Having won great praise for his work at the international Black and White Spider Awards, photographer Alex Attard chats to Jo Caruana about the art of capturing that perfect image.
From architecture to fine art, Maltese photographer Alex Attard sees things differently. So much so that he recently scooped three of the top prizes at the prestigious international Black and White Spider Awards, taking the recognition for his work to the next level.
The best pictures affect us before we can analyse them. They conjure up an image in our mind that lasts in memory beyond that of technical discipline
“Photography has always been part of my life in one way or another,” he says with a smile.
“My grandfather, John Ciancio, was one of Malta’s photography pioneers and I owe my initial photographic education to him. At school, I studied art under the renowned Antoine Camilleri,who was also inspirational in my artistic formation.”
In 1978, Attard set up his own dark room, but eventually realised he didn’t have enough time to dedicate to that passion and reluctantly gave up printing his own photographs.
In fact, it wasn’t until 2006 that Attard finally felt the urge to pick up a camera again – and by this time everything was different, with digital photography having taken over completely.
For the next two years he studied the art of digital photography and his talent for fine art and black and white images quickly became evident. In fact, he recently took first place in fine art photography, second place in the architecture category and third place as Photographer of the Year for 2012 in the Black and White Spider Awards.
Celebrating their seventh year, these awards are the leading international accolades honouring black and white photography. They seek to shine a spotlighton the best professional and amateur photographers through a globally-webcast event, reaching photography afficionados in over 150 countries.
“Today these awards are recognised around the world as the most renowned of their kind, dedicated to honouring the highest achievements in black and white photography,” Attard says.
And that’s no wonder, because the competition is judged by some of the world’s most recognised experts from the Tate, National Geographic, Fratelli Alinari, The Art Newspaper and Bonhams of London, with images judged on the basis of artistic merit, originality, subject and style.
Attard’s awarded images form part of his latest exhibition, A Few Seconds of Light. They were selected and nominated for the awards and went on to win.
“These awards, as well as others I have received over the years, have proved to be both a milestone and a turning point in my life,” Attard says.
“To be judged among thousands of others by the most respected people in the industry means I have been noticed. It does not mean I have arrived where I want to be, but it gives me the confidence to continue. It has also exposed me to the international scene and the possibilities of exhibiting work abroad.
“I’ve been very lucky along the way and have many people to thank for their guidance, especially my friend Ramon Sammut, who has been my mentor over the years,” he adds.
Discussing his inspirations, Attard sums them up neatly as beauty, geometry and the desire to share the way he sees things.
“I see things, therefore I photograph,” Attard explains of his passion. “Because I photograph what I see, that is who I am – with apologies to Descartes! The secret to all great black and white picturesis simplicity with a dominant arrangement formed by emphasis on light and dark tones.”
Attard believes that pressing the shutter is just one act in the recording of an image. The important work happens before and after.
“Having come across a subject you want to photograph, the pre-visualisation process kicks in. When you aren’t working in a studio environment and you don’t have full control, you have to analyse your subject vis-a-vis the surroundings and prevailing conditions. Deciding what has to be left out is as important as deciding what to leave in.
“Later, when I look at the captured image, I examine why I did what I did. Does it feel like what I saw? Can I get my audience to see what I saw?
“If I manage to achieve that, then, in a way, I have managed to photograph myself. The best pictures affect us before we can analyse them. They conjure up an image in our mind that lasts in memory beyond that of technical discipline.”
Now Attard is looking to the future of his international photography career with excitement.
“I am currently finishing off a black and white series on an unusual subject, mainly for the American market, and am also working on a couple of other fine art projects,” he says.
“As to what happens after that… well, things could evolve in all sorts of directions, but I am letting life take its course and concentrating on the photography of the moment.”