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The Maltese are coming - again - part 5 of 1 2 3 4 5

Published 01/12/2014

Darrin Zammit-Lupi

At the Societies' Convention 2014 Darrin was awarded the prestigious title of Media Photographer of the Year. "I knew I stood a reasonably good chance of winning, since I had two pictures shortlisted for the award. But I was still nervous as hell when the results envelope was being ripped open!" Darrin's incredible winning image showed a seventeenyear- old Somali migrant who it turns out was over the moon with the image being taken and then widely published: "He hoped that his longlost parents might see the image, recognise him and then they could be reunited." It's a long shot but who knows where Darrin's image might end up!

This December will see Darrin release a book called Isle Landers that will pull together the best of his shots documenting irregular immigration in the area. "I've been covering the story in depth for over a decade and I even based my MA Photojournalism thesis on it." The project was kick-started when the UN Refugee Agency contacted Darrin to ask if he would be interested in collaborating with them on a book. "Funding for the book wasn't as easy to get as I thought it might be," Darrin tells me when I ask him what it's been like putting such an important book together. " I suspect that some sponsors may have been reluctant to come on board because it's a very controversial and divisive subject in Malta."

As well as putting Isle Landers together, the past year has seen Darrin working on a whole range of other projects. "My favourite assignment this year was shooting the super moon in August." Since the opportunity doesn't come up very often, Darrin used technology to make sure he was in the right place at the right time to get the best shots: "Using a combination of Apps on my iPhone I was able to work out the exact position of the moon for a picture I wanted to try. It worked out well - the moon appeared right on cut and I shot it rising with an iconic view of one of Malta's cathedrals." The press loved his image too; it was circulated worldwide on newspapers, websites and televisions. "But that wasn't the best bit," Darrin says to me! "On the way home I drove past a fireworks display and realised the moon was directly behind it! The resulting images were some of the most surreal that I've ever taken - they looked like something out of Star Wars!" The resulting shot found its way to a double page spread in Time magazine. Darrin insists that he's now hooked on lunar photography: "I expect to be howling every time it"s a full moon!"

At the Convention this year Darrin will be speaking about photojournalism as a way of life. "I'll be talking about assignments I've covered recently in the Masterclass and giving people an insight into what I do," Darrin told me when I asked what he'd be covering. "Something that I always really enjoy is that even after the session, delegates want to keep discussing things and ask more questions! Somebody even accosted me in the coffee shop afterwards! I don't mind at all, it's very satisfying to see people showing so much interest." If you've ever wondered what life might be like as a photojournalist, Darrin's class should be right at the top of your agenda for the Convention.

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1st Published 01/12/2014
last update 09/12/2022 14:56:23

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The Maltese are coming - again - part 5 of 1 2 3 4 5