Robert Caplin: Cuban Life

© 2009 Robert Caplin-All Rights Reserved
I came across Robert Caplin's work through a recent interview published in The New York Times' Frugal Traveler. Moving from this interview to his website, I immediately saw that much of his work was typically that of a quintessential travel photographer.

Caplin started out in Athens, Ohio, with a Nikon N50 film camera, but subsequently moved over to Canon, currently crams his expensive gear into a cheap bag and is enamored of one of the least sophisticated cameras on the market today: the iPhone.

He is also a full-time freelance editorial, corporate and portrait photographer based in New York City, and works regularly with The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg News, and has also been published in the National Geographic.

It's been a while that this blog hasn't seen work from Cuba, and Caplin's lovely work on Cuban Life fills this gap. Drop by and it will transport you to the streets of Havana. If only there was an audio track of Cuban Son!!!

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Landon Nordeman: The Sugar Train (Cuba)

The Atlantic magazine recently featured this slideshow (they call it video) of photographs by Landon Nordeman during a train journey in Cuba.

It's accompanied by an evocatively written article by Michael Scott Moore titled The 12:39 To Matanzas, which I enjoyed. However, I can't say the same of the slideshow. Clearly cobbled together by someone with an inordinate affection for panning and camera movements, I don't think I've seen a single frame in the slideshow (or video) that doesn't have the annoying pan from one side to the other, or going from one direction to the other, without a real reason for the movement.

I always start off my multimedia classes and workshops by telling participants to keep their projects simple, and to use effects sparingly, and only when it's absolutely required to underscore a visual point. In fact, I'll use this slideshow to demonstrate to my future classes what not to do. As to the use of a sound track from a Buena Vista Club album, ambient sound recorded in the train, peoples' voices, perhaps an impromptu song by a passenger...would have helped turn this feature around. Heck, what about the guy with the accordion in the train?

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Washington Post: Travel Photo Contest 2007

Image Copyright © Eleanor Kaufman-All Rights Reserved
The results of the Washington Post's Travel Photo contest was published on its website, and features about a dozen interesting photographs submitted by its readers and others. I liked the one of a fedora-topped man, riding a bicycle in Baracoa, Cuba. The orange background accentuates the man's image and emanates warmth. I also like the angle...some may view it as an uncomfortable viewpoint, but I think the unusual angle adds a lot to the photograph.

The photograph was made by Eleanor Kaufman of Washington.

The Washington Post's Travel Photo Contest 2007. Registration may be required.

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LA Times: A Step Back In Time, Cuba

Gail Fisher for The Los Angeles Times-All Rights Reserved
Here's another multimedia feature from The Los Angeles Times. This one is on Cuba, and the photographs and narration are by Gail Fisher, who's the Senior Photo Editor for the newspaper.

Gail has spent the past twenty years of her career traveling extensively throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, South and Central America covering social issues, and has won numerous awards.

I expected much more from such a renowned photographer/editor, but the feature verges on a 'ho-hum' collection of photographs of Cuba that any photographer without Gail's experience and access could have easily captured. A few photographs stand out (like the one above), but the large majority are pedestrian. Although Cuba receives over 2,000,000 tourists a year, only 40,000 are from the United States and are generally not tourists but journalists and human rights staff, so who is the target of this consumer-oriented travel feature...our Canadian neighbors?

As Gail says, Cuba has a legendary mystique which makes it a great tourist destination. Yes, we know and most of us want to go! As I wrote in an earlier post, how can anyone justify political isolation, impose economic sanctions and literally prevent its citizens to visit this enchanting island because of trumped up political ideology is beyond comprehension.

Here's Gail Fisher's A Step Back In Time, Cuba

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Beyond The Frame: El Fotografo Habanero

El Fotografo Habanero- Image Copyright © Tewfic El-Sawy
A few years ago, I experienced the pleasure of spending almost two weeks in Old Havana (or La Habana Vieja, as the locals call it) for a workshop designed to improve my then non-existing skills in street photography. The workshop was taught by the Magnum legend, Costas Manos, who immediately made me realize that a travel photographer does not necessarily make a street photographer.

Setting this possible truism aside, I haunted the streets of Old Havana and photographed virtually anything that fit, to my eyes at least, the street photography parameters that were given to me by Costas. Naturally, to find a scene in which the protagonists did not look at me (one of Costas strict directives) was somewhat difficult in Old Havana, where it's hard for tourists for blend in.

Notwithstanding, I persevered and got to a point where I generated acceptable street photography results. This one (though not a 'street' photograph) of the Habanero photographer was taken near the steps of the Gran Teatro de la Habana. The fellow had a tidy little business going, photographimg tourists with his antique pin-hole camera, dropping the 4 x 3 negatives in a bucket-full of some sort of unusual developer solution. He went along his business with a cigarette dangling from his lips, and a world-weary look on his face. I tried to engage him in my uneven Spanish, but he was wasn't interested in small talk. All he cared about was the $2 he charged me. I hope he's still there...fussing about with his camera and bucket.

I toned the image to approximate the vintage photographs which I saw in the windows of portrait photographers in Havana.

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Lorenzo Moscia: Havana

Image Copyright © Lorenzo Moscia
Lorenzo Moscia is an Italian photographer living in Santiago de Chile. His flash-based website is a trove of amazing photographs from various countries such as Cuba, Chile, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia and even Zanzibar.

I recommend his galleries of Havana (his website has two of those) to readers of TTP. Although one may think that Havana has been overdone from a photographic standpoint, Lorenzo's images reflect the naked reality of how Habaneros live their lives in their wonderful city, despite the hardships, the dearth of necessities, and difficulties. His use of color, composition, the personality of his subjects, choice of the 'decisive' moment, all contribute to masterful work.

As I said, there are two galleries for Havana on Lorenzo's website...one is older than the other, and both have images that are breathtaking. For example, in the 'older' Havana gallery, my very favorite is image #003 of a man plopped on a mattress...a mattress supported by a pile of bricks. He's presumably watching television (unseen in the photograph), but an antique small electric fan is blowing air in his face.

And how about the one above this post; a woman cleaning a plateful of uncooked rice, watched by a child? How well this image tells the story! Personally, this image resonates. While growing up, I watched our family's cook do exactly the same thing.

Having visited Havana for a photography workshop, I can attest to the Cubans' spirit, creativity, generosity and kindness. How can anyone justify political isolation and impose economic sanctions on their own kin (or on anyone, for that matter) is beyond comprehension.

My hat is off to Lorenzo for his talents and sensitivity.

Lorenzo Moscia's website

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David Alan Harvey: Havana

Image Copyright David Alan Harvey/Magnum
David Alan Harvey is a legend among photojournalists. Here's what Dirck Halstead, of the Digital Journalist says about him: "David is a photojournalist's photojournalist. His work is in the tradition of Henri Cartier-Bresson and W. Eugene Smith. He never uses a press card or long lens. He never stands behind ropes at a "photo op." He tends to use a single Leica body with either a 35mm or 50mm lens. He has the eye of painter and the soul of a poet. He is the kind of photographer I would like to be."

For the past 15 years, David has assembled an incredible body of work on Hispanic culture. Sponsored by his agency, Magnum Photos, and National Geographic, he has documented the Mayan culture, the trail of the conquistadors, Chile, Honduras, Belize and Spain. He developed a love affair with Cuba. In his words, it was "a love mixed with frustration, fear, passion, and paranoia...I was drawn to the ballet of street photography. I hung out with Cubans, listened to their music, drank with them, danced and ate with them. I visited schools and science labs. I rode buses, lived with the families, went to church, and in general, soaked it all up. I lived it, felt it, and photographed it."

His images are full of life and vivacity...and the gallery has Real Audio snippets with David's commentary. By the way, his 17th image on the gallery is of Adelaide and Wilki...these two photogenic Cubans were fixtures in Old Havana, dancing exuberantly for tourists and photographers. I met them in Havana in 2000 and have photographs of them...one of which is on my Havana gallery (a gallery which is in dire need of being reworked on).

David Alan Harvey's gallery on Cuba, and above excerpts come courtesy of the Digital Journalist. It's been a while that this gallery has been published...and it shows. I would freshen it up by converting it into a Flash slideshow, perhaps adding a pulsating Ibrahim Ferrer track to the Havana images, and traditional son with the rest. Along with David's narrative, it'd be wonderful. Notwithstanding, the images are timeless.

David Alan Harvey's Cuban Soul

I haven't met David, but through his recently published blog, I can tell that he's indeed one of a kind. His desire to help young emerging photographers and his generosity stand out in an industry that is frequently selfish and egoistical. My hat's off to David Alan Harvey.

David Alan Harvey's Blog

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The Jews of Cuba

The Travel section of this week's New York Times carries a short slideshow on the Jewish community in Havana. It's a far cry from the bustling community of pre-Castro's era, but the small number of the remaining Cuban Jews keep their traditions and culture alive. The photographs are by Sven Creutzmann, a Polaris photographer.

I visited Havana for an accredited street photography workshop in 2000, and recall the Jewish synagogue in Havana Vieja, which was unfortunately closed at the time of day I visited. Havana and its wonderful people offer such a wealth of photographic opportunities, and I am impatient to be able to revisit (legally) the island. It's an absolute outrage that US citizens are restricted from legally visiting Cuba, and seeing the number of potential British tourists swarming all over the stall of the Cuban Tourism Board at yesterday's Travel Show was really galling.

Here's New York Times':
The Jews of Cuba

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