Cubano, Campo, cuba, 2018

Lo sorprendente de este país es que en la mañana podríamos estar en la ciudad con los bailarines más talentosos y luego en la tarde con la gente noble del campo.

En este retrato hay un hombre amable que se detuvo por un minuto para permitir que se hiciera su retrato. Como no teníamos nada planeado para la tarde, decidimos salir de la ciudad. Buscábamos personas que trabajaran con sus manos y encontramos a este hombre con su caballo.

Hablamos unos minutos y él accedió a ser fotografiado. La cámara estaba en el asiento trasero, lista para usar. Lo instalamos y rápidamente hicimos su retrato, para que él pudiera ir y alimentar a su caballo con la hierba que acababa de cortar.

Estos son los momentos mágicos para mí, tanto por la hora como por la memoria.

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Cuban, Countryside, Cuba, 2018

What is amazing about this country is that in the morning we could be in the city with the most talented dancers and then in the afternoon with the noble people of the countryside.

In this portrait is a gentle man who stopped for a minute to allow his portrait to be made. Since we had nothing planned for the afternoon we decided to drive out of the city. We were looking for people working with their hands, and found this man with his horse.

We spoke for a few minutes and he agreed to be photographed. The camera was in the back seat, ready to use. We set it up and quickly made his portrait, so that he could go and feed his horse with the grass he had just cut.

These are the magical moments for me, both because of the hour and also because of the memory.

Campesino + Machete, Matanzas, Cuba, 2014

This year especially Alejandro and I will be heading out into the countryside, certainly to put as much space between us and the wave of tourists certain to flood the capital this summer. We will however search for that timeless face of the island, more prevalent in the countryside than anywhere else.

Driving into the countryside with Alejandro is so rewarding. We chat the entire time, we stop whenever we like for something to eat, we drive up dead-end paths looking for that illusive face and meet workers on the sides of the roads all of the time.

This was the case when we met this man, as we were heading deep into Matanzas. Alejandro noticed a coal farm to our left and we decided to enter. The men were working at the time, and directed us to the boss for permission. The boss happened to be a woman, and after a few minutes of conversation she allowed me to photograph the men.

The sun was high, so we decided to make abstract portraits and images rather than the directly lit portraits. These two images were the result of the encounter, and have taught me much about using whatever light is available to tell the story.

The man was great, and allowed me to both make his portrait and his hand up in the air with perhaps the most iconic symbol of the countryside on the island. Whenever a Cuban seems these images, the first thing they say is 'Cuban!'

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

Guajiro + Blade, Countryside, Cuba, 2014

As we went further into the countryside we found more and more chances to mingle with the farmers and the workers. Having such a chance here would  be near impossible, with everyone so busy and focused on their routine.

Now of course these men are also focused on their routine, but on the island it just seems different. For example, when we chanced upon this charcoal farm and drove up to the workers, they looked at us with curiosity and open minds. Here was this stranger walking around the property with his camera, and rather than asking me to leave, they asked about the work and were even open to being photographed in between their tasks.

So when it came time to photograph this exquisite man, the sun was high and we chose to make more abstract images. He accepted this vision without hesitation, and helped me create images reminiscent of the images made during the Soviet era, placing the worker on a pedestal photographically speaking.

In one image, he raised his hand with blade to the sky and made me pause while exposing the negative.

Cuba is an incredible place, where ballerinas and campesinos are on equal footing in my work. I cannot wait to return in four months, and go much further into the countryside. In the mornings we will take ballerinas to the beach, have a meal with the families and then head out for an afternoon of photography with the guajiros!

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

Guajiro + Machete, Countryside, Cuba, Summer of 2014

When we decided to leave Havana for the countryside, we were taking a serious chance. In the city the faces were everywhere, and represented the entire island. Working in the countryside meant that we would need to drive greater distances in between photographs, while being guaranteed nothing.

We decided to take that chance and ran across this man and his comrades clearing a field. It was a matter of a simple question and then we were immediately allowed to photograph as they worked. The spontaneity of the countryside meant that my work would take on an entirely new approach, and one which has me very excited to return.

This meant wide angle lenses rather than the portrait ones, lower angles rather than face to face, inclusion of the environment rather than exclusion and so on. It's never too late to adapt it seems! 

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Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/50 mm FLE combination onto Fuji Neopan Acros 100 ISO film.