatic digital camera with which he began experimenting in Manual mode. He felt it was the best way to understand the manner that light is captured and to make the most of his equipment.

In 2012, he purchased his first SLR camera, a Canon EOS550D, and entered a whole new world of photography.

Brian likes to further challenge his photographic abilities and extend his competencies in exhibition organisation.

In September 2013, he was encouraged to participate in a photographic competition that was organised by Avantech to commemorate World Photography Day. Brian’s entry was in the compact camera category where he placed first in this section, winning a new complete Canon

700D camera. This gave Brian the confidence to take photography to a more serious level.

In 2014, Brian became a member of the Malta Photographic Society (MPS) and, during the first year, he keenly followed the discussions and mentoring competitions held by this organisation. In 2015, he started participating in the mentoring competitions of the MPS and after three competitions he was already leading the Entry Level Category.

In December 2015, a photography course was advertised by the Malta Institute of Professional Photography (MIPP). This course, named the MIPP Award in Still Photography, captured Brian’s attention due to a very interesting and varied curriculum. In January 2016 he applied and in the ensuing months he worked hard to make the best out of this learning opportunity.

Through the exposure he obtained from this course,

Brian believed more in his photographic abilities and this was proved by successfully gaining the Distinction grade.

From that day onwards, he has not looked back and his camera has been his constant companion. He has participated in a number of personal and commercial shoots and continued experimenting with different photographic genres; his favourite subjects being Long Exposure, Still Life and Abstract.

He has now ventured on a new project and actively worked towards the organisation of a collective photographic exhibition with other fellow course photographers. This should prove to be an important venture and learning curve for Brian as it allows him to further challenge his photographic abilities and extend his competencies in exhibition organisation.

For the future, Brian would like to continue widening his photographic competency in order to achieve more qualifications and become a better photographer. Eventually, he would like to hold his own personal exhibition and participate in student lecturing so he can, in turn, pass over what he has learnt to others.

James Scerri By profession, I am a quantity surveyor, with a long standing passion for photography and art.

Photography is not only a means to record a moment in time, but a source through which detail, humanity, diversity and other issues are explored.

My photographic journey started at a tender age, taking mainly family snapshots with my rudimentary

instamatic

camera.

Later

on,

I

purchased my single-lens reflex camera (SLR) which stimulated my photographic experience through the use of various types of lenses. I started to focus on black and white rather than colour as I felt it like an expression of my character. When “Photography is a means of glorifying the divine beauty bestowed upon us and, unfortunately, also revealing the damage caused by man’s selfishness.”

I eventually invested in a semi-pro digital singlelens reflex camera (DSLR), I gained more freedom to experiment in various genres whilst following various photography courses through institutions like Life Long Learning, the Malta Institute of Professional Photography (MIPP) and University.

The genres of photography I enjoy most are nature macro, architecture, interiors, abstract, and scenics. Recently, I started experimenting with street photography, which is an internal challenge, as I consider myself an introvert. Macro challenges me to explore the tiny, almost imperceptible details that exist in nature. Architecture photography is the extended arm of my daily work. To me, buildings, particularly old ones, are structures serving not only a purpose but an expression of the period interpreted through the eyes of the architect.

Interior photography is a genre revealing the intimate expression of one’s surroundings.

Through abstract photography, I manage to refine my sense of observation without revealing what has actually been shot and attempt to imply a sense of mystery. Land and seascape photography is a means of glorifying the divine beauty bestowed upon

us and, unfortunately, also

revealing

the

damage caused by man’s

selfishness.

Street

photography

is

an

of

expression

the

various

characteristics daily

life,

of

through

people’s expressions, interpretations, reactions

and

encounters.

I

have

submitted

various photographs, both

locally

and

internationally, for

photographic

competitions

with

appreciated

results

and have also had the pleasure of some of my works being published media.

in

local

Marconia Schembri My passion for photography began at an early age - thanks mainly to my father - who meticulously dated and compiled albums with family photos.

I cherish those moments spent on the sofa with an album on my lap, much like a huge, magical and mysterious book, flipping through the pages; always exploring something new. Unknowingly, I had been introduced to one of the key elements of photography: that of discovery. Furthermore, my father had unconsciously passed on the wonderful value of preserving important moments through photographs.

I was an unorthodox teenager who, instead of “At this point it became crystal-clear that photography was a part of my DNA.”

accessorizing my outfits with handbags, religiously opted to carry a camera in order to record memorable moments with my friends at parties, village feasts, the beach and holidays abroad.

Following in my dad’s footsteps, photographic albums also became my pride and joy.

As an adult, I focused my energy into developing another passion of mine: that of physical fitness and nutrition, graduating as a Physical Education Teacher in 1999 and, later, reading for a Masters degree in Physical Activity and Public Health. Throughout my career as an educator, I have always been an avid advocate of keeping fit and eating healthy, leading a Comenius project entitled, Active Bodies, Healthy Minds, in 2004, followed by the drawing up of a school action plan in 2008 with the title Think Health. It is through the latter endeavour that my two major life passions crossed each other’s path. Apart from designing promotional material and a website, I also undertook the role of photographing all sport and health related activities. At this point it, became crystal-clear that photography was a part of my DNA. In 2009, whilst on holiday in Scotland, I initially experimented with a friend’s DSLR. The following year, I purchased a Nikon D5000 - that luckily coincided with the birth of

my niece. Becoming an aunt sparked an interest in child photography based on the premise that a child’s photograph is a valuable, timeless and un-repeatable memory which is handed down from generation to generation. Over the next few years, I endeavoured to perfect my photographic skills by attending two courses offered by the e-learning centre within the Curriculum Management and eLearning Department (DQSE) which provided me with a better understanding of how to make the best use of the camera, how to think more before I shoot and how to use Photoshop for editing purposes. 2014 began with a life-changing event, as I brought to life my very own child, undoubtedly resulting into stimulating my passion for photography as I devotedly captured those moments that most reveal the personality, energy and individuality of my daughter.

Two

years

intensified

down my

the

line,

I

photographic

studies by attending a course on still photography, expertly run by Kevin Casha, President of the Malta Institute of Professional Photography (MIPP),

while

also

becoming

a

member of the same Institute. 2016 and 2017 were pivotal years in my career as a photographer, leading to the purchase of a full-frame DSLR camera, a Nikon D750, and a studio lighting kit. The latter takes photographic skills to the next level, opening up a range of endless possibilities.

More recently, I am proud to have attained the Licentiate Qualification (LMIPP) with the MIPP following a submission consisting of a photographic panel under the theme ‘Children’. Photographing children is probably one of the most challenging ventures for any photographer - capturing ‘the’ moment is often demanding as with children everything happens in a flash.

However, I am passionately driven to this genre

because a single instant can result in a memorable image, giving me the privilege of preserving such special memories for evermore.

Mark Anthony Bugeja I was born and raised in Rabat before moving on to Mosta, which has become my hometown where I now reside with my wife. For the past 9 years, I have been working within the Malta Public Service.

During my free time I enjoy reading, scuba diving and doing photography.

The love of photography runs in my family’s genes. My grandfather was an avid amateur photographer and his passion for photography was imparted to his sons.

My father was no exception and he followed on his steps and spent hours developing negatives “I found out that street photography is exhilarating, thrilling and addictive .”

and printing within the confines of the darkroom.

Although

my

photographer,

dad

was

not

photography

a had

professional been

his

passion. Thus I grew up in a photography friendly environment.

My journey into photography started when my dad in, the early 2000s, purchased a digital bridge camera, which had a measly 3mpx sensor and this camera opened up a whole new world of experimentation. However, this experimentation was soon short lived as I pursued my studies at University where I have read for a Bachelor of Arts in History followed by a Postgraduate degree in Mediterranean Historical studies.

In 2009, I returned back to photography, however this time I decided to pursue it further and eventually undertook a course with Kevin Casha. His drive for photography has always been infectious and thus he propelled me to join the M.I.P.P. In 2016, I undertook the M.I.P.P Still Image Award in Photography. With 100 hours of tuition, the course leads the successful participant to an MQF Level 3 certificate in Photography. This academic award was a challenge since it demanded a greater commitment than traditional photography courses. Nonetheless, I dived in and undertook the various workshops

and assignments with relish. The main task was to submit a digital panel of 20 images in a particular theme / genre at the end of the course.

I narrowed my favourite genres to two; street photography and environmental portraiture. I found out that street photography is exhilarating, thrilling and addictive even

though

it

never stops being intimidating. the

other

On hand,

engaging

with

my

and

subjects,

getting

to

know

their life stories has proved but

a

fulfilling, tad

intimidating. wanted

to

more I work

out of my comfort zone, so I opted for

environmental

portraiture; it was my first time tackling a conceptual body of work and quite a daunting prospect at first.

However, I made it a point to get to know each of my subjects prior to photographing them and this made it much easier to finalize my body of work.

I successfully achieved my first certificate in photography. I would not have arrived here were it not for the persistence, enthusiasm and insistence of Kevin Casha who invariably strives for the best and does not settle for half measures.

Martha Zammit Martha Anne Zammit was born in 1996 and attended Chiswick House School primary in Kappara. She completed her secondary education at St Martin’s College, Swatar and received a scholarship to attend St Martin’s College Sixth Form. She is currently a medical student in her fifth and final year at the University of Malta.

Her passion for ecological conservation led her to pursue an analysis of temporary streams and surface runoff in Malta, which she presented during the LakeAdmin pan-European water quality seminar. This project was also awarded the national first prize in the National Student Travel Foundation Martha has a penchant for poetry, philosophy and science fiction.

(NSTF) Contest for Young Scientists, after which she represented Malta in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists, Bratislava in September 2012.

Martha’s interest in photography was kindled by the familiar sight of her father’s camera, asking for her own as a fifth birthday present. She attended

an introductory course organised by the Kirkop Youth Local Council in 2011 and received a prize for her Summer themed end-of-course photo entry. This motivated her to seek out opportunities to challenge and further her photography.

During her time as a member of the Grupp Zghazagh Kirkop, Martha photographed a number of events and even set up a portrait booth as part of the Mill-Pjazza ghallProvidenza fund raising event in 2011.

As a medical student, she formed part of the Public Relations team for the SAHHTEKHealth and Wellbeing study, creating an original concept and panel of themed images for the study’s internet health portals, television features and posters. She has also contributed to diverse Malta Medical Student Association (MMSA) projects, which included night-time and aerial event photography.

She participated in the MIPP Still Image course 2016, receiving a Distinction for her coursework and final panel. This course encouraged her to continue exploring diverse photographic disciplines, and reminded her of another passion- candid portraiture- through street photography. She continues to carry out event photography on a voluntary basis. Most recently, her photos of the Stabat Mater musical evening organised by the St Joseph Band Club have been featured in their 2017 Ktieb talFesta.

Martha also has a penchant for poetry, philosophy and science fiction. Her most recent effort in the latter field has been an exploration of the impact and significance of invisibility in society and science fiction during the HUMS (humanities, medicine and science) Science Fiction Symposium, 2017. She has also presented “Star Trek and the

Meaning

of Life- Medical Attitudes

to

the End of Life in Star Trek” at the

Star

Trek

Symposium, 2016 and coauthored “The Prime DirectiveOrigins in the Hippocratic Oath?” published as part of “Star Trek: Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Theory and Practice”.

Her other interests include sustainable living, organic gardening and travel. She lives in Kirkop with her parents, guinea pig and books.

Neville Pace My name is Neville Pace and I was born on the 30th of August 1981. I am married to Corinne and we have two wonderful kids, Amy and Liam. We reside in the beautiful village of Siggiewi. I term myself as a calm, genuine and down- to-earth photographer with a strong focus on portraiture.

As a kid, I used to enjoy myself taking photographs with my dad’s old Pentax SLR camera which I still remember very well. Subsequently, I could not stay without a camera: being a disposable Kodak or a basic point-and-shoot one. I well remember being fascinated and intrigued by the way a “Knowing their story and trying to photographically re-tell what is happening in that exact moment, is what excites me”

camera worked and how you could actually get a picture from that film roll installed in the back of the camera.

As I grew up, photography became an integral part of my life capturing important and special moments in our family life. After my kids were born,

my passion became to record every step of their life, even if just using my Smartphone.

Playing next to a window or outside in a field, it was always a good excuse to take a photograph. It was during this period that my passion for portrait photography grew.

About 4 years ago, I bought my first DSLR camera. Excitement further kicked in and I wanted to know and understand more and, most importantly, I needed to learn about photography and about my camera. I became a member of the MIPP in 2015 and this helped me network with all kinds of photographers but, most importantly, it helped me learn further and broaden the way I looked at photography. I did some short courses provided by the Institute and, last year, I enrolled in the MIPP Still Image Course, which I successfully completed.

Engaging with people, capturing that magic moment, getting to know the subject

I

photograph,

knowing

their

story and trying to photographically re-tell

what

is

happening in

that

exact

moment, is what excites

me.

portrait an

A

freezes

expression,

a moment in a person’s life. My work

is

mostly

done

using

natural

light,

exploiting

my

surroundings to my

influence portrait

photography ideas.

I

sometimes take of

also

photos Maltese

l a n d s c a p e and nature although, at the moment, lack of spare time due to work and family commitments makes it a little difficult.

Patrick Zammit Patrick Zammit graduated as Doctor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Malta in 1990.

After training in General Surgery, he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FRCSEd) in 1997.

He subsequently specialized in Urological Surgery in Malta, was admitted as a Fellow of the European Board of Urology (FEBU) in 2002 and completed his Urological higher fellowship training in London. In 2005, he graduated first in the Masters Degree in Urology (MSc (Urol)) from the Institute of Urology – University College London (UCL). He was awarded A true technophile at heart, Patrick cannot live without his remote sensing equipment

the Geoffrey Chisholm prize in Urology for his performance in the Masters Course including original

basic

science

research

concerning

the use of artificial intelligence through neural networks in individual prediction of the progress of superficial bladder cancer over ten years based on the initial 3 months of clinical observation.

He has been a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Mater Dei Hospital, Msida since 2009.

He lectures at the University of Malta and is also an honorary lecturer and postgraduate mentor at the University of Edinburgh.It is difficult to summarise Patrick’s broad and diverse interests. His passion for photography was ignited when he was given a RICOH XRX film-back camera as a Christmas present in 1989. He initially moved to digital through a Minolta 35mm scanner and subsequently used the aforementioned Chisholm prize money to purchase a Canon EOS 350D, two L series zooms and a Canon Stylus Photo Printer. He remained largely self-taught until he participated in the MIPP Still Image course last year, encouraged by his daughter. His main interests have always been landscape and long exposure, with a new-found interest in capturing the essence of the places, people and experiences of his youth. He remains an active

member of his community and is an honorary president of the St Joseph Band Club, Kirkop.

Patrick also has a keen interest in materials technology and synthetic chemistry, which extends to his quest for perfect prints, stopping along

the

way

to

chemically

reverse-engineer cleaning solutions in order to restore, digitize and archive his prized slides.

Patrick

enjoys

the

use

and

customisation of electronics and computer hardware and software in particular automated server-based data protection and archiving. He is fluent in R, SQL and Visual Basic that he uses in data analysis and visualisation. This interest has currently peaked in the setting up of his latest workstation which provides him with endless hours of pleasant solitude mostly through Photoshop and at other times, AutoCAD. He has also made extensive use of photoengraving in the design and manufacture of custom printed circuits. A true technophile at heart, Patrick cannot live without his remote sensing equipment, which includes thermal imaging, visual and infra-red spectrometers. His appreciation for pure and reproducible sound and customisable electronics pre-dates his interest in photography, with audio engineering remaining one of his passions since his days as sound engineer for the band the Fog. His commitment to ecological conservation cannot go unmentioned. He was awarded a Wied ir-Rahal for his efforts in safeguarding public health and sanitation in the local community. He also supported and mentored his daughter in her study of water quality of temporary streams in Malta.

Patrick’s other hobbies include science fiction and fine dining. His publications are diverse and vary from the practical use of a disposable syringe in keyhole surgery for kidney stones, to a primer for medical professionals trying to publish images on the world wide web, to theoretical physics in warp drive technology.

Richard Farruiga Richard Farrugia was born in 1990 and started his photographic journey in his early teens, taking it a step further in 2015. He initially inherited his passion for photography from his father after receiving his first film camera at the age of 12, using the medium as a means of exploration for his surroundings and experimentation on various subjects which caught his eye.

Since then, during Sixth Form, he moved to digital photography whilst undertaking a Systems of

Knowledge

project

on

photography

and

architecture in Mdina. He later combined his love for travel and photography when the opportunity Richard aspires to a more minimalistic style, conveying his subjects simply and clearly but leaving much to the viewer’s imagination and interpretation.

arose to relocate to Singapore, where he spent the next four years studying and discovering South East Asia.

When Richard is not behind the lens, he spends his days working as an operations manager with

a local manufacturing company, where he has to approach his daily routine in a structured and logical manner; thus Richard finds his creative release in photography.

Over the years, he has taken various short courses, but decided to take photography more seriously during the last 2 years, after meeting Kevin Casha, who was his tutor during an intermediate level course at MCAST. Shortly after, in 2015, Richard joined the Malta Institute of Professional Photography and started attending lectures and conventions regularly. In 2016, Richard started to take part in competitions organised by the Institute and enrolled in the MIPP Award in Still Photography Course, which he successfully completed with Distinction.

Apart from photography, Richard is also interested in alternative and metal music, philosophy and other art forms, mainly body art and murals, from which he draws

most of his photographic inspiration.

Although preferring to experiment and photograph using various genres of photography, Richard mostly enjoys shooting landscapes, travel and abstract photography. He also tries to combine his love of philosophy and adventure into his image making, aspiring to a more minimalistic style, conveying his subjects simply and clearly but leaving much to the viewer’s imagination and interpretation. Richard is continuing his photographic journey with a number of personal projects and in future pursuing an MIPP Qualification.

Samuel Masini I consider myself a hobbyist photographer and a software developer by trade.

Photography was my excuse to unplug myself from the virtual world and go about the island in pursuit of locations and particular situations that inspire me to capture that fleeting moment.

In photography, looking back at these past four years, I feel that my intentions and priorities have shifted. Photography is no longer just another way to pass the time, but also a valid way for personal reflection and self-expression.

Photography is a tool for the artist to build a bridge “Photography is a tool for the artist to build a bridge between the viewer and the photographer’s intent or vision”

between the viewer and the photographer’s intent or vision - as eloquently phrased by the great Berenice Abbott: “Photography helps people to see.” I think of the camera as a pricey paint brush.

My ultimate

desire is to be able to produce photographs that are self-descriptive, that speak to viewers and narrate the story, all within the confines of a frame or series of images. Naturally this is no easy feat to accomplish and I immediately realized that I had to acquire a solid foundation in core photography concepts in order to be able pave my future progress. The Still Image Course, organised by the MIPP, proved to be the perfect stepping stone to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to take me out of my comfort zone and challenge me towards new and exciting horizons.

Wilfred Galea Wilfred Galea is a family doctor by profession and his passion for photography started in his early teens. Study, family and career commitments meant that photography had to be relegated until middle age appeared. After the age of fifty, his fascination for photography was rekindled and it has now become an integral part of his identity and a constant challenge on his lifelong learning process. Now Wilfred seizes all possible opportunities to improve his knowledge and techniques. Photography complements his demanding profession as it enables him to switch off and use his spare time in a completely different manner.

Wilfred loves to capture those unique emotional instances and people’s expressions.

Wilfred remains fascinated by how photography has helped him notice various aspects of life in general which would otherwise be taken for granted or not noticed at all. Overall, photography helps him understand and appreciate life in

general. His favourite genres include nature, landscape and street photography. In the latter, he loves to capture those unique emotional instances and people’s expressions.

Wilfred chose to participate in the MIPP Still image Course because it covered a wide range of subjects as well as practical workshops where he could experiment and explore various techniques. The course opened up new challenges and opportunities as it exposed him to a whole range of new skills.

Sita Azzopardi At an early age, Sita was fortunate to discover her passion for art and design. Exploring different mediums, she eventually focused her artistic skills to the services she currently provides to her clients.

Sita is a visionary who has been conjuring truly unique design solutions for well over fifteen years.

She thrives on creative challenges, and possesses an insatiable desire to deliver inspired endproducts that contain the “wow” factor. Her work speaks for itself—conceptual, targeted, and highly polished, whilst craftsmanship and attention to detail lies at the foundation of Sita’s success.

“Dedication is a form of art and anything we do in life can evolve into a passion.”

Sita earned a degree at the College of Art and Design, where she mastered her visual communication skills. She believes that design is everything, her passion for Mother Nature led her to build a fully functional turbine windmill built out of recycled materials, it was a work of art exhibited

at the Istituto Della Cultura Italiana, Valletta.

Leonardo Bonacci’s seminal principles were an important influence to Sita’s passion for art. Fibonacci’s reasoning showed her that the beauty lies on numbers and that what our eyes perceive every day is based on one formula: “The Golden Rule”. Sita had always been fascinated by these concepts and her passion makes her more curious to learn art on an ever higher level.

For the past three years, she has been striving to capture moments and photographs that can illustrate and record history. Other professionals, such as Jerry Uelsmann and Maggie Taylor, have also served as inspirations for Sita to combine her love for design and photography.

In 2016, Sita joined the Malta Institute of Professional Photography where she completed the MIPP Award in Still Photography with a distinction. She is ever more determined to further her studies and continue to immerse herself deeper into the world of photography.

“Dedication form

of

is

a

art,” she

says “anything we do in life can evolve into a passion.” Sita tries to think outside of the box and is always ready to go out of her comfort zone. are

Challenges what

make

her delve deeper and

search

for

the unknown. She believes

that

her

surroundings are never the same; that light and sound continuously transform subjects into something different. Keen observation and planning is the key to her success.

She considers photography as a language with no barriers. Sita’s area of interest is symmetry, detail and form. For her, creating an intriguing image is her way to communicate. Sita aims to eventually stage her own exhibition and keep enhancing her knowledge of photography and art.

Her motto? “ Dream, believe, accelerate and stand out from the pack!”

MIPP AWARD IN STILL PHOTOGRAPHY

The Malta Institute of Professional Photography, (MIPP) has been officially licensed, by the National Commission for Further and Higher Education (NCFHE), as a Further Education Institution. The NCFHE has also approved and accredited MIPP courses in photography, which have been since held for the fourth time this year. The course

consists of four learning Modules with a total of 100 hours of tuition. This Still Image Award, which conforms to all the stringent conditions mapped out by the NCFHE, leads the successful participant to a Level 3 award in photography. This accredited course conforms to the Malta Qualifications Framework and the European Qualifications Framework.

It is open to all persons over sixteen years of age at the date of commencement of the course. The course is aimed at all those who are interested in improving and boosting their knowledge and competencies in photography in order to gain a recognized, valid vocational qualification. Persons who wish to apply need only provide their secondary school leaving certificates and a digital portfolio of their work in order for the MIPP to gauge their suitability for the course. The course is geared towards teaching in a complete and comprehensive manner, through the right balance of technical lectures, hands on workshops, real life scenarios and inspiration, together with the wide range of skills needed in today’s competitive world. At the end of this course, the successful learner would be equipped to confidently tackle most of the photographic genres necessary to conduct photography to a high professional standard.

This Award in Still Photography is made up of 56 tutor contact hours, 4 assessment hours and 40 self study hours. The course, which is usually conducted in English, is on a part time basis and held mainly during evenings. This course only takes on a limited number of participants so that more personalized attention can be given. It makes use of the already established MIPP Qualifications, and on conclusion, learners are mentored so as to submit a final photographic project. Should you require further information regarding accredited courses or any other MIPP qualifications, kindly address your queries to courses@mipp-malta.com.

www.mipp-malta.com

Design by Sita Azzopardi; co-ordination by Kevin Casha.