Rescued

Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) sailors disembark a would-be immigrant child from an AFM offshore patrol vessel at the AFM Maritime Squadron base at Haywharf in Valletta's Marsamxett Harbour October 29, 2013. 41 immigrants, claiming to be Syrians and Palestinians, were rescued from a boat in distress 89 nautical miles south of Malta in a joint operation between Maltese and Italian forces.

Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) sailors disembark a migrant child from an AFM offshore patrol vessel at the AFM Maritime Squadron base at Haywharf in Valletta’s Marsamxett Harbour October 29, 2013. 41 immigrants, claiming to be Syrians and Palestinians, were rescued from a boat in distress 89 nautical miles south of Malta in a joint operation between Maltese and Italian forces.

Rescued

The instant I spotted the child with the Smurf backpack on the deck of the AFM ship, I knew that would be the picture that would work best. Whilst taking other pictures, I kept waiting for the moment that he would be carried off the vessel, and positioned myself with that in mind. What I felt made the picture was the dominance of blue – blue Smurf backpack, blue gloves, blue sky.

Canon EOS-1D X
Canon EF400mm f/2.8L II USM
Focal length 400mm
Manual exposure
f/5.6
1/2000 sec
ISO 200