A lecture based on Kevin Casha’s latest book is taking place tonight.

Professional photographer Kevin Casha will take a look back at the development of photography in Malta tonight.

The contents of the lecture will be based on Casha’s latest publication, Photography in Malta: The History and the Protagonists.

Locally, photography saw light just one year after its introduction in Europe. In his visual presentation, Casha reviews some of the salient points of early Maltese photography and its protagonists. The fascinating account delves into the first French photographers who introduced the medium to the island, the early British practitioners who followed them, all the way up to the first Maltese studio and commercial photographers.

The informative lecture also saves for posterity a wealth of information on both local photography and its vintage photographers.

Casha’s career spans over 37 years, a career that sees him also involved in many other important facets of art and culture. He is one of the most awarded local photographers, both locally and internationally, and is a veritable reference point for Maltese photography.

His involvement in cultural spheres encompasses curatorial services, writing, coordinating the National Picture Archive, publishing and teaching photography. Together with Stephen Vella, he was behind the establishment of the Higher National Diploma course in photography at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, the first serious local academic course in photography now offered at degree level.

Casha has lectured and worked as a judge all over the world. He was the past president of the Malta Photographic Society (MPS) and is the current chairman and founder of the Malta Institute of Professional Photography (MIPP).

Among his major awards are the MIPP Photographer of the Year, the Malta Fashion Award for photographers and the MPS Photographer of the Year on no less than four occasions.

Other recognitions include the Societies of Great Britain’s highest accolade, that of Master Photographer for his contribution to photography. Casha’s standing in the international scene was further cemented in 2015 when he was chosen not only as a main judge for The Prince of Wales’ Commonwealth Environmental Photography Award but also as curator for the exhibitions held in Malta and was appointed picture editor for the Out of the Blue book, published specifically for the occasion and launched during the Commonwealth Heads of Government events in Malta that year (CHOGM).

■ The lecture is taking place tonight at the Santa Caterina d’Italia church in Valletta at 6.30pm. It is being held under the auspices of the Department of the History of Art within the Faculty of Arts at the University of Malta.