Among the earliest photographers who left a significant mark on Malta’s photographic history, Michele Zahra stands tall. His story is intertwined with the evolution of photography in Malta, beginning with his first studio in Cottonera in 1860. Zahra’s studio, located at 2 Strada Cospicua on Sta Margherita Hill, was one of the first of its kind in Malta, embodying the pioneering spirit of the time.

Photography Boom and Zahra’s Move to Valletta

During the 1860s, the Three Cities area, where Cottonera is located, was experiencing an economic boom due to activities around the Grand Harbour. Zahra’s studio was right at the heart of this growth. As demand for photography swelled around 1865, Zahra aimed to relocate to Valletta. However, he was preceded by James Conroy, who had already set up a studio in the capital in 1863.

Zahra’s initial attempt to establish a foothold in Valletta involved a partnership with a commercial outlet. This innovative idea of operating a photography studio within a fashion outlet showed promise, but it didn’t last.

Collaborations and Ventures

Zahra then collaborated with the Salvatore Schembri firm from 1866 to 1868, a partnership reflected in the ‘Schembri et Zahra’ nomenclature on some Carte de Visite (CDVs). Unfortunately, this partnership also came to an end.

By 1868, Zahra had set up a studio at 125 Strada Britannica in Valletta, operating in tandem with his original Cospicua studio. The new location was at 278 Strada Reale, a site that would later become synonymous with the Richard Ellis family’s photographic dynasty.

The Legacy of Michele Zahra

The Cospicua studio, passed down to Zahra’s sons, was rebranded as Michele Zahra Sons Light Truth Studio. Renowned for its ornate cabinet card versos featuring a mythological figure, the studio stood out. Despite facing competition and eventually closing its doors in the 1930s, the legacy of Zahra’s studio has endured.

Today, Michele Zahra’s contribution to Maltese photographic history, his pioneering spirit, and the studios he established are remembered with admiration and respect.

More than 25 years after Pixar’s groundbreaking feature film A Bug’s Life first hit theaters, Disney has returned to the incredible world of insects for inspiration. A new docu-series, A Real Bug’s Life, delivers a breathtaking adventure into nine different micro bug worlds.

From a photographic perspective, there is a lot to get excited about. A Real Bug’s Life features incredible technological achievements in micro photography.

Motion control gear enables exceptionally smooth and precise shots on the scale of a tiny insect. With computer control, complex shots can be planned and precisely executed.

New photogrammetry technology and improved focus stacking techniques allow creators to render the microscopic world in remarkably sharp detail — much better than using a single shot from just one lens.

PetaPixel has seen the advent of macro probe lenses in recent years, and these are used in full force in A Real Bug’s Life, too, allowing wide-angle perspectives with extremely close-up performance.

PetaPixel chatted with one of the show’s directors of photography, Nathan Small, who shot a large portion of the episodes, “The Big City” and “The Busy Farm.” These two episodes feature jumping spiders, American cockroaches, Chinese mantises, bumblebees, and doodlebugs, among others.

For All Types of Wildlife Work, Knowledge is Power

When planning complex shots of moving animals and especially when working at macro photography distances, understanding the subject matters.

“We are very fortunate that we are able to work with some of the world’s leading entomologists and scientists across this series,” Small explains to PetaPixel

“So a lot of the time, we would try and figure out the stories that we wanted to tell for an episode. A lot of the time, they were very relatable stories. We’re telling narratives about motherhood or finding a home or universal stories that hopefully people can relate to.”

“And then working alongside these entomologists, trying to figure out what it is that we can show that’s representative of that story and how we might be able to film that in a way that makes it relatable to people.”

The Importance of Technology

“This has been a very technology-driven show,” Small says. “There’s been a new wave of lenses that have been brought to market over the last few years that have enabled us to film things in ways that I don’t think have ever been filmed before.

“One of them is, they’re called probe lenses. These are long, thin, strange-looking tube lenses that let you get very, very close to very, very small things.”

Since these probe lenses often have wide-angle focal lengths, like 25mm, they offer a very different perspective than a more traditional 60mm, 105mm, or 200mm macro lens. Those lenses offer a tight perspective at 1:1 magnification. In contrast, a wide-angle macro probe lens can get very close to tiny subjects and show the context or environment, which is a fresh perspective.

“The other thing we’ve been using a lot across this series is motion control. You’ve probably seen the classic picture of a wildlife filmmaker with a big tripod and a super long lens, but we’ve been doing it totally different.”

Small explains that for A Real Bug’s Life, he and the team have been using robots and sliders and controlling the camera remotely using a PlayStation controller.

“That lets us do very precise, very controlled, and smooth movements on a very tiny scale. And hopefully, by doing that, we’re able to provide the viewer with a much more immersive and cinematic experience with the types of gimbal moves, and dolly moves that people are used to seeing on higher productions, like television dramas and things.”

It may seem like an exaggeration to say that recent developments in technology enabled the creation of A Real Bug’s Life, but in a very real way, the show would have been entirely different if not for advances in macro lens design and motion control. Seeing insects in nature documentaries is not new in and of itself, but A Real Bug’s Life delivers many novel scenes.

Nathan Small’s Interesting Photographic History: From Advertising to Bugs

“So I used to be an advertising photographer years ago, so that was my background. I’m much more the art side than the science side,” Small tells PetaPixel.

“I wanted a bit of a career change when I hit my early thirties, so I went and did a master’s degree at the National Film and Television School. It’s a two-year master’s program with the very specific subject of history documentaries.”

“I did that for two years, and then while I was doing my courses, my mentor said, ‘When you finish, I’m going to give you a job,’ and he came through for me, and I got a job on a show called Tiny World, which was for Apple.”

That was Small’s first job in television, and then he went on to do another show for his mentor, Planet Insect for Curiosity Stream. At the end of that production, Small was approached to work on A Real Bug’s Life.

“That was sort of three small things shows back-to-back, and then with each one a bit of a step up from research to assistant producer to producer and shooting along the way for various people and various episodes,” Small explains. “And that brings us to now. A Real Bug’s Life is my first producer credit as well. This show is a big deal for me, that’s why I’m so keen for people to see it.”

Crafting a Narrative Versus Responding to Nature as it Happens

Compared to filming a scripted television drama or comedy series, when creating a nature documentary, even the best plans and preparation can be disrupted by nature. Insects don’t take direction, after all. However, to make a compelling nature show, there still needs to be an overarching narrative. Viewers need to be able to connect with the story.

“With a show like this, you very much plan it out first. I have an idea what the behavior is or what the story is that we’re trying to tell. And then we are shooting to a script, which obviously changes constantly when the reality of the actual shoot takes place,” Small explains.

“You go there with an idea and a plan of what you want, and then you need to be very flexible based on what actually happens.”

If an amazing but unexpected behavior occurs that wasn’t included in the script, then filmmakers like Small will shoot it and try to find a way to connect it to the intended story.

“It’s definitely not a show that is like, go out, film a load of stuff, and then cobble it together in the edit. It is well planned because everything — all the characters — need to interact, and things need to weave in and out of each other. And there needs to be a payoff; it must feel satisfying.”

“And that needs to be planned in the same way you wouldn’t turn up on a drama shoot and say to the actors, ‘Yeah, just go for it. Let’s see what happens,’” Small adds.

Advice for Amateur Creators

The macro photography community is one of the tightest-knit photo spheres. Macro enthusiasts, especially insect macro photographers, are very open with their advice and time. On Instagram, in particular, there is a wonderful community that Nathan Small still frequently visits.

“Everyone’s super nerdy and super nice and generous with information,” he says. “We all email each other and message each other all the time. ‘How have you done this?’ And people will share their tips and their knowledge with you very readily.”

For macro photographers of all experience levels, that is a great place to go. Small recommends following people whose work you like and don’t hesitate to message people and ask questions.

As for filmmaking, and despite the amazing technology that helped make A Real Bug’s Life possible, creators shouldn’t get too bogged down by technology.

“If it’s broadcast for Disney, then yeah, you need the biggest, fanciest cameras,” Small admits. “But if you just want to shoot something and work out the storytelling and the craft, rather than delaying doing it because you don’t think you’ve got the right camera to do it, just get out and do it.”

A Real Bug’s Life Airs This Week

A Real Bug’s Life debuts on Disney+ this Wednesday, January 24. The series is produced in partnership with National Geographic and is narrated by the excellent Awkwafina, known for her Comedy Central series Awkwafina is Nora From Queens and her roles in feature films like Crazy Rich Asians and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

To see more from Nathan Small, visit his website and follow him on Instagram.

Image credits: All images courtesy of National Geographic and Disney. Photos are from “A Real Bug’s Life,” premiering on Disney+ on January 24, 2024.

Jessi Bowman launched the photo lab portion of Flats after realizing there was a shortage of community-focused photography spaces in Houston.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:5734,”y2″:3824,”width”:5734,”height”:3824}”>

Jessi Bowman still has the light-pink Barbie camera she was given as a gift when she was six years old. Today, the treasured ‘90s collectible, which uses hard-to-find 110 film, sits on a special shelf in Texas-born Bowman’s apartment, sandwiched between a 1980s Polaroid camera that was formerly used for taking passport photos and a 1960s Super 8 film camera that’s no longer in working condition. It should come as a surprise to no one that someone with such a collection of film ephemera is in the photography business.

Now, many years after her cherished Barbie camera turned from plaything to display object, Bowman runs Flats, a budding Houston business dedicated to all things photography. Started in 2016 as a nomadic photography exhibition series, Flats has evolved into a photo lab that also offers photo-developing services. Sponsored by Fresh Arts and funded in part through the city’s Houston Arts Alliance, it’s home to the only community darkroom space in Houston.

Flats was originally launched in 2016 as a nomadic photography exhibition series that would hold shows from time to time in people’s homes.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:4658,”y2″:3105,”width”:4658,”height”:3105}”>

In the beginning, Bowman, who has degrees in art history and photography, and was previously an exhibitions manager for the Houston Center for Photography, ran the photo lab from her apartment—sans the public darkroom and helpful nonprofit funding. “I Airbnb’d out my guest bedroom, I walked dogs, I did all these things part-time until I could get into a space,” she says, noting that she decided to open the photo lab after realizing there was a deficit in community-focused photography spaces in Houston.

In early 2020, just two weeks before the pandemic hit, and six months after first opening the space inside her apartment, Bowman finally acquired the funds to move Flats into the upstairs suite of a building in Montrose, just a couple of doors down from the Magick Cauldron.

In early 2020, Bowman moved Flats to its current home in Montrose. There’s a 24-hour drop-off box by the front door where clients can deposit film they need developed.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:3000,”y2″:2250,”width”:3000,”height”:2250}”>

The timing of the space’s opening in the midst of the pandemic ended up being fortuitous in many ways. Due to canceled exhibitions, Bowman was able to slow down and focus more of her efforts on honing her services—from the film-developing aspect to the addition of the community darkroom. “Everybody was looking for a hobby at the time,” she says, “so that really helped this whole side of things.” Although the cozy space has several rooms, Bowman didn’t use all of them initially. Instead, she rented some out to other artists. About a year later, her business grew enough that she was able to take over the entire unit.

Today, Bowman, who started out running things solo, has three employees, and every room in the suite is dedicated in some way to the art of photography. There’s a cheerful entry area that houses a desk and a table, a mélange of photographs plastered joyfully across its walls. A retro vending machine by the front door filled with rolls of film adds a kitschy touch to the room. One area functions as a classroom for the variety of workshops Flats hosts, while another room down the hallway is used for developing film. A large film machine holds court in the middle, and in one corner you’ll usually see several rolls of black-and-white film hanging out to dry after being processed. In the back is what Bowman refers to as the “office.” It’s where all the film developed at Flats gets digitized before being emailed back to clients—about 80 percent of Flats’ business. You’ll often find Flats’ lab manager, Únies González, and lab tech and shop manager Cassie Soler working away in the space.

The colorful entry area to Flats’ suite includes kitschy touches like a vintage Kodak light fixture and an old-school vending machine stocked with rolls of film.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:3000,”y2″:2250,”width”:3000,”height”:2250}”>

Bowman likes to think of her creation as a kind of makerspace for local photographers. Although much of her business revolves around developing and digitizing film for enthusiasts of the artform, what really makes the space special is its community darkroom, which is open to both novice photographers and professionals. Bowman offers three tiers of access: A simple day pass is priced at $25, and unlimited monthly access during business hours costs $75 a month. Meanwhile, a 24-hour membership pass is priced at $140 a month.

The darkroom is located behind the building’s kitchen in a small room with heavy black curtains. During a recent visit, 24-hour access member Izaac Costiniano, a budding local photographer, was in the space doing the final wash on a stylized black-and-white photograph of the faded faces of two men, who appeared to be merging into one. Four enlargers used for black-and-white photography, all donated machines, filled much of the space around him. Off in one corner, covered by an additional curtain, was a color enlarger.

Bowman offers three tiers of access to Flats’ dark room space, including day passes for $25.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:4032,”y2″:3024,”width”:4032,”height”:3024}”>

While the rest of the room is usually lit by a very faint red light, the color-focused space requires total darkness. Bowman says she’s really the only one who uses it. “You get used to it,” she says of working with zero light. “My boyfriend makes fun of me because I don’t realize how much I do in the dark now. I’ve been working in darkrooms since I was in high school. I’ll be in the kitchen now in the complete darkness and he’ll be like, ‘What are you doing?’”

Jeremy Perez, Flats’ darkroom manager, can usually be found in the space supervising members as they go about their work. Bowman says they make sure everyone who uses the darkroom, even if they’re new to developing photography, knows how to properly use the space. She says that most people who use the darkroom come and go as they work on various projects. Color chemistry isn’t included in any of the passes, but visitors have everything they need for black-and-white chemistry; they just have to supply their own papers and film.

“I want to create a home for artists in Houston,” Bowman says. “We’re one of the major cities, why do artists feel like they have to move away from here? Why can’t we create more outlets and home bases for them?”” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:5734,”y2″:3824,”width”:5734,”height”:3824}”>

This well-built-out suite is a far cry from the Flats of a few years ago, when the company functioned mainly as a nomadic gallery space, popping up from time to time for shows in people’s homes. Bowman says she opened that iteration of Flats to make it easier for photographers to show their work locally and to help better foster artistic connection in this vastly spread-out city. “There’s this constant joke that you have to move away from Houston to be able to show in Houston. I think a lot of that is because there are only so many outlets and they’re kind of competitive,” she says. “We’re also all in these pockets, and we don’t know what’s going on everywhere else, so I wanted to bring people to other spaces.”

Bowman’s FLAT Files magazine focuses on showcasing the work of photographers from the US’s South Central region.” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:1423,”y2″:1017,”width”:1423,”height”:1017}”>

Flats’ growth hasn’t ended with the opening of the photo lab and darkroom. In 2021, Bowman launched a photo-centric art magazine under the Flats moniker focused on showcasing the artwork of photographers from the US’s South Central region. And although she’s happy with the space she’s in now, she has dreams of further expansion. She’d love to eventually move into a bigger spot that has room for a dedicated gallery where she can host longer shows. A bigger space would also allow her to open a larger community darkroom, in addition to an expanded classroom area—enough square footage for masterclass programming and an eventual residency program.

“I want to create a home for artists in Houston,” Bowman says. “We’re one of the major cities, why do artists feel like they have to move away from here? Why can’t we create more outlets and home bases for them?”

Photography scams make me SCREAM! It’s a new year, and many new ways for thieves to try to pry money from you are out in full force. Monty Python has a tune for this type of thing. Sing it with me to the tune of the Spam song… Scam, Scam, Scam, Scam SCAM! Let be vigilant and share any scams you have run across.

Beginner photographers beware

As a professional photographer I have been sniffing out many of these scams and can spot them far away. But if you are new to photography and think there’s a break heading your way that is way too easy, it most assuredly is. Here’s an example from a beginners Facebook group I try to help out.

“I’m just wondering if an inquiry I got last night might have been a scam.

I got a text message (I very rarely get texts for inquiries but my number is listed) about a man wanting me to photograph a surprise party for his wife. My reply to him was my estimate and he said that it sounded alright, and then said that if I told him my address he would send me a cashier’s check with the full amount.

I told him that for personal safety I don’t give out my personal address, and he said that it was the only way he could do it without his wife becoming suspicious. Further, I said I could take a deposit through Venmo, Paypal, or send him an invoice to be paid with card, and I even offered to meet him in a public location to receive the check. He then ghosted and never responded again. Could it have been some sort of scam attempt? Just wanting to know for the future.”

The answer to the question? Yep, it’s a scam attempt.

Claim to fame

Companies or individuals claiming to make you famous or get you instant work in exchange for an upfront fee should be discarded without further look. ‘No experience necessary’ is also a big clue! Please be extremely careful where a photo shoot also includes an offer of representation or promotion beyond the shoot.

‘We saw your portfolio and want you to photograph our fashion shoot. We’ll pay you $XXXX and you pay the model/makeup people etc…” These can look as if they are coming from a fashion magazine. Then you receive a bogus check. After you pay any others you’ll discover the check is no good. And guess who is out the money? That would be you.

Look carefully at the return email address there are often tell-tales of scammers. Misspelling of the purported business address, from some unknown or if it is emailed to ‘Undisclosed recipients.’

Like your mama told you, if it sounds too good to be true, bet that it is and trash the BS.

Fake jobs

A scam that pops up on a regular basis among photographers is the ‘I want you to photograph my, (wedding/family portrait, sports team, party… etc). I will pay you via credit card (or check) but I want to send you extra because the venue/wedding planner, hair dresser, make-up artist or caterer et. al don’t have credit card machines.” You will be asked to forward that portion of the money to them. By the time the dust clears, if you sent on any money, it’s gone! So is the money sent to you because it was a bogus check or stolen credit card.

Many times, you will receive a description of the shoot such as this. “Photograph a volleyball team of 12 girls (13-16 in age) that wants 15 images per player. Can you do 2 head shots, 2 group shots, 6 full body and a few actions shots?” They will say their budget is $900. This would be sent to a self-described newbie with no action shot/sports history, just a beginner. This photographer would want to know if that was a fair price. One, it’s not a fair price. Two, it’s an unrealistic scenario. Three this photographer did not have experience in this genre. Why would they ask an inexperienced photographer to do a paid job even if it was on the cheap for the service?

Heads-up for viruses and friend requests

When you click the link it attaches to your Facebook and may lock you out permanently and then tags and spreads to your friends news feeds. Facebook allows this virus to proliferate. My Facebook news feed is full of them.

Here’s an example:

Selena Zhang
“I want to know why you are on my page. Do we have common interests or friends? Maybe you can add me as a friend and we can get to know each other better. Wish you all the best.”

DO NOT AS FRIEND. That gives them a way in and one step closer to scamming you and your friends list. A similar version of this is complimenting you on the image, or your photography in general while noting they can’t seem to friend you

Another is the link that appears in your Facebook feed or in your messenger. “I can’t believe he is gone I’m gonna miss him so much…” with added crying emojis ostensibly from a friend. Your friends account will have been taken over. DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK.

Guest post on your website

I learned of this one while researching photographer scams for this article. I must admit I was very close to falling for this one myself! Sure I’d like to earn $50 bucks for someone else providing content for my website. Read on to how this one works. This may be the sneakiest scam attempt of all because they reach out like they are going to do you a service. They want to write a free guest post, or even pay you for ‘placement’ on your blog! If you show interest they try to get the login to your website. Why? So they can write the blog post for you. All part of the service right? At that point you will find your login has changed and they ransom your site.

A side note, as you become frustrated with all the communication spam and you click the ‘unsubscribe’ or ‘unsub’ link in their emails, you are sent to a phishing site. Just trash them and move on. Think of the time spent trashing these emails as part of the price of doing business in today’s world.

Protect yourself

Watch for the email address. Check for undisclosed recipients with you as an add-on addressee. No good. Check the sender email address. If it is not from the company or there is an alphabet soup of characters, toss it. Make sure to see the address by hovering over the email to see the actual address, not just what the sender wants you to see.

Think it might be legit? Call the phone numbers and try to speak with a person. Not sure of the phone number? Look up the name of the business and dial in directly. If they refuse and only want to deal via email, toss it.

If you believe you are a target of a fraud, stop engaging. Report the case to the Federal Trade Commission by calling their hotline 877-382-4357 (877-FTC-HELP) or file an online complaint. You can also visit the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Fraud Complaint Center.

Share

If you have run across a scam that I haven’t covered here, please share it in the comments below. Let’s watch out for each other! Be safe out there!

Yours in Creative Photography, Bob