Roderick Vella and Stephen Buhagiar are not only friends and colleagues. They also share a passion – photography.
It was just over two years ago that they decided to set up The People of Malta on Facebook. In it they posted pictures of people from Malta and Gozo, and captioned them.
“We believe that everybody has a story to tell,” said Mr Vella, adding that they go out once a week, armed with cameras, ready to shoot anyone interesting.
Social media offered a good platform to launch their project, which went down quite well following the feedback received. Mr Buhagiar said the captions on Facebook were originally only in Maltese.
Everybody has a story to tell
“However we had so much positive comments, even from Maltese people abroad, that we have had to include a translation in English too,” he said.
The two friends have now reached another stepping stone in their project: their photos have been published in a hard-bound book by Miranda Publishers.
Over the last three years they have managed over 1,300 photos, so it was quite a task to choose 250 to feature in The People of Malta, ensuring Volume 2 is in the pipeline.
“Over our weekly outings we have come to make a lot of new friends. The characters we have photographed are not just a number. They recognise us and call us. We have come across very touching stories and also some dying trades,” Mr Buhagiar said.
Mr Vella added: “We have a lot of talent out there, and I am proud to have learnt so much and met so many people. You end up going home with a positive vibe, appreciating life more.”
The People of Malta, printed by Progress Press, is a celebration of the Maltese character. The book is available from leading bookshops or direct from the publishers at http://mirandabooks.com .