Two images taken by Maltese photographer Joe P Smith received separate accolades over the space of two weeks, earning the photographer two important international awards.
Smith was declared Photographer of the Year in the Events category during the annual awards night of The Societies photographic organisation of the UK. The winning image, titled Rope Dance, was taken during last year’s Malta Arts Festival during a performance by Inbal Pinto and Avishai Pollak.
A few days ago, another of his images, Uplift, was placed among the top 50 in the Arts and Culture category of the Sony World Photography Awards. The image was taken during a performance at the Manoel Theatre; a total of 122,000 images from 170 countries were submitted in this contest.
Rope Dance is a haunting image which seems to communicate through geometric clarity. Smith commented: “I clearly remember taking the shot as I was immediately attracted by the simple geometric shapes that were being created by the rope and also by the way the performer was ‘framing’ herself within the triangular shape.”
Photographing the performing arts is primarily about having an affinity with the subject, he says. “I feel totally in my zone when photographing these events. It is also about analysing and understanding the lighting situation and having the right equipment to handle low light situations.”
And it is about anticipating. “Having the opportunity to shoot a dress rehearsal will give you more insight into the performance and it will give you a second chance to get that missed shot later on when photographing on the opening night. Of course, you have to be discreet and respect the performers and the audience.”
An avid follower of contemporary dance and jazz music, in his younger days Smith took part in musicals and other performances. “The opportunity to start photographing the Malta Jazz Festival in 1991 and later the Malta Arts Festival provided me with the perfect scenarios to amalgamate my love for photography and that for the performing arts.”
Malta Arts Festival artistic director Mario Frendo said he was pleased but not surprised that Smith had been granted this prestigious honour.
“It is also great news for the Malta Arts Festival that the photo was taken during one of the events of last year’s edition. The festival is much more than a list of events within a scheduled programme,” Frendo said.
“Our photographers are a case in point. They constantly aim to be creative and explore the potential of performance and event photography. The results are artistic photos that help us see the beauty of a still taken during performance.”