Rescue | Islelanders

March 18, 2014 by Islelanders

It was the middle of the night when this man was brought ashore at Marsaxlokk. There was hardly any light at all. I was reluctantly forced to use flash for most of my pictures, but I was able to do without it to get this portrait as a street lamp was casting just enough light on the man’s face as he sat next to the window of the police bus. The mud and dust on the window helped enhanced the […]

Categories: Armed Forces of Malta, Detention, photography, Photojournalism, Rescue • Tags: police; photography; asylum seekers; Somalia; AFM

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Mohammed

January 23, 2014 by Islelanders

Mohammed’s eyes The young man was just another of the hundreds of asylum-seekers I’ve photographed arriving in Malta over the years, sometimes disembarking from the boat that rescued them when their rickety vessels ran into trouble while crossing the Mediterranean, or sitting on a bus while waiting to be driven away to police headquarters for processing by immigration officials. But with a momentary glance, all that changed. His gaze straight at me was piercing and haunting, tearing through my camera […]

Categories: Asylum Seeker, Malta, photography, Photojournalism, Rescue • Tags: Malta, Photography, photojournalism, Refugees, rescue; man; asylum seeker

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January 23, 2014 by Islelanders

Child rescued by Armed Forces of Malta The child’s weathered face immediately caught my eye as the AFM rescue vessel was berthing at its base. As the boat slowly manoeuvred into position, I waited till the red flowing robe gave me the interesting background, then quickly shot a couple of frames. Canon EOS 1D Mark III Canon EF 70-200mm L/2.8L IS USM Focal length 200mm Manual exposure f/3.5 1/1000 sec ISO 400

Categories: Armed Forces of Malta, Asylum Seeker, children, photography, Photojournalism, Rescue • Tags: Asylum seekers: child; rescue, Photography, photojournalism, Rescue

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Pretty Bay

January 23, 2014 by Islelanders

Pretty Bay This was a picture I had seen in my mind’s eye many times before I actually took it. I had long wanted to capture an image showing an almost absurd juxtaposition of contrasting elements, and this occasion certainly provided it in full. Canon EOS 1D Mark III Canon EF 70-200mm L/2.8L IS USM Focal length 115mm Manual exposure f/3.5 1/100 sec ISO 500

Categories: Malta, Rescue • Tags: armed forces of malta, Asylum seekers: child; rescue, asylum seekers; Somalia; AFM, Malta, Rescue

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Somali women

January 23, 2014 by Islelanders

Somali woman This was another of those middle of the night assignments I’ve become accustomed to since embarking on this story several years ago. I much prefer working with available light rather than using flash, unless it really is pitch black and I have absolutely no choice. Nothing kills atmosphere faster than flash in these kinds of situations. Canon EOS 1D Mark III Canon EF 70-200mm L/2.8L IS USM Focal length 200mm Manual exposure f/2.8 1/40 sec sec ISO 1600

Categories: Living in Malta, Rescue • Tags: Malta, women; Malta

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Rescued

January 23, 2014 by Islelanders

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 […]

Categories: Armed Forces of Malta, children, Refugee, Rescue • Tags: child; Armed Forces of Malta; Rescue, Malta, photojournalism, Syria

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Funeral

January 17, 2014 by Islelanders

Funeral Photographing funerals is always a very sensitive and emotional affair. Though we had been invited by the Emigrants’ Commission and by the family of the deceased. I wanted to keep a respectful distance, so I stood on a wall outside the hospital mortuary and waited for the mourners to come out. Canon EOS 1D Mark III Canon 70-200mm L/2.8L IS USM Focal length 185mm Manual exposure f/7.1 1/1000 sec ISO 200

Categories: Malta, photography, Photojournalism, Rescue • Tags: Eritrea, Malta, migrant, photojournalism

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Prayer

January 13, 2014 by Islelanders

Prayer I noticed this half-barefoot immigrant fervently praying at the stern of the army patrol boat as it berthed at its base and instantly knew that that was going to be the picture. I’ve often been asked why I bother covering so many arrivals at the same base, with people saying it’s always the same sort of scene. Except that it isn’t. The challenge is to always spot something different, come up with a picture that hasn’t been seen before. […]

Categories: Detention, Living in Malta, Rescue • Tags: Malta, migrant, Rescue

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