In the golden light of sunset on the Malecon, as the waves crashed against the shorebreak, a man ran across the busy highway, his shadow falling across the pavement, tracing the outline of his energetic stride. I had my camera raised- waiting for a moment like this to pass, and I fired off a quick burst of frames. I was happy to catch this moment, and I showed my friend on the back of my camera. “Lucky shot!” he said.
It’s often said that luck is where preparation meets opportunity, and in Havana, Cuba, the opportunities for street photography are overwhelmingly abundant. That only leaves the preparation to complete the formula, and with my bag full of Sony Alpha gear, there were plenty more lucky moments.
Due to its unique geopolitical situation, Cuba is a place with no parallel. Largely isolated from the decades of globalization and American influence, the country is like a visual time capsule that opens itself to you when you visit. Politics aside, to walk through these streets is to be immersed in a world of color and light, a swirl of vibrant human energy. Through open windows you see vignettes of life, with a story in every scene.
A common complaint of veteran street photographers is that our addiction to smartphones has made the world a less interesting place to photograph. After spending a week in Cuba, where this societal shift hasn’t yet taken complete hold, I understand the criticism. In these streets, people have their heads up, ready and willing to engage with the world and the people around them. In New York, every free moment is filled with one app or another. Shooting street photography in Cuba gave me a glimpse into a different era, the theatre and drama of the world as it may have looked to the great street photographers of the past that I draw upon for inspiration.
Being in such an environment was invigorating. I used a variety of approaches to try to get the best frames, learning from the experience as I went and making small adjustments. My main body for the trip was the Sony A7RII, which allowed me an incredible amount of leeway for cropping and dynamic range. I found that the Sony G-Master 70-200 f/2.8 was a great lens for the streets of Havana- at 70 I could make intimate street portraits, and get close enough to conversate with the locals- and at 200 I could take advantage of the compression of telephoto, fitting long streets full of the energy of this stunning city into a single frame. For a wider option, I also carried my Sony 24-70 f/2.8, which allowed for nice panning shots of the vintage cars and vanishing point perspectives of long and cluttered alleyways. Lastly, the adaptability of the Alpha system allowed me to use some of my favorite legacy glass for street photography and posed portraits.
Perhaps the most helpful aspect of our trip to Cuba was the comradery and support of the team we assembled to create Through the Lens Cuba. Sharing lenses, ideas, cameras, inspiration, encouragement, jokes, heartfelt moments- all of this created an environment that was extremely supportive- putting us all in a mental space where we could focus on making the best work possible.
I took nearly 5,000 pictures over the course of the week, and time flew by faster than I have ever previously perceived. As a street photographer, I think even a lifetime would not be enough to capture this country in its entirety. Usually, after a long trip of twelve hour shoot days, I’m ready for a return to the comforts of home. This time I wasn’t ready to leave, and I’m already eager to get back, to wander the welcoming streets, meet more locals, and re-approach the work with an even deeper understanding.
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