SPORT PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION

Organized by the SportMalta Award Organisation Committee in collaboration with the Malta Institute of Professional Photography (MIPP)

This photography exhibition aims at acknowledging the rising standard and interest in Sport Photography in Malta. It is a collection of the varied disciplines that are most popularly practised on the island – from waterpolo to athletics to rugby and to the inevitable football scene.

Thirteen photographers are participating in this exhibition, and the focus was on not only documenting sport, but also trying to get that different angle, that original viewpoint, but most of all, that fleeting moment that manages so admirably to capture the peak of the action.

The photographers are namely Martin Agius, Trevor Sollars, Domenic Aquilina, Darrin Zammit Lupi, James Galea, Suzanne Muscat, Therese Debono, James Galea, Alan Falzon, Mike Gatt, Anthony Cilia, Ray Muscat and Kevin Casha (who is the exhibition curator).

All photographers are members of the MIPP. 

This exhibition was organized by the SportMalta Award Organisation Committee in collaboration with the Malta Institute of Professional Photography (MIPP). It forms part of the events in connection with the SPORT MALTA AWARDS for this year.

THE MALTA INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY – A BRIEF HISTORY:

The Malta Institute of Professional Photography (MIPP) officially came into being during a meeting held on the 2nd of October 1996. This first meeting, open to all those with an interest in Professional Photography, was held at the Grosvenor Hotel, and was the outcome of a group of individuals who had long been discussing ways to better the standard, respect and recognition of the Maltese Photographer.

The idea to form the MIPP was first discussed and agreed upon by Kevin Casha and Colin Pilling on the 16th of July 1996 at the Coach and Horses in Birkirkara. A subsequent meeting, on the 1st of August, saw Konrad Agius joining the first two. Further meetings where held with several interested persons contributing. These where namely Walter Barbara, Joe P. Borg, Martin Abela, Anthony Portelli, and Charles Calleja.

After these initial, informal meetings, arrangements where made to keep meeting at the Grosvenor Hotel in Attard. In fact, an interim Committee was established and the first official MIPP Minutes started being recorded on the 10th of September 1996.

This Interim Committee consisted of Kevin Casha, Konrad Agius, Colin Pilling, Anthony Portelli, and Charles Calleja. These preparatory interim meetings paved the way towards the first MIPP General Meeting on the 29th of April 1997, again at the Grosvenor Hotel. There, the first official Committee was voted in and was made up of Kevin Casha, Hon. Chairman, Colin Pilling, Hon. PRO; Konrad Agius, Hon. Secretary, Charles Calleja, Hon. Treasurer, Anthony Portelli as member and Joe Farrugia as representative for the Student section.

That day has now become history and from then on, the MIPP has grown from strength to strength, becoming an authoritative voice for the local professional photographic community as well as being the official Government-recognized body where legislation and regulation of the local Photographic Industry is concerned.

The Institute has been run with a view of upgrading and regulating the Industry, getting Photographers to network with each other as well as teaching and formulating guidelines on various important issues that the working Photographer faces. It has also its Code of Ethics as well as a yearly revisable Statute, voted in by its members at an Annual General Meeting usually held in February. A President and six Committee Members run it on democratic lines. These all offer their services voluntarily.

The MIPP has also managed to expand beyond the shores of Malta by establishing close ties with the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP) and the Master Photographer’s Association of Great Britain. This has helped the local photographic community to widen its horizons and streamline its operations. In fact, one of the highlights of the MIPP’s brief, but important history, is the International Convention held in Rabat in 2001 where no less than five top MPA officials came over to help sharpen the skills of the MIPP members. Another first for the MIPP was “PHOTOFEST – 2000” held at the Malta International Trade Fair. This was the first purely Photographic Fair that has ever been organized locally, with the MIPP’s main goals being to generate further interest and more business in local Photography. The huge interest shown by the public really made this a memorable event. One must not forget the first real Seminar put up by the MIPP, with the help of Attard & Co; way back in March l997. This had helped to get the photographers together and add to the MIPP ranks. Another event held in 1998, the Photo Training Overseas, also helped to enhance the Institute’s standing. This was made possible again by the close ties the MIPP has with UK Photographic Associations. This collaboration with some of the foremost British Photographic Organizations has proved so fruitful that local MIPP members are now being invited to lecture and exhibit abroad.

The MIPP also forms part of the FEP, or Federation of European Photographers, an organization that groups together all the top European Photographic Associations in an effort to work more closely and uniformly together.

The Institute has also been instrumental in lobbying the Government to amend the Copyright laws as well as to get more recognition for the local professional Photographer.

The MIPP believes that the issuing of an official warrant to work in Photography is an essential step towards better regularizing the Industry and is at present conducting talks with official Authorities to try and get this implemented.

The setting up of the MIPP’s own system of “Qualifications” has enabled members to conditionally submit a panel of their works with the possibility of gaining these distinctions. These Qualifications are considered as benchmarks to high photographic capabilities. Members can opt to apply for three different categories: The LMIPP, the AMIPP and the FMIPP. In 2006, through the insistence and hard work of the MIPP, the SWPP, the UK’s largest photography association, has recognized the seriousness and standard of these levels and has granted their reciprocal qualification – another very important and prestigious milestone for local photography.

The MIPP’s yearly International Seminars are now much awaited by local Photographers and have now brought many top level Photographers to our islands to lecture, demonstrate and collaborate with MIPP photographers.

In this comparatively short period, the MIPP has come a long way, continuously evolving in the process, but its main objective still remains the “Furtherance of the local Professional Photographic Industry in all its aspects.”

Kevin Casha FMIPP FSWPP AMPS AMPA

President Malta Institute of Professional Photography