Whether it be a political, sporting, cultural or any event for that matter, there is always a familiar face peering from behind his camera, trying to get the best shot possible. Johnny Bugeja can be seen capturing what goes on around Gibraltar, no matter what time of day or year. We had a chat with the man with the camera, to find out what his life has been like during his many years in photo journalism.
Johnny on site
Johnny Bugeja’s
Life through the Lens J
ohnny’s interest in photography sparked when he was 10 years old, during a trip to vistit relatives in the picturesque white villages in nearby Spain. “With my dad’s Kodak box camera, which had limited choice of shutter speeds, lens opening and focusing control, we took photos of the ‘Moros and Cristianos’ festival. I remember one of the photos was really great, and this got me interested. Photography became my hobby throughout my 34 year career in the Ministry of Defence, before opting for early retirement to pursue my love of photography, and set up my own photographic studio,” Johnny explains. His career as a photographer however started in a pretty unlikely way, during a drink with friends. The late Eddie Campello, editor of Vox, asked him if he would like to take photos for his newspaper of the honeymoon visit of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. “I was positioned with the media at the airport, which was a great experience for me, and I was very pleased with my results,” he remembers. Johnny decided to move onto a better camera and chose a Canon AE1, which developed his preference for this brand, especially Canon
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fast lenses, which enable him to take good photos in poor lighting conditions. “My enthusiasm for my then hobby made me want to learn more about the profession, and practise to make sure I would be able to produce quality work which was my aim.” Coming from an older generation of photographers, he prefers film to digital photography. “In a dark room, the quality is better in my
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Digital photography is fast and efficient, especially with regards to journalism, where you need to have access to these photos on a daily basis. But I will always prefer my dark room
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Johnny at a Champions League match
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • MAY 2011