When I arrived, I couldn't help but think that Malta was unlike anywhere I’d ever been before.  Its history is quite extensive which you can see immediately in its architecture.  Influences from its varied inhabitants over the years have created a truly unique nation.  Large protruding fortresses line the shores.  Light earth toned rock made up the roads and buildings.  Medieval flags are still hung in celebration of its past.  Every day a canon is fired at noon and 4pm.  This practice has been taking place since the time of the knights.  Knights are a celebrated and honorable piece of Maltese history. In Valletta, the country's capital, they have a weekly reenactment called The Guardia Parade.  I decided that photographing one of the knights would be a great way to highlight the country’s history.  Of course, due to covid, the weekly festival had been on hold for almost a year.  Fortunately, before I’d arrived, I got in contact with the former president of The Guardia Parade.  He gave me the contact information of someone who’d help set up the portrait.  I messaged him and coordinated everything.  He told me that a colleague of his was interested in being involved in the project.  His colleague Joe had his own knight's armor and would meet us wherever we wished to complete the project.

I spent some time exploring the island for possible locations.  Fort St. Elmo was the biggest and most notorious stronghold in the country.  It was just outside the capital city of Valletta.  To shoot at the fort, however, required a costly permit.  It was suggested that we shoot at Fort St. Angelo instead.  This fort was in the smaller town of Birgu.  I found that if we went and shot down by the water, Valletta and Fort St. Elmo would provide an ideal background.  We arranged the shoot day and time.  I continued to explore the country.

The next day I visited Mdina, a picturesque medieval village in the center of the country’s main island.  The village had horse drawn carriages navigating its cobblestoned streets.  Mdina Cathedral, the country’s oldest church, stood strong in the center boasting Baroque frescoes and other artwork.  Game of Thrones fans were able to appreciate that the town was a shooting location for the series’ fictional city, Kings Landing.

After Mdina, I visited the country’s smaller island to the Northwest, Gozo.  Goo is less developed than the main island.  In Between the two is the small island of Comino.  On the island's western shore lies one of Malta’s most visited attractions, the Blue Lagoon.  The lagoon is a picturesque watering hole housing white sand and turquoise water.  There was a ledge above with vendors, a bar and locker rooms.  The cliffs were lined with people as far as the eye could see.  Harbored yachts played loud music.  Energy was high, the scenery was fabulous and the water was perfect.  After a nice long swim, I sat on the shore drinking out of a coconut.  Sometimes I needed to sit and reflect.  It’s hard to believe how I crafted this life.  A life I’d always dreamt of.  I can get lost in it, but those calm coastal days allowed me to meditate on the gravity of what I’m working to achieve.  

The following morning I woke up and packed my camera, paper and paint.  I would meet Joe and his colleague in Birgu and we would travel to Fort St. Angelo together.  Joe was friendly and quite knowledgeable of Maltese history.  He told me about their complicated past.  We talked about the daily cannons and how he was one of the men who occasionally shot them off.  I learned more about the religious ceremonies in the country and Joe's efforts to keep traditions alive.

We arrived at the Fort and Joe changed into his armor.  We walked the narrow path down to the rocky waterfront.  There was a large platform overlooking the harbor to the left and Valletta to the right.  We took a few photos at different locations, some with his helmet on and some without it.  Because Joe and his colleague were both actors and familiar with being on set, they suggested using a piece of the artist paper as a fill card to lighten the shadows in the harsh sunlight.  After we finished, we returned to the office where we had originally met so that Joe could change.  I presented the paper and paint and he painted his line.  I thanked him dearly for the knowledge he bestowed upon me about his country and we parted ways.  The following morning I flew to Italy to visit the fifth smallest country in the world, San Marino.