Men at Work - Environmental Portraiture Photography

1/640 sec at f / 5.0. ISO 100

92 mm (70.0 - 200.0 mm f / 2.8)

The photograph that I am proposing today is a stunning shot which I took earlier this month. Despite of being a sunny day, it was quite hazy.  In fact the available natural light conditions offered a very subtle soft light of which I took advantage.

There was no particular setup set prior to this shot.  The people frozen in this image were not posing for the shot.  I was simply stand by round the corner to capture a moment in Malta's rural and conservative countryside.  Unfortunately, such moments reminiscent of Malta's rural past are nowadays becoming extinct.  The image says it all!  Two old men sitting next to an old fuel pump who are accompanied by a mongrel.  Both men bear the signs of the ephemeral passing of time.  Wrinkles feature boldly and the white feathery hair captures the viewers attention.  Both men are sitting tranquilly but the dog is the one which is reacting to its environment.

Compositionally, the work can be divided in two sections, mainly the upper section dominated by an umbrella and local domestic architecture, whereas the lower section is dominated by the afore mentioned individuals. The pump set on the right hand side of the composition deserves a mention.  Being itself a museum piece, one of the very first fuel pumps to feature in modern Malta, still withstanding the natural elements and the passing of time.

This black and white image is bound to remain one of my favorites.  Capturing of such an image immortalized what will in few years time be considered as past.