TITLE: Soul Searching

This series is part of a journey of self discovery, all shot during the year 2017-8 and an ongoing work in progress which never ends. The journey is more important than the destination.

AUTHOR: Keith Ellul (Malta)

Keith Ellul is a photographer, lives in Malta. His style of photography is usually landscapes/seascapes. Most of his images are a memory not of what he have seen, but of what he felt at that moment in time. Keith’s works feature coastal scenes because he is drawn to them – and not just because of their beauty. A childhood spent in close proximity to the sea has left him with a sense of nostalgia which inadvertently pulls him to it. Like a seed planted long ago which has come to full bloom through his lens. Keith yearns to communicate more than just a still moment in his photos. His knowledge of a particular technique allows him to capture seconds, sometimes minutes of a moment in one frame. This, he explains, is how you truly convey the essence and the soul of a place. You see the photo and it feels like seeing the action replaying itself in slow motion. The effect makes the location seem somewhat surreal, a scene which seems to find a balance somewhere between the real and the artist’s interpretation of it.
Naturally, this is not an easy feat to accomplish and the artist sometimes needs to make multiple visits at the same place to finally succeed at capturing what he sees playing out in his mind. The artist is always at the mercy of the elements, Keith explains, but this does not mean he ever regrets having woken up early to get that shot. It is with an air of someone enriched that he describes how he witnesses incredible moments other people might miss altogether. As to why photography, Keith does not have a black on white answer. Rather, it’s the same as how some people turn to sport, religion or other disciplines to find purpose and meaning in life. “For me, photography has given me a clearer sense and appreciation of who I am.” Like therapy, photography gives him the positive boost in life we all try to drive from one thing or another. Keith finds it hard to pinpoint artists in Malta or abroad who inspire him. Rather, he believes the artist needs to define himself or herself through discovery of a personal style. Inspiration, he explains, is anything, in how one sees the world around oneself.Malta has come a long way in the arts, with a number of Maltese artists who are very successful. Saying the size of the island limits one’s opportunities is not a valid excuse anymore. “Passion must be cultivated if success is what you’re after. Passion, and persistence in the face of obstacles. If you really are passionate,” Keith states with an all too knowledgeable smile, “the drive will not give you a moment’s rest.” To the newbies in the field of photography and art in general, Keith reminds them to work hard, to not look for shortcuts for there are none, but to sacrifice until you ultimately reach the goal. Nothing ever comes easy.