An all seeing eye
by Richard Zahra
Australian veteran photographer MARTIN BONNICI speaks to Richard Zahra about his work and projects in Malta.
Australian photographer of international fame and one-time Olympic sportsman, Martin Bonnici, has recently visited Malta. This his first visit was not only motivated by his lifelong desire to connect to the Maltese roots of his family, but also to set off an arts project involving schools in Malta, Australia and Germany. Since graduating from the Melbourne School of Art and Photography 16 years ago, Martin has been taking first-rate shoots for sports companies, magazines and stock agencies. He is well read and has travelled extensively, sometimes finding himself in some of the World’s hot spots, such as ex-Yugoslavia at the start of the war and East Timor.
As soon as he first set foot in Malta, Martin’s ancestry has been powerfully awakened. “I grew up with my father teaching us to identify very strongly with our Maltese heritage,” he says. “Malta has been really important for me since I was a little kid. When I got here even the food tasted very familiar, reminding me of Grandma’s cookery, and I quite enjoyed the feeling.”
Martin’s passion for photography blossomed at an early age, when he used to borrow his Mum’s camera and wander about, taking pictures. “Ever since I was a little kid,” he says, “the only things I really wanted to do were to be a sportsman for Australia and be a professional photographer.” Martin sees photography as an expression; a way to explore life. His most common photographic assignments are usually related to sports because of his Olympic background. “The difference between getting a good photo of a sporting event or simply a photo lies in being able to capture the essence of the discipline,” he explains. “If I may, I will sit for a couple of days watching an event and observing whatever discipline it is for hours and hours on end, till I’m able to tell what makes an outstanding performance.”
Martin also specialises in travel photography. During his visit to Malta, he did shoots of various historic locations in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority and Din l-Art Helwa. Before embarking on a photographic trip, he prepares himself thoroughly, months ahead, doing research about the place’s history, legal system, language, and, most importantly, weather. Things however do not always go according to plan. “I was allowed an hour or so to take a shoot of the Knight in residence at Fort St Angelo, who was a really gracious host,” he says. “I went full of ideas but as often happens, you walk in to find things are not as you imagined. So you have to forget the ideas and be very quick and reactive to the situation. You have to capture the moment or you’ll lose the golden opportunity.”
In travel photography, facing unexpected problems is part of the job, as is maintaining an open mind. Martin’s driving motivation is the belief that in every challenge lurks an opportunity. “I can be out in Malta or I can be in the Outback in Australia when its starts raining hard or it’s too hot. I’ve travelled a long way to get somewhere. I’m not going to put my camera away and go home. I’m looking for the opportunity to shoot and because it’s not how you want it, it doesn’t mean you can’t get a photo. At times you can get better photos in foul conditions.”
Martin’s most important task in Malta was to initiate an arts project that involves one school from Malta, Australia and Germany. “It’s a photographic project and the idea is for the kids to go out and take photos of their environment. We’re teaching them that not everything’s ruined. There are lots of beautiful things to look at, which is very important. We can sit here and complain forever about the problems in the world or we can do something about it. So the concept, in part, is to teach the kids communication through photography. Have your say via the arts. As I said to the girls at St Thomas More Girls’ Secondary School here in Malta, this is your opportunity to show your home.”
The contrast between diverse countries will certainly stand out as a result of the project. Yet Martin believes that a common thread runs through – each different setting is home for particular children. Arts teacher Henrietta Mallia from St Thomas More Girls’ Secondary School, Zejtun, has taken up the challenge to coach her pupils through this project. These children will eventually showcase aspects of Malta through their photography.
“It’s also about teaching kids to be good observers,” adds Martin, “and to set before them challenging problems which are really learning opportunities. Henrietta and her kids will face potential language and culture barriers, and in solving them they will gain experience for life. Besides, the kids will learn not only to appreciate their own home environment, but also someone else’s, which though very different, is just as important and valid as theirs.”
Martin stresses that the Maltese High Commission in Australia has been crucial in transforming his ideas into a concrete project. “I’ve been getting an enormous amount of help from the Consuls General for Melbourne and Sydney, Angele Azzopardi and Anna Maria Bonnici respectively. They also put me in contact with Maria Ciappara, principal of St Chiara College, who then put forward the proposition to various schools and was eventually taken up by Henrietta. Anything I am doing here would not be running without these people and their enthusiasm.”
Martin also applies a problem-solving approach to his tuition course, Photography Made Easy, which he runs in Melbourne. After teaching the fundamentals, he takes his students out on a walking tour of the city. “Hopefully,” he says, “they’re faced with nothing but problems, every single step. Then what I do is I show them that a problem is just a solution waiting to happen.”
Martin feels at home in Malta, so much so that he intends to run his tuition course here. “I will be bringing groups from outside Malta for two-week photographic and cultural tours,” he explains. “I want them to stay close to the local people while here. Don’t eat fish and chips; we eat those in Australia. Come here and eat Maltese food. Get on the bus and step out into the villages. Walk around! Malta is the perfect place to learn and practise photography. Besides, its layers of history are endless.”
Martin is looking forward to returning as soon as possible with his culture-vulture groups. Would he consider taking his tuition tours to some other country were it not for his attachment to his Maltese ancestry? He simply waves the suggestion away. “Malta is definitely the smallest but most sparkling jewel in the Mediterranean,” he says without a hint of uncertainty. “In two weeks you cannot discover every single thing it has to offer, but we can have a good look around and leave with a good feel for the country. In essence, I will be teaching people photography in a unique setting, and I’m actually really happy about it!”
As soon as he first set foot in Malta, Martin’s ancestry has been powerfully awakened. “I grew up with my father teaching us to identify very strongly with our Maltese heritage,” he says. “Malta has been really important for me since I was a little kid. When I got here even the food tasted very familiar, reminding me of Grandma’s cookery, and I quite enjoyed the feeling.”
Martin’s passion for photography blossomed at an early age, when he used to borrow his Mum’s camera and wander about, taking pictures. “Ever since I was a little kid,” he says, “the only things I really wanted to do were to be a sportsman for Australia and be a professional photographer.” Martin sees photography as an expression; a way to explore life. His most common photographic assignments are usually related to sports because of his Olympic background. “The difference between getting a good photo of a sporting event or simply a photo lies in being able to capture the essence of the discipline,” he explains. “If I may, I will sit for a couple of days watching an event and observing whatever discipline it is for hours and hours on end, till I’m able to tell what makes an outstanding performance.”
Martin also specialises in travel photography. During his visit to Malta, he did shoots of various historic locations in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority and Din l-Art Helwa. Before embarking on a photographic trip, he prepares himself thoroughly, months ahead, doing research about the place’s history, legal system, language, and, most importantly, weather. Things however do not always go according to plan. “I was allowed an hour or so to take a shoot of the Knight in residence at Fort St Angelo, who was a really gracious host,” he says. “I went full of ideas but as often happens, you walk in to find things are not as you imagined. So you have to forget the ideas and be very quick and reactive to the situation. You have to capture the moment or you’ll lose the golden opportunity.”
In travel photography, facing unexpected problems is part of the job, as is maintaining an open mind. Martin’s driving motivation is the belief that in every challenge lurks an opportunity. “I can be out in Malta or I can be in the Outback in Australia when its starts raining hard or it’s too hot. I’ve travelled a long way to get somewhere. I’m not going to put my camera away and go home. I’m looking for the opportunity to shoot and because it’s not how you want it, it doesn’t mean you can’t get a photo. At times you can get better photos in foul conditions.”
Martin’s most important task in Malta was to initiate an arts project that involves one school from Malta, Australia and Germany. “It’s a photographic project and the idea is for the kids to go out and take photos of their environment. We’re teaching them that not everything’s ruined. There are lots of beautiful things to look at, which is very important. We can sit here and complain forever about the problems in the world or we can do something about it. So the concept, in part, is to teach the kids communication through photography. Have your say via the arts. As I said to the girls at St Thomas More Girls’ Secondary School here in Malta, this is your opportunity to show your home.”
The contrast between diverse countries will certainly stand out as a result of the project. Yet Martin believes that a common thread runs through – each different setting is home for particular children. Arts teacher Henrietta Mallia from St Thomas More Girls’ Secondary School, Zejtun, has taken up the challenge to coach her pupils through this project. These children will eventually showcase aspects of Malta through their photography.
“It’s also about teaching kids to be good observers,” adds Martin, “and to set before them challenging problems which are really learning opportunities. Henrietta and her kids will face potential language and culture barriers, and in solving them they will gain experience for life. Besides, the kids will learn not only to appreciate their own home environment, but also someone else’s, which though very different, is just as important and valid as theirs.”
Martin stresses that the Maltese High Commission in Australia has been crucial in transforming his ideas into a concrete project. “I’ve been getting an enormous amount of help from the Consuls General for Melbourne and Sydney, Angele Azzopardi and Anna Maria Bonnici respectively. They also put me in contact with Maria Ciappara, principal of St Chiara College, who then put forward the proposition to various schools and was eventually taken up by Henrietta. Anything I am doing here would not be running without these people and their enthusiasm.”
Martin also applies a problem-solving approach to his tuition course, Photography Made Easy, which he runs in Melbourne. After teaching the fundamentals, he takes his students out on a walking tour of the city. “Hopefully,” he says, “they’re faced with nothing but problems, every single step. Then what I do is I show them that a problem is just a solution waiting to happen.”
Martin feels at home in Malta, so much so that he intends to run his tuition course here. “I will be bringing groups from outside Malta for two-week photographic and cultural tours,” he explains. “I want them to stay close to the local people while here. Don’t eat fish and chips; we eat those in Australia. Come here and eat Maltese food. Get on the bus and step out into the villages. Walk around! Malta is the perfect place to learn and practise photography. Besides, its layers of history are endless.”
Martin is looking forward to returning as soon as possible with his culture-vulture groups. Would he consider taking his tuition tours to some other country were it not for his attachment to his Maltese ancestry? He simply waves the suggestion away. “Malta is definitely the smallest but most sparkling jewel in the Mediterranean,” he says without a hint of uncertainty. “In two weeks you cannot discover every single thing it has to offer, but we can have a good look around and leave with a good feel for the country. In essence, I will be teaching people photography in a unique setting, and I’m actually really happy about it!”
