Kris Micallef

What inspired you to pursue photo­graphy professionally?

I nursed a fascination for art, music and dance from a young age. I’ve always appreciated beauty and, since I was a child, I’ve experimented with various materials and mediums. To put it simply, I like to create.

During my architecture course at university I picked up a camera and started taking pictures. I felt that it was the most comfortable medium for me to tell stories, capture moments and moods. A pursuit that started out as something I would do in my free time is now something I do professionally.

I like photography because I enjoy capturing moments and sharing them with others. Pictures leave different impressions on people and I’m very excited by the social dimension of photography and other art forms.

The immediate impression of black and white photography is that it is more nostalgic and romantic. But beyond that, what other layers does black and white add to a photo?

The play of light and shadow on archi­tecture, faces and bodies becomes more evident and obvious when seen in black and white.

What inspires your decision whether to shoot in colour or in black and white?

Usually it is just instinct. I feel that a photo will be more effective in black and white simply through observation and understanding how the light is acting at that particular time on my subject or the landscape.

When I’m looking at a building’s facade, I notice how the light is falling on it, whether it is soft or strong, whether it is backlit, what angle it is coming from, and what detail it is highlighting

Does texture come out better in black and white?

Texture appears more defined in black and white because there is less distraction created by colour – therefore, the eyes can focus more on the contrast between black and white. Of course, lighting also plays an important role.

Does black and white photography suit certain subjects but not others?

It really depends on the subject being photo­graphed. However, I feel that generally, black and white photography best suits port­raiture, landscapes and architecture photo­graphy. Commercial and product photo­­graphy normally work better in colour since the photo is being used to sell a product or idea – however, there are successful exceptions.

As a photographer, you need to almost anticipate a moment, or be quick enough to capture a moment in its present. How do you train your mind to have such quick reflexes?

The primary essence of a good photo is lighting. I’m always observing how light falls on the things around me, what lines and shapes I’m seeing. For instance, when I’m looking at a building’s facade, I notice how the light is falling on it, whether it is soft or strong, whether it is backlit, what angle it is coming from, and what detail it is highlighting. For me, this has become a natural instinct and inspires me to hit the trigger.

What’s your dream photography assignment?

The beauty of photography is that the possibilities are endless. I dream of having enough time to travel around the world, capturing different moments, architecture, landscapes and people.

• For more of Kris Micallef’s photos visit www.krismicallef.com.

Darren Agius

What inspired you to pursue photography professionally?

In 2009, while on vacation in Italy, I became inspired by the location and instinctively started experimenting with shots of landscapes and architecture from different angles. I believe that was the initial spark.

Then in 2011, when I felt like I was lost trying to find my own path in web design and development, a photographer saw one of my photos and was struck by its composition. He encouraged me to take photo­graphy further.

Since then photography has become my real passion. I feel it satisfies my need to express myself.

The immediate impression of black and white photography is that it is more nostalgic and romantic. But beyond that, what other layers does black and white add to a photo?

Black and white tends to be more intense, neat, clean, and minimalistic. Sometimes it gives more importance to the subject by eliminating the interference created by colour. Above all I find it more suitable for my vision of fine art.

What inspires your decision whether to shoot in colour or in black and white?

Black and white tends to be more intense, neat, clean, and minimalistic

I always shoot in colour. Then I decide to convert a photo to black and white during post-processing. I only keep colour if it adds significance to the subject – otherwise my priority is always black and white. I do get a lot of positive feedback on my black and white photos and I find it very rewarding to have received international recognitions by the International Photography Awards and Black & White Spider Awards.

Does texture come out better in black and white?

When seeing images in colour, people sometimes are distracted by the beauty of the colour combination rather than texture, structure or composition. So yes, texture and structure do come out better in black and white.

Does black and white photo­graphy suit certain subjects but not others?

It all depends on how the artist wants to portray a subject and for what purpose. However, there are certain subjects like product photography and interior design photography which almost always have to be in colour.

As a photographer, you need to almost anticipate a moment, or be quick enough to capture a moment in its present. How do you train your mind to have such quick reflexes?

There are moments which can be anticipated depending on the subject – however being quick and agile is very important. Unlike the majority of most upcoming digital photographers, I’m not in favour of shooting multiple images to choose the best one.

Reflexes can be trained by practice, but this goes hand in hand with framing and having a good eye for composition.

What’s your dream photo­graphy assignment?

Working alongside great architects and product designers like Santiago Calatrava, Zaha Hadid or Philippe Starck would definitely be assignments to look forward to. I’m also passionate about travel photography. Doing assignments for Lonely Planet and National Geographic would be awesome.

• For more of Darren Agius’s photos visit www.darrenagius.com.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.