Shooting on Location in Malta: A Three Day Campaign with Box2
- Craig Harvey
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 8
Last year I travelled to Malta to shoot a three day clothing campaign for Box2, based on the island of Gozo. It's the kind of job that sounds idyllic — and it largely was — but location shoots abroad come with their own set of challenges that you don't get in a Northamptonshire field.
The location We shot at a villa on Gozo, which gave us a beautiful mix of environments — architecture, outdoor terraces, natural landscape. The kind of backdrop that immediately gives clothing a sense of place and lifestyle. Mediterranean light has a quality that's hard to replicate in a studio and when you work with it correctly the results are worth the trip.
The view getting off of the ferry when we arrived in Gozo The pool area of the villa, home to our three day shoot The background beyond the villa. This made for some amazing backdrops
The challenge Direct Mediterranean sun is brutal for photography. Harsh midday light creates unflattering shadows and blows out highlights in a way that's difficult to manage. Flying to Malta on a commercial flight means luggage allowances become a real constraint — you can't bring everything you'd want.
The solution was a combination of careful planning and smart kit choices. I used the Sun Seeker app to track the movement of the sun throughout the day, which allowed me to plan each location and shot around the best available light. For moments when the sun was directly overhead and unavoidable, I rigged up diffusion umbrellas on telescopic poles positioned directly above the models held by other members of the team. As the poles retract back into themselves and the umbrellas fold flat, the whole setup fit into my suitcase.
Where diffusion alone wasn't enough, I exposed for the background and used off camera flash to bring the light on the models back up to match. It's a technique that gives you full control over the final image even in the harshest conditions — the background retains its natural warmth and the models are lit cleanly without the shot looking artificial.
The model Danielle helping out by holding the diffusion umbrella for a few shots. Off camera flash was used to fill back in shadows when exposing for the bright background The camera was tethered into the laptop which was then sending live images straight to the ipad
Keeping the client in the loop I tethered throughout the shoot into my laptop, housed in a dedicated laptop shade to keep the screen visible in bright sunlight. The client received every image wirelessly on an iPad in real time, meaning they could sit comfortably in the shade or elsewhere and review shots as we went. No running back and forth, no guesswork.
The result Three days of strong, sun drenched lifestyle clothing imagery that genuinely looks like it was shot somewhere special. Because it was.
Final images showcasing various backdrops and outfits Final images showcasing various backdrops and outfits Final images showcasing various backdrops and outfits Final images showcasing various backdrops and outfits Final images showcasing various backdrops and outfits Final images showcasing various backdrops and outfits Final images showcasing various backdrops and outfits Final images showcasing various backdrops and outfits Final images showcasing various backdrops and outfits
Shooting on location in Malta was definitely one of of favourite shoots! If you're a clothing brand considering a location shoot abroad, get in touch at craig-harvey.co.uk.
Comments