Spending a week photographing a WWII-focused tour in Malta with historians James Holland and Mike Peters, hosted by Tripsmiths, feels like being embedded in a living documentary. Each day blends Mediterranean colour with wartime echoes: honey-coloured fortifications glowing in early sunlight, the hum of Valletta’s streets, and the ever-present sense that this small island once stood at the centre of a colossal struggle. From the moment the tour begins, you’re moving through spaces where history with the stories etched into stone.
James and Mike brought the island’s past alive with an infectious energy. As you frame your shots, you catch James gesturing animatedly beside a blasted-out fortification or Mike tracing the arc of an air raid with the sweep of his hand. Their explanations become part of the rhythm of my photography: moments of intense storytelling under the Grand Harbour’s walls at the Lascari War Rooms, dynamic descriptions of Alex Mackie’s tragic last flight in his Hurricane and the search for the Spitfire cannons still embedded in the rocky fields of the Island Photographing the tour isn’t merely documenting James & Mike at work, it’s capturing the emotion of experts reconnecting the tour guests with the drama of Malta’s siege.
Tripsmiths rounds out the experience with seamless organisation and a sense of camaraderie among the group. Each day ends with shared meals, warm light fading over the sea. By the end, I hadn’t just photographed a tour, lifelong friends were made along with a visual record of a journey through one of WWII’s most extraordinary battlegrounds, shaped by the knowledge, enthusiasm, and companionship of those who know it best.
SPIRIT OF HISTORY TOUR
