PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP*
Line, Form, Abstraction & Space
An Approach to Architecture Photography
with Joe Smith & Therese Debono
21st - 23rd November 2025
Location: Maritime School Malta
THE WORKSHOP
Discover how to see and capture architecture through the study of line, form, abstraction and space. This 3-day workshop blends history, theory, practical assignments, and guided critique to help you create strong, intentional photographs of the built environment.
Day 1: Friday 21st Nov, 17:00 - 20:00
Day 2: Saturday 22nd Nov, 9:00 - 12:00
Day 3: Sunday 23rd, 10:00 - 12:30, lunch, 13:30 - 16:00
THE DETAILS
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Explore how perspective, rhythm, light, and shadow shape buildings. Learn to use leading lines, geometric structures, and textures to create clarity and strength in your images.
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Move beyond straightforward representation. Experiment with close-ups, reflections, patterns, repetition, and unusual angles to transform architecture into visual abstraction. Discover how editing choices (cropping, contrast, black & white) can push images toward the abstract.
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Investigate how architecture defines human experience. Use scale, negative space, and sequencing to tell spatial stories. Practice framing people within architecture to show proportion and atmosphere.
For the second half of day 3 there will be a critique session on the work done during the previous two days.
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Location: Maritime School Malta
What to Bring: Your camera (participants are encouraged to experiment with both staged setups and spontaneous street photography)
Each day combines short presentations, on-site shooting, editing techniques, and cri que sessions. By the end, participants will have produced a mini-series of architectural images with a clear visual concept, along with practical skills in composition, light, perspective, and post-processing.
MEET THE ARTISTS
Joe Smith
Joe received a standard academic education, but after joining the Malta Government in his late teens, he pursued further studies in the arts. His interests span photography, painting, and graphic media. A professional photographer since 1979, he is a Fellow of the Malta Institute of Professional Photographers and various UK professional photographic institutions. He also studied graphic design in Florence, Italy, before earning his MFA in Digital Arts from the University of Malta in 2015.
His portfolio focuses on social documentary, performing arts, portraiture, architecture, and fine art photography. His 33-year documentation of star musicians at the Malta Jazz Festival is internationally recognized. Joe has received numerous national and international awards and has exhibited extensively in Malta and abroad.
www.smithjp.com
Therese Debono
Therese is a documentary photographer specializing in places, streets, and portraiture. Her work explores endangered locations, local interiors, and documentary portraiture, with notable projects including Maltese Interiors, Brides on Beds, Class of ‘93, and BLANK.
Her primary focus is on the loss of heritage in Malta and the ongoing overdevelopment that threatens the island’s once-powerful and unique character.
Born and raised in Malta, Therese holds an MFA in Digital Arts and an MA in Cultural Heritage from the University of Malta. She lectures on photography and cultural heritage at the MCAST Institute for Creative Arts and teaches photography at the University of Malta within the Departments of Communications and Media, as well as Knowledge Science.
www.theresedebono.com
The Location:
MaritimeMT is a leading maritime training academy located on top of Ghar Hasan, limits of Birzebbugia. Beyond our internationally-recognized education and training programmes for seafarers and yachting professionals, our facilities offer a modern and versatile venue with inspiring views, spacious classrooms, and state-of-the-art facilities.
With ample natural light, a contemporary maritime aesthetic, and a serene setting away from the bustle of the city, MaritimeMT provides the perfect backdrop for learning, creativity, and connection.
