Click by MPS

M A LTA

CIETY

OG R AP HI

UND

E D 196

Sep 15 / Dec 15 - Issue 3 / 2015

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Editorial

President

Louis Agius

Click Editorial Board Executive Committee 2015

our voices have been heard…..We have recently witnessed a threat to photographers barring them of Freedom of Panorama in Europe. Half a million have raised their voices and signed petitions showing their concerns and disapprovals to such restrictions and presented their cause in front of the European Parliament and the European Commission. Ultimately the outcome was a clear one which all photographers should be happy about….“What you can see with your eyes as a citizen, on public places and streets in Europe, you should be allowed to also photograph it with a camera.” Let’s hope this is the end of such discussions and all European countries are in line with this regulation. Since taking over as editor of Click I was fortunate enough to have made friends with Ken Dickson, Tony White and Cheryl Zwart from Mount Gravatt Photographic Society in Queensland Australia. Ken and Tony have been contributors to our magazine while Cheryl has shared with me her invaluable knowledge having been editor, for quite some time now, of the MGPS monthly Newsletter entitled Exposure (http://www.mgps.org.au/ club/newsletter). I take this opportunity to thank them all and I hope that we can have some fruitful exchanges on Club level in the near future. After all, promoting Photography and raising the level is common to both our societies. This edition is covering the period September to December to bring it in line with the calendar year starting in 2016. Enjoy.

Front Cover Photo: by Pierre Sciberras

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OG R AP HI

M A LTA

CIETY

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Calendar of Events Photographer of the Year Top 15 Portfolio Images/Get Together

Hon. Secretary Pauline Grech

Hon. Treasurer Valerie Chetcuti

Competition Manager Joseph Caruana

Courses Co ordinator Jane Farrugia

Premises Manager Mark Brincat

Social Activities Manager Mario Mifsud

Editor

Noel Portelli

Editorial Advisors

Jane Farrugia, Elisabeth Abela

Design & Layout

Noel Portelli, Emanuel Haber

Contributors

Christine Widdall, Mark Micallef, Phyllis Ferrando, Louis Agius, Pierre Sciberras, Tony White, Trevor Calafato, Ramon Sammut

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Table of Contents

Tips for Better Images-R.Sammut Photo Walk/Editor’s Choice Avantech/Canon Advert

Paul Deguara

Printing: Veritas Press

Noel Portelli

Editorial / Viewpoint First Impressions - Christine Widdall Significant Upgrades MPS ILAB Sponsorship / Awards Presentations How was it Shot? Mark Micallef Best Assignment Phyllis Ferrando How was it Shot? Louis Agius Photographer of the Year - Pierre Sciberras International Awards / Competition Titles Being Creative on the Field - Tony White Lectures Presentations/Judging Star Trail Photography-T. Calafato

Vice President

UND

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MALTA PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

P.O. Box 590, Valletta, VLT 2000, Malta 137, Old Bakery Str, Valletta, VLT 1457, Malta Tel No: (+356) 21 242 265

MPS e-mail: mps1961@gmail.com

Click e-mail: click.editorialteam@gmail.com Readers are invited to visit the MPS website on www.maltaphotographicsociety.org

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Viewpoint T

Transition Period

he summer recess is over and we are ready to resume our regular meetings at the Society. Although it is important to have a break, especially in summer when a lot of people go on holiday, I must admit that I still missed our meetings and spending time at the Club with the members. During the last AGM, the calendar year of the Society was changed and it will now start from January instead of June. The Society was set up during June of 1961 and each AGM thereafter was held in the same month during all of the following years. It will take some time to get used to the new schedule; after all it was part of the Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program for 54 years. However, this change was necessary for the purpose of conforming to the Income Tax law, so that the Hon. Treasurer can draw up an audited statement of accounts ending 31st December of each year. It is also a more straight forward system to have the start of the year for the Society starting in January and ending in December. This new cycle will start in January 2016 by holding the AGM and the year will end in December of the same year. For the first year we would need to do some adjusting until things settle and we get used to the new system, but in the end I am convinced that it will turn out well. All the Club competitions will be starting in January and should end by November of each year. The committee would also need to make all the necessary adjustments, however the rest of the program should be easier to manage and get used to. In the meantime the period from September up till the end of this year will be utilised with a shorter activities program. We mean to make good use of these four months with some interesting evenings and ensure that we all go home satisfied; hopefully by learning Issue 3 / 2015 - Sep 15 / Dec 15

something new about photography. Here is some food for thought: Do we always photograph what the mindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye actually sees? Is it easy to capture the moment as one can see it? A photo can record a moment, but it is not always what one sees when the shot is taken. Take an example of a shot which is taken with slow shutter speed and where the people in the picture are blurred, but buildings or static objects are seen very clear and in focus. If the same shot is taken in the evening under street lights, the photo would have a colour cast thus making it different from what the photographer actually sees. Is a monochromatic photo considered as true to facts when we humans see in colour? Take the photo below where only the breakwater is in focus and the rest is blurred due to the slow shutter speed.

We take and interpret a photo as per our imagination. Is this the reason why photography is considered as an art form?

Louis Agius FMPS EFIAP PPSA MPS President 3

First Impressions by Christine Widdall I was thrilled to be invited to Malta as the guest judge and speaker at the Malta Photographic Society in Valletta. We left the UK on 27th May with early morning temperature of 6 degrees and arrived around lunch time to a breezy 18 degrees, a temperature for which our host Louis Agius apologised, as it was unseasonally cool! I have to say that we were perfectly happy! This was the first time that we had visited Malta and first impressions are always important. We had been told that “it feels very British” but in fact my impression, quite soon after arrival, was that it does not. Yes, there are red telephone boxes (nice to see them again - there are very few left in the UK) and red post boxes and the cars are driven on the left hand side of the road. Of course we could also communicate in English, but there are so many other influences in the culture and architecture of the islands that have resulted in Malta having a very unique identity. Our comfortable room on the 12th floor of a prominent hotel in Sliema gave us a fine view of the coastal part. Our first evening involved a short tour of Mdina and time to take some photographs before dinner, our first chance to try the local cuisine. Louis and Agnes made us very welcome and we very quickly felt comfortable. On the second day, after a tour of Valletta and second superb meal, I was dropped off at the club to deliver my “lecture”. I had been nervous about this - not about the pictures or talking about my work which I do on a weekly basis back home. But, imagine travelling all that way and then finding that the presentation won’t run, or has been lost in transit! So I had brought two memory sticks and two CDs, one set in each luggage. I also brought all the jpg images and had a 4

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second copy of everything up on the “cloud” so that it could be downloaded should all else fail. I think that Paul, who was operating the IT, was quite amused by all this concern and of course the presentation ran perfectly straight away. I hope that everyone liked it as much as I have enjoyed the book with which I was presented afterwards. Our visit to the Three Cities, on Friday, concentrated on Birgu, where Joe Caruana joined us for a conducted tour around his home turf, including a visit to the Inquisitor’s Palace. Judging on Saturday and Sunday gave me the opportunity to meet some of the local judges and I found getting to know them a little and see their work was very pleasing. The standard of photography set at the club is very high and the best images were of international salon quality...each team of three judges came to a consensus quite quickly about the winners and other awards and I am sure that the judging will result in a fine exhibition. I must thank Agostino Baldacchino for the gift of a copy of his own book, as I was unable to see him before he left. Our final day was wonderful - a visit to Gozo with Paul and Mary Deguara enabled us to see far more of the island than we could have possibly imagined in just one day, ending with a beautiful sunset at the Azure Window. Thank you everyone for a fantastic stay and our best wishes to the Malta Photographic Society for the future.

Sep 15/ Dec 15 - Issue 3 / 2015

Two Significant Upgrades at the Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Premises

Those of you who have been to the Club for the judging of the 50th National Annual Competition would have noticed two significant upgrades that have been put in place for the benefit of Club members. The first is the new set-up for registering and displaying the judgesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; scoring underneath the digitally displayed images in competition. These scores are visible to the audience but not to the judges. The second is the installation of two air conditioning units in the main hall which I am sure will make our stay at the club more comfortable. It is pertinent to thank all member of the Executive Committee and all those involved for these significant improvements. I am sure these will be appreciated by one and all.

In control of the New Scoring System - Paul Deguara and Guzeppi Caruana

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The two AC Units Installed at the premises

Issue 3 / 2015 - Sep 15 / Dec 15

Official Sponsor Photographer of the Year Award 2014/2015

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Sponsorship Award of Photograper of the year 2014 / 2015 to Pierre Sciberras from ILAB Managing Director Stefan Aquilina.

Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cup Award for best performance in the MPS 50th National Annual Competition to Rik Van Colen.

Sep 15/ Dec 15 - Issue 3 / 2015

Best assignment in the Starting Photography Course to Phyllis Ferrando.

H ow Wa s i t S h o t ?

Mark Micallef

sharpness and steadiness I also used a remote control to trigger the shots taken. Lens used was Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED

What settings did you use? I prepared a black background. (This can be a black cloth or cardboard) on a small table. The shot was divided into two parts:

Shooting the filament light bulb

Where was it shot (location)? It was shot in a basement garage. I created the set up on a table. NB. Do not try it in a small room with just one small window! The smoke will fill the room within minutes and this will decrease the quality of your photo.

What gear (camera, lens etc.) did you use? I used a Nikon D80 Digital SLR on a Manfrotto tripod. For better 10

First I shot the broken filament light bulb. Initially, I broke the filament bulb glass using a small hammer. This can be done by smoothly tapping on the glass of the bulb until it cracks. Very hard taps will break the glass completely and this was not desired. Then I tied a very light string to the broken bulb from above (ceiling or another higher stand) in front of the black backdrop. I set the flashgun to half power and the lens used with the SLR was a Macro Fixed lens 105mm. However the same shot can also be taken using other lenses, keeping in mind that a reasonable distance will be available from the subject (the broken bulb) to the camera.

Shooting smoke The second part of the shot was the smoke shots. I used an incense Click

stick on a table (using blue tack to stand straight) in front of the black backdrop and put the flash gun directly between the incense stick and the backdrop. No direct light should be directed either on the backdrop or on the incense stick. Avoid any light reflecting onto the background. This is important because smoke has a natural grey colour so you need a pure black background to give it contrast. You also need to make sure that when you fire the flash, no light hits the camera lens. This will create glare in your picture. The incense stick was lit and smoke started to appear. If you blow or wave your hand slightly you will notice that the smoke moves in all directions. Take multiple shots of the smoke with different smoke movements. At this stage just shoot, do not think which is best. That will come later on the computer. You may end up taking hundreds of photos and keeping just a fraction of them, don’t let that put you off. Smoke is an unpredictable subject to shoot, and with the settings required to capture it, it is hard to get it right in every shot. It’s all about trial and error. In order to capture a decent smoke photograph you need to remember four important factors that need to be adhered to,

1. Fast shutter speed – because it is constantly moving, you need to catch the motion of the smoke 2. Small aperture – for a greater depth of field. Smoke is unpredictable so setting a small aperture allows you to capture more of it in case of sudden changes in shape. 3. Low ISO – This is because smoke will naturally show up on a photograph as grainy. A higher ISO will make this worse 4. Light – You need lots of it. With a combination of fast shutter speed, small aperture and low ISO, there is not enough light to expose the shot. Therefore, the smoke will need to be lit up appropriately. With all that in mind, set your camera accordingly based on its capabilities. As guidance, below are the settings I used with my Nikon D80 and a Nikon SB-800 Speedlight: Camera mode – Manual  Shutter Speed – 1/250  Aperture – between f/8 – f/16  ISO – 100  Manual focus  White Balance – Auto or Flash 

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Focal length – This is your choice depending on how close you want to get to the smoke.  Flash output should be set at half power. Adjust according to your preference. 

Flash or lighting set-up, if any? Yes another tripod was used to hold a flash gun used for this shot. This flashgun was set at half power and triggered using a remote sensor every time a shot was taken. Why did you compose the shot as you did? I tried to create a surrealistic image using simple objects such as the broken bulb and the use of atmospheric conditions such as smoke. Moreover, in my opinion, monochrome gives this image more impact.

What post production work have you done on the shot? The two shots taken as explained above will be uploaded on the computer and the best images from those taken will be selected. Using Photoshop, both images selected will be layered on top of each other and edited to look realistic. Post editing such as levels, curves and contrasts was used, first independently on each image and then when the image was flattened. Cropping was also necessary to remove any unwanted background from the image and focus on the subject. Moreover good use of black and white conversion was needed. In a black and white image, contrasts are crucial. The contrasts of dark shades to highlights should be clearly visible. The BLACK tone and the WHITE highlights should be clearly visible in the image and not a range of middle tone GREYs.

What was the target of this shot? The target was to create a digitally altered image which gives you the impression that it could be real although it looks almost impossible in real life.

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Best Photographic Assignment at the Starting Photography Course Phyllis Ferrando

ive years ago I got my DSLR camera as I was always interested in photography. I realised I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t using it properly. I always left it on automatic mode. I was afraid to use the other function settings. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know anything about photography and wanted to learn more. I was talking to a friend of mine and she suggested I apply for the Starting Photography Course at the Malta Photographic Society. I applied and I started attending the weekly sessions. The lectures were very interesting and each lecturer got in detail in various topics. I never realised that there was so much to learn. I found it very beneficial and enjoyed every lecture, especially the walkabouts we did on Saturday mornings. The lecturers were very helpful and were always happy to answer my questions. This was something new to me and I was so eager to learn. At the end of the course we were given an assignment which I had so much fun doing. I never realised I was going to do so well. When I finished the course I even became a member the Malta Photographic Society because I want to continue learning by attending the sessions on Thursday evenings. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone who loves photography.

Sep 15/ Dec 15 - Issue 3 / 2015

H ow Wa s i t S h o t ? Where was it shot (location)? The shot was done at my home studio set in my basement where I shoot most of my close-ups and macro photography. The studio consists of a couple of light tents, table, table lamps, stands and tripods and 2/3 flashguns etc. I use a lot of props for close-ups and one of these is a small aquarium. Its size is 12 in. x 10 in. x 12 in. in height. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where the shot was staged. What gear (camera, lens etc.) did you use? The equipment used was, camera Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon lens 24 - 70 mm; Manfrotto tripod 055B and the head 141RC. The shot was taken on 13th Feb. 2014 of an old and inexpensive watch, which had stopped functioning after many years in use but kept as one of my props and for such an opportunity. What settings did you use? The settings were as follows; the lens was set at 52mm, the aperture was f8.0; shutter speed at 1/200 and the ISO 100. 14

Louis Agius

Flash or lighting set-up, if any? A flashgun was used on the left of the photo, fired by a trigger. The flashgun was diffused with small softbox and set in manual mode. The room was almost in darkness except from a small lamp to focus the lens where the watch was to fall or dropped. A black board was placed at the back. For shots of this type you need to take a good number of shots to get the desired photo as there was no electronic or mechanical gadgets used to stop the shot. With one hand I dropped the watch and with the other pressed the shutter button with the remote control.

Why did you compose the shot as you did? The shot was cropped in a way to get part of the watch in the division of thirds, I also wanted to show the travel of the watch falling in the water. Moreover I concentrated to get a clear shot of the face and the hands of the watch.

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What post production work have you done on the shot? Photo editing software was used to enhance the shot and to convert to monochrome. What was the target of this shot? The title of the shot is ‘Time Out’, like everything in life, everything must come to an end and it’s time to get a new one. The irony is that if it were a very expensive watch it wouldn’t have been used and abused in such a manner.

Sep 15/ Dec 15 - Issue 3 / 2015

PIERRE SCIBERRAS Photographer of the Year Season 2014 - 2015

“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.” - Ansel Adams My passion for photography started with a beginner’s course in October 2012 following my disappointment the moment I assessed the photos I took during my trip to America and the Caribbean. Travel has always been my passion and it was then when I realised that travel inspires photography and photography inspires travel. I have noticed that my knowledge started improving rapidly and immediately I followed the advanced course which has provided me with skills beyond my expectations. Meanwhile, I started to invest in adequate equipment to help me achieve better shots during my travels. The 18th September 2014 marked my first entry in a competition with the Malta Photographic Society which eventually led me to be awarded the prestigious title of the MPS Photographer of the Year Season 2014-2015.

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Most of my winning photos were captured during my travels. My passion is exploring the world in search of new people, places and cultures and hence I always plan my trips with photography in mind. Sometimes capturing unique shots brings along various challenges and in several occasions I had to be very adventurous especially during my visits to tribes in Africa, getting too close to wild animals and also camping in the middle of the jungle to capture the early sunrise. continued on Page 18 Issue 3 / 2015 - Sep / Dec

Through my experiences, I have learnt that good travel photography captures images that tell a story, from landscapes to architecture and to human portraits: travel photography encompasses many skills and subjects. Some of those subjects are once-in-a-lifetime views, which one may never get a second opportunity to photograph again. While once upon a time I used to shoot travel photos with myself in mind in order for me to remember my travels, I now have learnt to shoot with my audience in mind. I always aim to make my audience feel like they want to jump inside the photo and be right there with me. My plans for the future? More travel and photography of course! Every corner of the world has something to show you and I aim to not only to see it but also to capture those magnificent moments and enjoy sharing them with others.

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International Acceptances & Awards Name

Country

Acceptances

Agius Louis

Serbia

4 Pl

Debono Johann

Saudi, Serbia, India

36 Pl

Mangion Paul

Australia

2 Pl

Awards

â&#x20AC;&#x153;( PI = Projected Images, C/MP = Colour or Monochrome Prints, M = Medal, GM = Gold Medal, SM = Silver Medal, BM = Bronze Medal, HM = Honorable Mention, R = Ribbon )â&#x20AC;?

2016 Competition Titles Mentoring competitions: 1. Open subject-colour image dpi 2. Open subject-monochrome image dpi 3. Vehicle detail/s- colour prints 4. Long exposure- monochrome dpi 5. Panning- colour dpi 6. Uniforms- monochrome prints Panels: Heritage (local crafts)- monochrome dpi Nature- colour prints Street photography- monochrome dpi Portraiture (weathered faces)-colour dpi Portfolio- monochrome prints NB - DATES WILL BE ADVISED LATER

Issue 3 / 2015 - Sep 15 / Dec 15

TONY WHITE IS AN AUSTRALIAN BASED PHOTOGRAPHER WITH OVER 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE. A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR TO INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS, TONY HOLDS HONOUR LEVELS BOTH WITHIN AUSTRALIA AND INTERNATIONALLY. TONY BEGUN EXPLORING PHOTOGRAPHY WHILST STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL, HOWEVER IT WAS NOT UNTIL FINISHING AN IT DEGREE AT UNIVERSITY WHEN HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE A DSLR THAT HE TOOK IT UP IN EARNEST. WITH A LOVE FOR SHARING HIS KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TONY HELPED TO LAUNCH OZLIGHT PHOTO ADVENTURES (www.ozlightphoto.com) PROVIDING COURSES AND PRACTICAL WORKSHOPS IN ALL ASPECTS OF PHOTOGRAPHY.

Being Creative in the Field by Tony White (AFIAP, FAPS)

ometimes when we are out photographing we can be extremely lucky and find great scenes to photograph. Other times we need to be more creative in our composition and thinking.

This image is one of those great scenes, I captured this in New Zealand. It was most definitely a scene that required little more then finding the right angle to shoot from to only include those parts that I desired. If I had pointed my camera down any lower I would have gotten the railing and the overflow hole. So for this image I have been creative in my positioning to ensure I did not capture anything that would detract from the final image. Naturally I have also cropped this after the fact to reduce the sky that was not needed. 20

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Another image I also captured in New Zealand shows a different kind of creativity. I found this patch of red berries with wonderful golden yellow leaves and whilst I did take the usual photos of this patch I found them lacking, so I experimented by doing longer exposures and moving the camera. By ensuring the ISO was as low as it could go and the aperture was set to something that would create a longer shutter speed, then just as I pressed the shutter I moved the camera up. It did take a few attempts to get this image, but I love the way the lighter coloured parts of the image (ie the yellow) have streaked nicely to create a great pattern whilst the red berries and branches remain solid. The technique can work well also with trees, the trunks will become longer and for some people create a feeling of vertigo. It is certainly something to try when you next are looking for something different. Sometimes though when we are searching an area if we let our imagination free we can use items we find to create a scene to photograph. When I was searching this location I found the balls of seaweed that looked like toes and then I thought I could use the cuttlefish as the sole of the foot. This was inspired by an image a fellow photographer had made a few months prior but using rocks to create a pair of feet. Hopefully this gives you a couple of ideas to try next time you are searching for a photograph when out capturing images. Issue 3 / 2015 - Sep 15 / Dec 15

Guest Speakers with their Presentations

“ The People of Malta” - Ro derick Vella, Stephen Buhagia r.

“Fine Art Architecture” - Kerstin Arnemann

“Fine Art” - Albert Demarco

“Creativity” - Martin Abela

“My Photography”- Christine Widdall

Louis Agius, Christine Widdall

Photography by Mark Brincat 22

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Judges at the 50th National Annual Competition & Exhibition

Martin Abela, Christine Widdall, Augostino Baldacchino

Alex Attard, Christine Widdall, Joe Smith

Tony Blackman, Christine Widdall, Kerstin Arnemann

Peter Bartolo Parnis, Christine Widdall, Daniel Cilia

Annual General Meeting

Issue 3 / 2015 - Sep 15 / Dec 15

End of Season Get Together

Star Trail Photography by Trevor Calafato

his article simply aims at giving you a series of steps and pointing you in the right direction to shoot star trail photography. Before starting to discuss on what kind of equipment, settings or software that should be used one needs to be aware on the location where one is situated. Yes the location! The only fixed star is the North Star. Malta is located in the northern hemisphere, thus it is possible to locate the North Star. If need be you can use a compass to locate the north and you can be almost certain which is the North Star. If you look at the stars for a while you will notice that it is quite easy to spot. Another trick to spot the North Star is to identify the Ursa Major constellation. You’ve probably seen it before. This constellation looks like a saucepan. The stars are very bright, so you can see it even if you are in the middle of a city. Find the Ursa Major in the sky, and then follow a line up from the ‘pan’ bit of the saucepan up until you meet the next bright star. This is the North Star. When you face it you are always looking north. Do not expect the North Star to be very bright! The North Star is important because it remains in the same position while the other stars and constellations go around and revolve around it. As you might envisage this is very important for our final result. Second important thing is to find the right night. Cold and dry nights are the 24

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best because the air is clearer and the stars will be sharper. Another important thing is to find a night without a moon. So you need to consult the calendar and find out those nights where you have no moon. In this way you will control the noise pollution. This also means that you have to prepare for your shoot months in advance. Naturally to have the best shots one would need to do the shooting in the middle of the night. Third fundamental issue is the location. You need to be away from any city or street lights as possible. You may think this is easy but for Malta this is a troublesome issue particularly for this kind of photography. Thus, the further away from the lights you are the better your shots will be. The next step is setting the camera. You need to set up your camera while still at home because it will be much easier for you to see it there rather than trying to set your camera in the middle of the night. Also it is important that you know your camera and how to handle it well because when you get out there it is going to be pitch black and you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to see the buttons of your camera and since it will be cold your fingers will be pretty numb. Star trails can be physically demanding. It is also important to take a small flashlight or a headlamp with you to help you set your equipment properly. Besides your camera you need the following equipment. A steady and heavy tripod is essential for this kind of photography. As regarding the lens, you should try to go for a wide-angle lens. The wider the lens the better. The more you can capture from the sky the more star trails (and circles) in the sky will be captured. Set your lens to manual focus and set the focus to near infinity (check the infinity symbol). Put the camera into Manual mode; select the shutter speed at 30 seconds and the aperture at f4 or the lowest it can go. Set your ISO at 1600. Next step is to take a test shot. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget it is going to take 30 seconds so ideally you have a remote attached to your camera to leave your camera as still as possible. Once you have the shot check your image and make sure that the stars are nice and sharp. If the stars are not Issue 3 / 2015 - Sep / Dec

sharp readjust the focus and retest it until they are sharp. You will also notice that the stars will not be a spot but an elongated yet very short line. The only exception will be the North Star. As you might notice all this process takes quite some time, and yet you did not even start to take your photos. Once the camera is set, set the shutter for continuous shooting; yes the same one that you would use for sport photography. The only difference is that now every shot will be of 30 seconds. To lock the camera in this setting you need a remote that keeps the shutter pressed down. In this way the shutter will keep taking 30 seconds shots until the card is full or the battery dies. Now all you need to do is wait. This is going to take hours (around three hours) so keep yourself busy, like reading a magazine in the car. Yet every so often check the camera to see that everything is working fine. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget that when you are checking out the camera you cannot move it. As you might imagine you will end up with a series of photos of the same place but you will notice that the stars in the sky are moving while going through your photos. At this point a good part of your work is over but you have still got some work to do. Once you are checking your photos on your computer make sure that you adjust the tones of every photo. Photos tend to be orange so you need to adjust the white balance. In this case one of the best pieces of software is Lightroom because it can help you adjust the photos more quickly. You might notice that it happens that any clouds might actually ruin your photos. Controlling the exposure is important to have a dark sky and bright stars. Once finished export the images as jpeg in a folder. Now weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got all the ingredients to create the star trails. Yet here we need to use another software. For this photo I used StarStaX. This software will stack all your photos and also fill in some of the gaps that might occur while the camera is processing the 30-second images, which will take some time to be buffered by the camera. Once the photos are stacked you will have your star trails and you will notice that they will be going around the North Star. In conclusion, star trail photography is a great challenge as it takes lot of planning and patience besides at least five hours of work to get one photo. However, once you manage it I can guarantee that you will be pretty happy with the results. After all photography is fun! Wish you luck with star trail photography! 26

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Tips For Better Images Compiled by Ramon Sammut

1. 2.

Sharpening is crucial in images. Good use of depth of field is very very important. Background separation gives more depth and encourages the viewer to look more into the subject. However the rule will not apply in a technical landscape where t he whole s cene should be infocus. 3. Diagonals are always welcome in a photograph. 4. Amputations are a big no no, check for lines passing through heads, arms etc… 5. Composition …. the horizon never bisects / passes through the subject. 6. Nothing should stick out from the main subject. 7. Diversity in lighting is always good and interesting (electronic / available). 8. Avoid cross eyed situations (portraiture). 9. Always focus on the eye closer to the camera (portraiture). 10. Catch lights are important however one should avoid multiple catch lights (per eye) if possible (portraiture). 11. The nose should never protrude out of the face (portraiture). 12. Avoid dark or light areas at the edge of the frame. 13. Try to use the female pose as much as possible to add charm and glam in a feminine portrait (portraiture). 14. Good use of complimentary colour pushes your photograph further. 15. Rule of thirds / Golden spiral and a good leeway always helps a photograph. 16. Moving objects shouldn’t be static… movement creates atmosphere and the feeling of speed (ex.motor Sport). 17. Good use of flash will freeze the action further. 18. Always look for the golden hour - Dawn / Dusk always work (landscaping). 19. Look at the shadows and control their actions !!! 20. Black and white images should have more contrast than colour (always look for pure black and white with good shades of grey). 21. Text in a photograph generally spoils an image, however if text justifies the action it can lead to a successful image.

Issue 3 / 2015 - Sep 15 / Dec 15

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice - photo by Philip Camilleri

Photo Walk - Fort St. Elmo Photowalk in St Elmo-Valletta

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Canon EOS 1200D digital camera kindly donated to the Malta Photographic Society by Avantech, for use at the Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities.

Issue 3 / 2015 - Sep 15 / Dec 15

MPS Calendar of Events - September to December 2015 Until going to print the following are the dates for the coming Club meetings.

17th Sept. - Visual explanation of the program from September till December 2015 led by Louis Agius. 24th Sept. - Architecture & Dance photography presented by Charles Paul Azzopardi. 01st Oct. - Hands on Architecture Photography led by Charles Paul Azzopardi. 08th Oct. - “Travels with my 10 kilo Backpack” presented by Guido Bonett. 15th Oct. - Mentoring the Photos taken from the architecture Shoot led by Charles Paul Azzopardi. 22nd Oct. - Product Photography presented by Ramon Sammut. 29th Oct. - Hands on practical on Product Photography led by Ramon Sammut. 05th Nov. - Mentoring the photos taken from the Product Photography shoot led by Ramon Sammut. 17th Dec. - Get Together

Please consult the Society’s website for any updates.

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Issue 3 / 2015 - Sep 15 / Dec 15

BLC

No:

730

693

522

414

395

519

563

789

776

731

137

677

121

P/F

235

269

300

156

313

316

145

347

360

176

259

306

279

297

361

452

457

496

511

529

599

606

617

642

692

768

866

872

912

ANN TOTAL

P h o t o g r a p h e r o f t h e Ye a r To p 1 5

Winning Portfolio presented by Pierre Sciberras

Judges having a closer look - Portfolio presented by Emanuel Cauchi

End of Season Get Together