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It was August 2000 when I last visited Malta and I was way too young to appreciate how interesting and beautiful this place was outside of swimming pools and ice-cream, approaching my early teenage years. One thing I do remember - it was hot. Exceptionally hot. I could barely finish meals and AC was delivered in the hope of some sort of breeze in our antique of a hotel. So when we decided to revisit, I was pretty excited to see what I could capture on this ancient island. Moreover, from a photography perspective, I was determined to challenge myself on this trip; packing only my Fujifilm XF 35mm (that's c.50mm full frame) F2 lens to accompany my camera set up, navigating somewhere known for its pretty old and cosy streets.
I'm used to travelling light, backpack only, with just the one lens - and in most cases, I prefer it - avoiding temptation to stop and change on the go but I would sometimes opt for the versatility of my zoom lens, covering all bases.
Why 50mm? Whilst my gig is pretty much being able to accommodate some architectural scale or, in contrast, buy a little time and pick out something in the distance, 50mm hits the perfect balance of both, with a normal field of view. Sure, you might not get all of the shots you want but the ones you come away with will be far more considered and better as a result. If I had to choose a lens for life, I'm confident that this would be it.
Valletta is a photography playground - whether your forte is shooting street, landscape, architecture or if you happen to be a fan of retro looking shop signs that still hang remarkably well against an even older canvas.
Whilst we based ourselves in Sliema for this trip - which had benefits and photography gems of it's own - there was no escaping the charm of Valletta with those never ending streets, stretching the full length of the city, lined with relics from yesteryear typically found in a museum these days.
I won't lie, at first glance, the lens regret set in pretty hard, as silhouettes came strolling across the peaks of the streets on the horizon; similar to scenes in San Francisco. The extra reach would have gone down a treat - but we move - literally, in this case, actually.
Malta is full of nostalgic store fronts & signs - here's a selection of some favourites that caught my eye around the island.
It's pretty novel for some of us visitors, but navigating the island via boat was not only convenient but really good fun and made for some unique photo opportunities. There are regular ferries running to just about most of the coastal towns and cities but if you're short on time or really eager (impatient), then you can hop in one of these dghajsa gondolas below and zip across (like we did here) to/from the 3 cities of Birgu, Senglea & Cospicua in about 5 minutes. There's a minimum number of passengers before you can set sail but it's fun watching some sort of nautical tetris as other boats dock up to drop off other rides and everyone shuffles round. A word of warning, do this on calm day - these little boats pick up every single kink in the water on their crossings.
Before I wrap this up, here's a shout out to Sliema - perfectly situated to explore the rest of island but don't discount Sliema itself. Whilst the initial appearance of the sea front is much more modern and at first glance, lacking the older appeal of Valletta - behind is a maze of beautiful Gallarija lined streets and mews-like buildings, local bakeries & coffee shops really worth exploring.
On reflection, I had zero regrets shooting this lens exclusively. In a parallel universe, were there shots I would have taken otherwise with my zoom? Yes, of course, but I doubt that I would have pushed myself as much to think a bit differently about things, taking my time with composition and gaining confidence in getting a little closer to people. Here's to more adventures at 50mm.
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