Young Girl + Shoes, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, Summer 2014

She is familiar face to many of us, here having some fun on the beach in clothes loaned to us by a Cuban designer. This was her first time being photographed in such a way, and she spent the prior evening preparing her hair for the event.

Hers could have been that one portrait in the street, with her clear eyes and wild hair next to an old American car parked in front of a dilapidated building. While I certainly have sincere appreciation for such imagery, concentrating on the individual rather than the environment has always hit me more so.

She had always wanted to be a model and here she was on the beach, in clothing prepared in person for her by a well-known designer. She was living out one of her dreams, albeit for one afternoon, yet living out one of her dreams in front of the lens. The feeling of being able to document this moment cannot be described effectively through words alone. Her smile will surely do more justice.

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Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination onto Fuji Neopan Acros 100 ISO film.

Model + Beach, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, Summer of 2014

A day in the darkroom made me want to post something a bit brighter. What is almost unimaginable for me is that this image was made six months ago, in a place worlds apart from here. Yet it was made in the same time zone, less than four hours flight from this very spot!

This was her first time with me, after meeting at my friend's school for modeling. She and a few others displayed serious interest in the idea of doing something different, and she sat less than a few feet away with the most serious, curious gaze as we spoke. She loved the idea of the abstract, and producing work outside of her usual circles. She was at the time of this session the most popular model in Havana, evidenced once she slipped this dress on and stepped in front of the lens. 

Wearing shorts and sitting down in the water alongside her was magical, felt like one with her. The beach has come to represent endless possibilities to me, just as it does to the Cubans.

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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M2, mounted adjacent to and exposing at the very moment with a Hasselblad analog system.

Man + Cart, Artemisa, Cuba, Summer of 2014

This man passed to my left as we were photographing three models from this town, as Alejandro warned me to move aside. Gladly film was loaded and four exposures were made as he moved down the path. One minute a young woman is in front of the lens, the very next her neighbor is passing us by on a cart. This is the beauty of the island, so very authentic.

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Note: This frame was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination onto Fuji Neopan Acros 100 ISO film.

Dancer + Name in Sand, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, Summer of 2014

One day after we finished with the photography on the beach, we went ahead and jumped into the water for some fun. The girls spent their time building sand castles and collecting shells. I picked up the camera and took to documenting their activities.

The girls were scribbling their names on the sand when one of them decided to write my name as well. She did so with the sweetest of smiles, and unlike countless others, spelled my name perfectly. To have this moment on film is priceless, so glad the new camera was along for the ride! 

This is the young spirit responsible for writing my name in the sand, a most exquisite, young girl!

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The Magnificent One + Sugar Cane Field, Guanabacoa, Cuba, Summer of 2014

Essentially perfect she is, without need for further description. The reality however is that few outside of the island know her, yet she blesses us with her gift through these images. In this series she moves from one expression to another in a matter of seconds in an effortless manner. This is her sixth year with me, and in six months she will once again appear in front of my camera to perform.

Last summer she would have come with us every single day given the chance, and at least 100 rolls of film were dedicated to her alone over my two month stay. From the beaches of Santa Maria del Mar to my friend's farm, we worked together to produce a series of images most remarkable due to her talent, mind and heart.

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Note: These exposures were made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination onto Fuji Neopan Acros 100 ISO film.

Dancer + Friend, Three Images Over Six Years, Cuba, 2006 - 2014

Over a span of six years we have collaborated. She was nine years old then, photographed as she stood in front of her school of dance. She was the second to allow me her portrait that morning, in front of a hundred or so friends and parents as they waited to enter the building for their classes.

My time with her has taught me that she is a beautifully complex, young woman. With her friends she is outgoing, with us she is less so… yet in a most gentle manner. She accepts to be photographed every single time, and asks about the other girls from that first day. She loves the color black, and paints her fingernails so for us sometimes.

A few years after her first photograph she wondered if we would still photograph her once finished with dance. The expression on her face made me want to photograph her even more so. She is now perhaps sixteen years old, and I wonder how she feels about this project. This summer I will ask her this question, and can only hope for the best. My gut instinct is that she will smile like in that first photograph, and make any doubts disappear for good.

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Note: These images were made with a Hasselblad V System, onto Fuji Neopan Acros 100 ISO film.

Young Girl + Four Years Later, San Miguel del Padron, La Habana, Cuba, Summer of 2014

She is now fourteen years old, and four years into our collaboration. Unlike most her age, she looks forward to her quinceañera in a very different way. She wants nothing to do with the fancy dresses and the almost-nude images common to this event photographically. She would love a book of her portraits since we began, representing the five years up to and including her fifteenth year.

She loves the monochrome image, never asks for color. She has very few friends and would rather spend time with her mother and grandmother. Never to be caught hanging out in the streets, she plays with the computer at home and listens to her music all of the time. The entire neighborhood knows about our visits, and looks at us as we pull up to her house. They know that a photographer comes specifically for this mysterious girl in their midst, and acknowledge us with respect.

Up until this year, I never knew this last part, thought our work was unknown to the neighborhood since we did our work far away as per her family. This past summer her mother told me that everyone was aware, thus the looks of curiosity as we roll down the street to and from her home. It made me feel quite good actually, that our collaboration is seen in such a positive manner.

Her neighborhood is one of the toughest in Havana, and most of my Cuban friends are surprised that we work with families living there. They themselves have very little to do with it, yet to me the people in this neighborhood are like the people in all other neighborhoods… with a rainbow of reactions to the photography. We give them the benefit of the doubt and receive the same in return.

I wonder how she will be this summer, as she turns fifteen and perhaps sees the photography differently. She has already changed so much and while I will be very happy regardless of how she reacts to being photographed, I will sincerely miss her should she choose to move on. I have learned to accept such with others, but know that in her case the acceptance will be much more difficult to attain. We shall see!

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Note: This portrait was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180mm combination onto Fuji Neopan Acros 100 ISO film.

Student + Schools for Girls, Humana People to People India, Banganga, Rajasthan, India, November of 2014

As the new year begins girls in Haryana and Rajasthan are enjoying a second term under the guidance of Humana People to People India. This young girl is one bright example, and attends classes along with her friends under the guidance of a teacher from her own village.

In a social experiment, we are looking for six groups of six people in order to fund these six schools. The idea is for six to respond to this call, and for each to find five friends to fund a single school. The monthly installment for each person would be $20, and the schools would be funded for as long as the group is willing to continue.
People have always asked me: 'What can I do?'

I hope that this social experiment provides answers to those interested in this work. In return each person would receive a silver gelatin print (traditional darkroom method) of a student from the schools. A win-win for all!

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Model + Dirt Road, Artemisa, Cuba, Summer of 2014

This is what happens when the documentary approach intertwines with the fashion aspiration of the person being documented. This young woman and her friends live in Artemisa, Cuba. They used to attend a school for models hosted by our dear friend from the capital. Since the school has closed they have remained in contact with us and have shown a genuine desire to continue with our collaboration.

We found the path below an hour or so before we met with the group. Because Artemisa was the scene for the July 26th celebrations this year, our access to locations within the city was even more limited. The young women were surprised when we shared this location with them, but were so happy to have such privacy and serenity during the photography.

They brought three changes of clothes each, and two changed while one was in front of the lens. This young woman's twin was also photographed on the same day, and the twins were a singing duo on the island as well. Toward the end of the afternoon they played their music for us while we put our equipment away. To be with such wonderful people, in the countryside, listening to pop music while putting our stuff away into our mid-century cars was an experience to remember.

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Man + Baby, Rooftop, La Habana, Cuba, Summer of 2014

A portrait of youth is perhaps appropriate as the new year begins. This image was made as we were photographing a pair of familiar faces on the rooftop of their home. This young man was standing nearby and accepted my invitation to be photographed. All of a sudden he was carrying this baby and it all seemed so natural. They posed for four exposures, then he was photographed on his own.

Such is photography in Cuba, as people in general embrace the idea and even more importantly present their own creative thoughts. This makes long-term collaborations from chance meetings possible, as was the case with this image.

One day when visiting a young woman already involved in our work, a young girl was walking down the stairs and thanked me for stepping aside. I was taken back and asked about her to my friend's mother. She smiled and immediately knew which girl from the building she was, because of the physical description but even more so because of her manners.

A day or so later we received the good news that she had talked to her parents and that they agreed to allow us her portrait. This is the background to the image seen here, and the little girl's portrait will be shared soon.

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