Roxy Cinema

February 4, 2018

Roxy (c. 1931 - c.1986) is one of the many cinemas that used to operate on our island. Alas it has been closed for quite a while. Recently it was on social media, were a considerable number of people, including myself, were putting in objections with PA to stop the upcoming demolition. Loosing this gem of architectural value for to its Art Deco style construction, would be a great loss to our heritage, especially when the new proposal is none other than the usual block of offices that recently have invaded every little crook and nanny on our already over developed island. True one could argue the fact that it is vacant and abandoned, however there are other ways of developing a property other than demolition and build non-descript concrete buildings.

The choices are endless. It was a cinema so it could become a film school, or an acting place or even a museum showcasing all memorabilia from the past cinemas in Malta. One could hold workshops related to film and acting in such a place especially if its sensitively restored and preserved with any interventions done with a reversible approach. And don't give me the usual "the facade will be retained!". Retaining the facade is not really preserving anything. It is just a way of shutting up those who complain. An objection has to consider the whole building holistically, because a building is not only valuable from the outside, but also from the inside. I wish I get permission to shoot the interiors. From the few photos available online Roxy looks glorious from the inside too.

I long for the day when the nation wakes up from this hypnotic sleep we have been put into, or other succumbed to, and start uniting together and work to safeguard our heritage. This belongs to us, to the people, to the community. It might be developed by someone who bought the place, however such a remarkable building with significant historic and architectural value just can't be lost as if though it never meant anything.

When are we going to wake up and voice our concerns for real?

NB: All images by author. Do not use, copy and or otherwise manipulate without consent from author.

Roxy cinema in Fleur de Lys Road, B'Kara

Yoga Family

February 2, 2018

Around a year and a half ago, I had the opportunity of working with Jenny and her wonderful family. Her partner Manuel has 4 girls in the house. Jenny is an avid yoga fan, well she is an instructor so she is more than just passionate. Their 3 wonderful daughters are gorgeous and their individual characters shine in the photos. Here is a session I had done for them in July 2016. Sharing this now....

Manuel and Jenny with the latest addition

Haz-Zebbug People

February 1, 2018

I have been visiting my hometown very often recently and rediscovering Haz-Zebbug has been a wonderful and unique experience. I also met a lot of people along my routes who were curious to know why I was taking photos. Haz-Zebbug is not a touristic place, so having someone shooting around made the locals question.

I was always greeted warmly, cordially and everyone had a story to tell. The lady above (I will eventually remember her name), was cleaning these big windows in Triq Sant'Antnin. She was shy at first because she was in her cleaning clothes, however she had no idea how I shot her, and she gladly continued about her chores whilst chatting with me.

Further down there is a shop called Mallia Bros, but also known as 'Ta' Marie Ros' (as far as my mother recalls), run by brothers Philip and Lino Mallia. I recall this shop since a young age, because I used to go to catholic lessons in the area, and that shop has always been there. Lino is also an actor and when I was there he helped this old gentleman go into a van that came to pick him up.

I also met Karmenu Attard, who spent quite a while recounting about the cotton industry in older Haz-Zebbug. He was totally helpful and so sweet.

In the other part of town close to Misrah Muxi, I came across this lady and her dog, and her husband in Triq Santa Marija. They were shy but still allowed me to take their photo.

Furniture Restorer

January 30, 2018

Walking along the winding streets in the Tal-Grazzja in Haz-Zebbug, I encountered this small workshop at the cross roads of Triq Vilhena and Triq is-Sidtna ta' l-Angli. The man at the doorway caught my attention, since he seemed to be totally engrossed in his work, so I approached them at the door.

I present you Salvu and Charlie Dimech also known as Ta' Widna (the nickname is a long story which they did not tell because we got caught up talking about their skill); furniture restorers. Salvu (Charlie's father), worked as a carpenter prior focusing on furniture restoration. In fact he stated humbly that for them work never stopped. For Charlie, this is not his full time job, however he treats it with the same dedication of one.

Salvu, now in his 80s, was really keen to show me his workshop, and make me understand the importance of being a carpenter if one wants to restore furniture.

They both have Haz-Zebbug close to their hearts, and Charlie's words were the following, "minn hawn ma nitlaq qatt!" (I will never leave this place!). I loved this. These men love my hometown and unlike me never left the place. Salvu proceeded showing me photos of some work he restorored, and his pride was evident throughout.

They love their work, they love the town, and for them the village feast is what makes Haz-Zebbug so unique, however Salvu added that Haz-Zebbug is even grander because some of the best people were born here. "Ghandna lil Dun Karm Psaila, lil Mikiel Anton Vassalli....lil ....". (We have Dun Karm Psaila the national poet, we have Mikiel Anton Vassalli the father of the Maltese Language...}. However he added that apart from great people, Haz-Zebbug also had some great robbers too, and he mentioned a famous robbery done at the Dock Yard years back...

I made my excuses, but not without cheekily asking them why they had the statue of St Joseph on the facade and not that of St Philip, since they love the feast so much. Their reply was that St Joseph's feast was also celebrated in town, and for them it was important too.

I walked out from their workshop with a sense of pride...and I suppose it is the sense of pride that the locals are so famous for...and I smiled, walked on and continued on my journey of documenting this town's spirit.

Lumbini

January 29, 2018

Lumbini in Nepal is the birth place of Buddha. 'Born in 623 B.C. in the famous gardens of Lumbini, which soon became a place of pilgrimage. Among the pilgrims was the Indian emperor Ashoka, who erected one of his commemorative pillars there. The site is now being developed as a Buddhist pilgrimage centre, where the archaeological remains associated with the birth of the Lord Buddha form a central feature' (UNESCO).

We spent the day visiting the garden and the various interpretation of temples by other countries. The following photos are not of the garden, those will come along later. However here I posted the people encountered during the day we visited this garden. We got hungry of course and so did most of these kids.

We were the centre of attraction that day, with a lot of teenagers asking shyly to take a selfie with us...

Lumbini cycling by (urban preset)-3339.jpg

In-Nemmisa

January 28, 2018

The Maltese verb 'tnemmes' means spying. The word 'nemmisa' therefore means a spy. Whilst walking in my home town, Main Street (Triq il-Kbira) to be precise, I came across Mrs. Bonnici (whom I do not know, but deducted her identity from the house name) looking out of the window.

By all means this photo is merely my interpretation of what she was doing. For all I know she could be waiting for someone, however I decided to interpret her as a spy.

This characteristic though is quite popular amongst the Maltese people especially in old towns and villages usually in village cores.

Author's Note: Mrs. Bonnici, I do not mean to hurt you in any way by calling you a spy. Nowadays we have 'Neighbourhood watch' so for all we know you could be doing the neighbourhood a favour by looking out the window. You never know what you might witness!

Old Pokhara, Nepal

January 22, 2018

From where shall I start...ahh Nepal.....beautiful, wonderful experience in the country where everyone, greets you with NAMASTE! (strong accent on the TE) and a smile....and its just genuine! Landing in Kathmandu, or 'Dustmandu' as one jolly taxi driver refers to the capital of Nepal was good enough, however getting to Pokhara after an 8 hour bumpy bus drive was literally a dream come through.

You see, Pokhara is like a Mediterranean seaside area, but instead of the sea there is a lake, and it boasts the same hustle and bustle of shops and restaurants in the tourist area also known as Lakeside. However for a real feel of the place, one can't miss out on visiting Old Pokhara. A taxi ride of 400 rupees (circa 3 Euros) will take you comfortably to Old Pokhara. Our toothless grinning taxi driver, who did not know a word of English, dropped us off in the main street of this old area.

Basically all you have to do is switch off your Googlemaps and walk along the streets and get lost in the area. With every step taken there is a million frames to shoot, all the while locals greeting you with Namaste! some of them to sell you something and others because they genuinely are happy to see you there. Smiles are boundful and shops can be found all around this area. I usually do not shoot children but in Nepal one has to make an exception, because they are gorgeous with their big brown eyes and cheekiness.

Occasionally you find the odd entryway that offers you a breathtaking photo opportunity like the photo below....

The shops are colourful and most of them about to fall apart but this adds to the character of the place that welcomes one with arms wide open ready to wrap you in one huge Namaste hug!

Check out more photos here....NAMASTE!

St Ignatius Villa, Sliema

December 11, 2017

I never shot in a war zone till now, however upon my visit to St Ignatius Villa in Sliema on this bleak Monday morning, my thoughts were those of destruction, violation and war. Even though one could say that these photos can indicate also abandonment, whilst scouting and shooting the little bit of the area I could get through, I felt the heavy loss of this part of our heritage that we are nonchalantly giving away.

Most of the Villa's grounds are gone. Over the years, this Villa or 'Bel-Vedere', its original name, has "architectural significance (Said as citied on Allied Newspapers Ltd, 2017) and “Despite the substantial alterations both to the building’s exterior and presumably also internally (not accessible at time of study), the overall fabric still survives as [original owner] John Watson and the Protestants after him would remember it. Of course, the context has changed dramatically, what with practically all of the grounds gone, together with the once idyllic pastoral landscape.” (Said as citied on Allied Newspapers Ltd, 2017).

As I stated earlier, I never shot in a war zone, however this massacre to our heritage should at least start making the general public aware about the atrocities that are happening in our country. We are making way for the creation of a concrete jungle. A mass of buildings, that in 25 years time will have no cultural significance whatsoever, let alone in a century's time. We will reminiscent about the lost Maltese landscape till no one remembers anymore how Malta once was, because the future generations haven't got a clue of how their country once was, whilst their ancestors watched on at the destruction.

More images here: http://www.theresedebono.com/work#/st-ignatius-villa-sliema/

Reference:

Allied Newspapers Ltd. (2017, November 29). Protect Balluta?s Villa St Ignatius, says NGO. Retrieved from https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20171129/local/protect-ballutas-villa-st-ignatius-says-ngo.664370

Old Lady cleaning

December 11, 2017

The act of cleaning on this island has always been something that fascinated me since a young age. The sheer importance of this act done by my grandmother, my own mother, neighbours et al is done with near religious fervour.

Don't you dare skip a day in washing the front porch and you will be tagged as the one who is 'dirty', careless, does not take care of her home and family.

Today I saw this old lady, up on the step ladder cleaning away in this really narrow and busy street. I passed her, parked quickly round the corner and came back only to find her already down from her step ladder.

Pink and Blue

December 10, 2017

This façade can be found on your way up to Rabat, better known as Saqajja Hill. This building has been standing here for as long as I can remember that is, 40 odd years or so. I recall seeing it when I was a kid on our way to Rabat. The width of the door intrigued me when I started my drafting career since the proportions are odd. The balconies were the part of this facade that always caught my eye though, because they are so different than the usual wooden coloured balconies that Malta is so known for. These balconies here are a Maltese interpretation of Modern Architecture. Click on the link to learn about the difference between modern and contemporary architecture.

In order to get the facts correct I contacted architect Edward Said from ArchitectureXV. His opinion: "I would agree that it was a simple unpretentious way of interpreting the 'gallarija' using metal apertures typical of Malta in the late 1930s-1970s. I would think that the door is recycled from an older building. Being devoid of ornamentation and painted makes the façade all the more modernist in character".

At the Funeral Director

December 10, 2017

I stumbled upon a Funeral Director's garage yesterday. I was intrigued by the memorabilia on the walls. The director kindly let me shoot a few snaps. Sharing them with you here.

Valletta People

December 10, 2017

I believe in one thing: if you lecture a subject, then you have to also practice, especially when the topic you lecture is a practical one. Yesterday I was out with some students, and we took to the streets of Valletta. It was great seeing my students trying and also succeeding in shooting well exposed images. I spent the majority of the time directing, helping and anticipating shots with them. At one point though I had to simply let them go, that is how we learn then, when we are left to walking alone without having our hands held.

Meanwhile I wanted a challenge. I do not usually shoot people up close in the streets. I am more interested in buildings and how people interact with the buildings. However yesterday I wanted to try something that is outside of my comfort zone. Going close and focusing on the people. We were in an area of Valletta that was not so busy, and I shot. Quite frankly I couldn't stop. I got curious. What was the lady in purple doing waiting at the door? Where was that gentleman going? What were those two men saying?

One thing I learnt in street photography is that you have to be curious about others. Not nosy, not paparazzi, but simply and genuinely interested into people around you or the topic you are shooting. This is how I get my frames.

NOTE:

For the technically minded my gear is Canon 5D mkIII with a 35mm f/1.4 lens

For those asking about Data Protection: I am not after ridiculing people. My sole interest lies in how people behave in the street. My photography work in the street are purely for research purposes. I genuinely document the streets for posterity.

Worshiping the sun

November 27, 2017

Whilst wondering around Mdina with university students last week, I could not help but notice that it was only foreigners that actually were lapping it in the sun. No local would actually do this since we get plenty of sunshine all year round that we very rarely miss it. But it takes a foreigner to find the the sun and sit strategically to soak it up, and well give me great compositions too.

Tourists in the sun LR-1-2.jpg — Then...

she looked away...

Sitting right in that patch of sun to warm up

Deadpan Aesthetic

November 26, 2017

Factories in Marsa and Becher's weather call for deadpan aesthetic shots. Never miss out on an opportunity like this. Overcast weather is not popular here in Malta, since we have blue skies way too often. When overcast clouds settle in though, they make perfect images like this.

My dream: a medium format camera and documenting buildings and places for publications.

Sunny on Sunday

November 26, 2017

This Sunday round noon, I quickly passed by this street to check out on Sunny and to my utter delight he was there. We exchanged a few pleasantries as usual, however today Sunny specifically asked me if he could look at me whilst I shot. How could I say no, especially when he was wearing his Sunday best! :)

Statue of St Joseph and Baby Jesus in Rabat

St Joseph & Clouds

November 19, 2017

I finished a photo job round 4 this afternoon. Walking out of Mdina, I was mesmerized by the clouds and also how the clouds played a great role in creating a heavenly background for the statue of St Joseph.

November Clouds

November 16, 2017

It's rain season, within a couple of days the temperature dropped considerably that now we wear jackets, and finally the clouds are giving us their annual show up in the sky. However I am attracted to the soft clouds rather than the big fluffy ones.

Apologies to the cumulus and cumulonimbus...I am a fan of the strato and altostrato clouds. The soft wispy ones which add a touch of lightness to the whole drama of the fluffy big cumulus.

Yesterday morning I had a field day shooting soft patches of clouds at around 6:20am, just before the heavens decided to open up and pour down on us.

That softness, right there in the middle where you find it hard to even focus on

It can be tricky to shoot these type of clouds above. More often than not there isn't enough contrast in the clouds for the camera to be able to read and focus properly, so in such cases I ditch the autofocus and focus manually.

I keep my ISO low, depending on the time of day, sometimes I have to push it to 250, however I work with a medium aperture of 4-5.6. Even though I am a fan of the open wide apertures, I always keep in mind that I might need to print them one day so a little bit of depth would be ideal.

Look up at the skies...and follow your own cloud...

Alto stratus clouds lit up by the setting sun, showing off over the cumulus clouds...

The City waking up

November 3, 2017

To say I love Valletta, is an understatement. The city is the stage and the people are the performers on this stage. This morning I was early in Valletta, so the following shots are witness of the city waking up.

The people were slow in waking up I felt. The only real noise was coming from trucks and delivery people rushing to make it out of the city by the stipulated time allowed.

So I was interested in the people sitting quietly alone at a usually busy cafeteria. At the lone men sitting on shop or door steps checking their mobiles out, and otheres who did that but seated on benches for more comfort. People buying pastizzi for breakfast and another who was already eating them at that early hour...

The man opening his shop and the milkman rushing past to deliver milk to a cafeteria...the list is endless.

Browse through and witness the city coming to live on stage...

Under dramatic skies

November 2, 2017

Sometimes the skies are so dramatic that you just have to stop and shoot. For once after a lot of cloud shots without a horizon I thought that Mdina actually deserved to be part of this dramatic scene in front of me.

However below are my cloud selections minus a context...just like John Constable used to do in his cloud studies. By all means I do not fancy myself as good as John Constable, however to say he is an inspiration is an understatement.

And the camera is just a great and versatile tool to make some quick 'sketches' of cloud studies. Next time I will upload some photos inspired by Alfred Stieglitz's 'Equivalent Series'.

Keep tuned!

Abandoned Beauty

October 29, 2017

This summer I finally had the opportunity of taking photos of a place that was uninhabited and to a certain extent abandoned. Beautiful photos of tastefully done interiors are just amazing, however what has always intrigued me was the 'before' photos. Since in the past I was a draughtsman, I have visited numerous places and residences to measure up and draft out. Nothing can shake off those years of experience, and to a certain extent neither do I want to loose that training. Nowadays my tool of choice is a camera over a measuring tape.

I was not briefed about the current owners nor about its past. I was given a set of keys, and it was up to me to open and discover what's inside Pandora's box. Upon entering the space I immediately felt drawn to the upstairs over the downstairs areas. The rooms upstairs are grander, and more colourful. The only light coming through was from the louvers, so I opened them to allow the rooms to get bathed in natural light. I walked from one room to another, carefully setting my tripod and looking around for the best shots that could narrate the story of this Palazzo.

The rooms varied in colour from dark mustard yellow to bright yellow onto reds. Those were the three main rooms upstairs. Dust, pigeons and emptiness resided in this place, however it was full of stories waiting to be shot.

You can find more work here: Palazzo Rabat