As Cuba continues to make appearances on the 24-hour news cycle here in the United States, more and more American tourists and photographers are beginning to plan a trip to the island nation. I get emails, texts and Facebook messages constantly, asking me for advice on where to go and what to see. I will cover much of that information in the upcoming “Productions of the World“feature for Resource Magazine. But before I respond to their inquiries with specific locations, sites, and road trip ideas, I make sure to tell them that visiting Cuba isn’t about the dramatic looking buildings and vintage cars, but rather, it’s about the 11 million warm and friendly people that inhabit the island.
Before I left for my month-long adventure, I knew the typical photos that I would be chasing. Classic cars, dilapidated buildings, the waves crashing over the walls on the Malecón. But once I started meeting the people, they quickly became a much bigger part of the Cuban story that I was crafting in my head. I have been to many countries and ingrained myself in many cultures, but I have not met many people as warm, inviting and friendly as Cubans are.
I knew then that I needed to remember to look beyond the colorful surroundings and see the people that were in the center of them. And luckily, the people were interesting photography subjects and were always willing to have their photos taken. It also didn’t hurt that they had the most enchanting eyes I have ever seen. Male or female, young or old, Cubans have vibrant and captivating eyes which help add to the portraits and candid photos that I was taking.
A girl poses in the doorway near a restaurant on one of the quiet roads in Eastern Cuba. Photographed on a Tamron 35mm f/1.8 at 1/200, f/3.5.
For this trip, I took a number of Tamron lenses, with the intention of using the combination of prime 35mm &45mm f/1.8 for my portraits, but soon found myself using the 24-70 f/2.8 most often. The main reason for this was convenience and speed. In Cuba, life moves slow, but scenes move fast. To capture fleeting moments, I found that using the 24-70 f/2.8 was giving me great results as I was able to quickly adjust my focal length to frame the scene as I wanted but the results came with sharp details and smooth bokeh (background blur), which is important in a number of portrait situations. Having image stabilization didn’t hurt either for the lower light scenes inside of homes or in the late afternoon shadows.
A bar owner poses as the late afternoon sun sets through the window in Ciego De Avila. Photographed with a Tamron 45mm f/1.8 at 1/40 seconds and f/1.8.
For a month, I traveled by car across the entire country of Cuba with my friend Alain Lázaro Gutiérrez, from the postcard-worthy tobacco fields in Vinales to the swinging bridge over the tropical Rio Miel in the far eastern town of Baracoa. Sure, I photographed plenty of old cars and rugged buildings, but to me, the people were the real gem of Cuba. They made me feel as if I was always home, always welcome, and always a friend. And I am happy to say, the kind-hearted people I met will always have a lifelong friend in me. But just don’t be surprised if I insist on photographing those eyes.
Below is a collection of some of my favorite images of the people I met in Cuba.
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A tobacco farmer places leaves to be dried on the makeshift wooden drying racks in Vinales. Photographed on a Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 at 1/200 and f/3.5.
The local Santaria priest in Trinidad poses in front of his alter, located in the entry way of his home. Photographed on a Tamron 24-70mm, 1/125 seconds, f/2.8.
A man smiles out of his window in Baracoa. Photographed with a Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 at 1/100 and f/5.6.
A young vendor sells fruits on the road from Baracoa to Moa in the eastern Cuba. Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8. Photographed at 100mm, 1/200 seconds, f/5.6, ISO 200
A man sits in his car as John Lenon keeps a watchful eye at a Beatles-themed bar in Holguin. Photographed with a Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 at 1/400 and f/4.5.
Colorful fashion is not lost, even in the gritty industrial town of Moa in the north east. Photographed out of a moving car with a Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 at 1/1600 at f/5.
A young boy climbs the ladder to the roof of his family home on the road to Baracoa in Eastern Cuba. Photographed on a Tamron 24-70 f/28 at 1/640 at f/3.2.
Jose Luis Bos Rodriguez has turned his home into a baseball museum, celebrating the rich history of the sport in Cuba. Photographed with a Tamron 35mm f/1.8 at 1/40 seconds.
Lismarys takes in the tropical beaches that reside on the east coast of the island. This beach was located on the road bewteen Baracoa and Masai, the eastern most point in Cuba. Photographed with a Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 at 1/2500 and f/2.8.
Armando, otherwise known as the Cuban Chuck Norris, poses for a portrait in his backyard in the hills surrounding Baracoa. As a cacao farmer, Armando is never apart from his trusty machete, which is the same with most Cuban men in the east. Photographed with a Tamron 35mm f/1.8 at 1/80 and f/2.5.
The owner of the food cart El Bohemio packs up after a full day selling food on the streets of Ciefo De Avila. Photographed on a Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 at 1/80 seconds and f/2.8.
A girl fixes the chain on her bike in Holguin Cuba. She is smiling at the girls in the photo below. Photographed on a Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 at 1/640 and f/2.8.
Girls pose for a photo in a home in Holguin. Photographed with a Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 at 1/250, f/2.8.
The classic cars of Havana yield way to old school jeeps in the eastern Cuban city of Baracoa. This is Jurke taking us to the easternmost point in Cuba, Maisi. Photographed on a Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 at 1/4000 at f/2.8 to get sharp details in his hand while driving at 80km an hour.
A family poses in their front yard in the countryside just out of Trinidad. Photographed on a Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 at 1/640 and f/3.5.
A man rocks back in his chair while waiting for the day to pass by in Holguin. Photographed with a Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 at 1/640 and f/2.8.
A boy rests on his bike on the road between Baracoa and Moa. Photographed with a Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 at 1/6400 and f/2.8.
A man sits on his bike in the early morning hours in Sancti Spiritus. Photographed with a Tamron 70-200 at 1/80 and f/5.
A man gets his haircut in a barber shop in Sancti Spiritus as a waiting customer stands outside. This photo has haunted me since I took it, as I wish I had taken more variations, including making the man outside in focus and blurring the barber shop, or shooting at f/8 and getting everything in focus. I still like it though, and think it tells the story. Photographed with a Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 at 1/30 and f/5.6.
A young girl peers out of her blinds in the city of Trinidad. Tamron 24-70mm, 1/60 second, f/4.5
A girl peers out of her family vehicle in Holguin. Photographed with a Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 at 1/1250 and f/4.5.
Alex smokes a cigarette as he talks to his neighbor before leaving to work as a taxi driver in Holguin. Photographed with a Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 at 1/200 and f/5.6.
Created in partnership with Tamron
4 comments
Beautiful stuff, and I wholeheartedly agree that the beauty of the country is the people. It’s a much more modern country in mind than in appearance. I can’t wait to see some of the video.
Thank you for the kind words Kevin. Miss you buddy!
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