'Orígenes' por Rapé, 2017

Otro motivo de extrañar mis veranos en Cuba es este gran artista, el responsable de esta imagen. Además de hacer el papel a mano, grabar cada detalle con cuidado ... este artista se dedica al cultivo del tabaco y su influencia en la cultura de la isla. 

Los sábados suele sentarse con su hija en la principal avenida del arte de La Habana, Paseo del Prado. Uno de mis recuerdos favoritos es el tiempo que pasé con este increíble artista, ya que hablamos de arte y de la vida en general. ¡Han pasado tres años desde que vi su trabajo, y espero llevarme a casa algunas de sus creaciones más nuevas el próximo año! 

'Orígenes' por Rapé, 2017

Etsy 

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Jessica y Juan Alberto, Las Canchas, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 2018

No es necesario escribir en exceso para describir esta imagen, su pasión necesita poca descripción. Hace dos años fue un honor documentar sus increíbles talentos, y estoy agradecido con nuestro colega Tamy por habernos reunido a todos esa hermosa mañana.

Extraño a estas tres personas hermosas, y extraño este espacio increíble. Al llegar por la mañana gracias a Idiovel, la paz que nos recibe en este espacio es inolvidable. La hierba suele estar húmeda después de una noche fresca, y pronto se secará con el sol naciente.

Hemos tenido muchas sesiones aquí, y todas son especiales para mí. Este me recuerda que necesito regresar pronto a la isla y documentar a mi hermosa familia cubana. 

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Anyel + Gysleda + EGOS, Havana, Cuba, Summer of 2017

Last summer was a difficult one in Cuba, but one bright spot was my collaboration with Gysleda and her wonderful school for modeling EGOS. While in the past it has been an incredible source of creativity, this past summer our collaborative efforts went even further.

One such example of such creativity is a young woman named Anyel. She has taken part in EGOS for a few years now, as well as in my photography. Her ability to transform in front of the lens is exceptional, and she presents herself with genuine humility. When asked to be photographed she embraces the opportunity.

On a few occasions last summer Gysleda asked me to photograph a group of models in the streets of Havana. We would meet at the school and then head out into the streets. Walking around with a dozen beautiful spirits was quite the experience, as it was the first time I saw tourists put their phones down and actually look at Cubans.

So we walked around looking for good light, and interesting backgrounds. When we found both we'd stop and all would gather around. Gysleda certainly had the vision regarding presentation and guided each model accordingly. Anyel needed very little guidance and was more than aware of herself in such a public space. She knew to look slightly up to allow the light to gently illuminate her exquisite features, a true delight with whom to work.

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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Model + Wall, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 2016

Model + Wall, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 2016

We met this young woman at Gysleda's school for modeling, and invited her to be photographed one day. She and her father were very generous, allowing us to have a conversation prior to our session and confirm the clothing, theme and so on. 

Unfortunately the weather was less cooperative, cloudy the entire time. She was more than understanding however, and we had a bit of fun with the digital camera nonetheless. She wore the stylings of Yudel for a few images, including this one.

Her father and Alejandro had a good time talking while we made some images, and all of us returned home looking forward to another day. My hope is that this year she will still be at the school and that we can have another chance to make truly magnificent images for her and her family.

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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Primavera by Rafael San Juan, La Habana, Cuba, Summer of 2015

As I was researching the story behind this sculpture, I ran across an incredible article through Arte Por Excelencias and have included it below. The piece is located in front of the hotel we used during our early visits, the Hotel Deauville. 

This past summer was my first viewing of this incredible face, and it took my breath away truly as few sculptures have done. With Alejandro's help, we arrived to the hotel around 9:30 and waited until the sun cleared the top of the hotel and gently touched her face. The image was difficult to make, because of the adjacent buildings and the strong angle of the sun.

So here she is, 'Primavera' by Rafael San Juan.

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Article in Arte Por Excelencias:

A huge woman face looks to the sea from Havana’s Malecón and its creator, Cuban sculptor Rafael San Juan, announced that he was inspired by the movements and spirit of Cuban ballet dancer Viengsay Valdés. 

Seven months ago, the first dancer of the Cuban National Ballet, helped him to define the pose and form of the neck of Primavera (Spring), as he baptized the eight-meter high sculpture built with recycled steel that is being exhibited during the 12th Havana Biennial. 

To study Valdes’ movement transmitted the spirit of the piece and then, the explanation she gave me about her idea of the Cuban women captivated me. One of her suggestions was that it won’t look down, because women here are strong; they face work, problems, told San Juan to Prensa Latina. 

Due to this suggestion made by the famous dancer, the sculptor assures that although Primavera doesn’t reflect a specific face, but the conjunction of many, the sculpture spirit comes from Valdés, restless worker and admirable Cuban woman. 

The observation and exchange with several dancers form that company made San Juan to enhance his vision about the muscular movement however he has long been interested in the human body anatomy and remembered that when he was 18 years old, while accomplishing his military service, he asked a permission to enter the cemetery and to hold a human skull. Workers there were going to throw away many human remains into a common grave and when they knew about his unusual interest, encouraged him to take the whole bones of a human body that he keeps in his house under the name of Hector. To be able to set that skeleton he requested advice in a Medical School faculty and due to his interest in the subject he was finally accepted in a human body anatomy post-graduate course. That relation with the academy later made possible for him to use human bones and organs for his arts exhibits. 

He studied at the prestigious San Alejandro National Art School and during the 90s was a stage designer for theatre plays like Electra by Teatro la luna Company and Fabio, La tempestad and Terriblemente inocente by Cuban Contemporary Dance Company. 

He considered that staging design helped him to look things from a monumental perspective and favored his decision to work with great format pieces. 

In 2002, San Juan traveled to Mexico to design the Cuban pavilion in a literary fair and there he built his first giant piece, a face of the Cuban national hero Jose Marti with books that were given to the children on the last day of the event. 

That was the artist starting point, who at present exhibits monumental steel sculptures of feet, hands and faces in public places in the United States and Mexico—five women faces at Central Park in Guadalajara, representing each continent. 

Woman is a constant in his faces, because Rafael sees that genre as a starting point of beauty, however in the case of the hands, he prefers to represent men’s hands due to the expressivity of the effect of work seen through the hard skin. 

Last Biennial, San Juan created the piece Contención, made by human organs in formol recipients, all of which were provided by the Faculty of Medicine, the help of which was also essential in the next event to set 99 real skeletons installation entitled La muerte es un proyecto. 

Primavera is the first monumental sculpture the artist can present his country with and once the 12th Biennial concludes he will donate the piece to the City Historian Office which has supported him in this effort. The piece, located in the corner of popular streets Malecón and Galeano, is a tribute to the Cuban woman: a bunch of mariposas (butterfly flower), the Cuban national flower, decorates the sculpture’s hair.

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Ballerina + Sea, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 2014

Then we have this incredible setting, and the most perfect light. Just as we can depend on clouds forming in the afternoon on the island, we can almost depend on having the most exquisite light in the morning. While it is frustrating at times depending on the weather, it does make the photographs the much more meaningful.

So when we arrive at the beach and see clear skies and serene waters, we pinch ourselves. This young dancer has blossomed during our time with her family, and has now become one of our 'veterans' barely out of her single digits. She goes from one position to another without reservation, and almost always says 'yes' to our collaborations.

Her family lives in the city, and we pick them up thanks to Alejandro an hour before sunrise. She is always perfectly ready, and a professional in every way. She is still of course a young girl, and loves to get into the water whenever she gets the chance such as in this image. The camera purchases specifically for this image has allowed me to do the same, and come home with images almost impossible to make only a few years ago.

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Note: This image was made with a Fuji GA645Wi onto Fuji Neopan Acros 100 ISO film. 

Two Ballerinas + Sea, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 2014

Last year we presented Costumes for Ballerinas in Cuba and so many generous spirits responded, making this past summer a most successful campaign. Each dancer was able to receive at least four leotards, two skirts, slippers and a few accessories. The girls of course left the tags on all of the items, so proud of the effect their images had produced on the viewers.

Just as they had moved the viewers of the images, they inspired me to always do better for them. This included a new concept: following them into the water with the camera. Being that the Hasselblad does poorly near water, it seemed that we needed another solution, thus the purchase of a new camera system, the Fuji GA645 family of cameras.

This allowed me to enter the water with the girls, to enjoy the coolness of the sea and the warmth of the sun at the same time. The girls, while of course enjoying themselves, were truly veterans of this collaboration and allowed themselves to be photographed as well. They were the consummate professionals at barely into their teens and some just out of the single digits. They knew when they were being watched, and took their positions perfectly without direction from me.

This image is in honor of my two dear friends, Angelo and David. We had an incredible dinner this evening at Ayman's Algebra Teahouse, taking us back to the days we used to hang out and dream photographically a decade or so ago. We shared stories, exchanged photographs and made plans for next month to do more of the same. I greatly admire each of these good men, and share this image as gratitude for the chance to reconnect.

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Note: This image was made with a Fuji GA645Wi onto Fuji Neopan Acros 100 ISO.

Neighbor + Rooftop, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, Summer of 2014

One evening in my friend's apartment this young girl happened to be there, playing games with my friend's daughter. She paused for a second, then continued to play. My friend noticed my reaction and knew, right there and then, that we'd have to include her in our photography.

So we asked her mother and she immediately granted us permission to do so. We arranged an afternoon for the girls on the rooftop of my friend's building. We had perfect access to the sun, and an apartment in which the girls could change. My friend's wife also volunteered to do their hair, and she was perfectly suited to the task. She loved the girls and took immense pleasure in playing with their hair.

Although I have written it many times, the truth is that these girls impress me deeply with their presence in front of a lens. They produce the most incredible expressions and rival the best models in my work… who by the way express interest to be included in my work because of these very girls. As models, they realize the difficulty in attaining such comfort levels and know the rarity of such honesty in portraiture.

These girls after all are being photographed without props, designer clothes and a team of stylists. They are being placed in front of a camera without preparation. Yet they are completely in charge, as I do nothing more than make sure the settings on the camera are correct. In less than four weeks I will see her and her family, and look forward to possibly taking them to the beach for a session!

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Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination, with natural light only.

Anais + Beach, La Habana del Este, Cuba, August 5, 2013

Just last night I spoke with her Mother and her Brother, a bit surreal considering that most from my work seem worlds away until I visit them. We talked for ten minutes, I heard her voice in the background and was content just to know that they were thinking of our collaboration even in my absence.

Here she is in the water with her full ballet outfit, giving it her all like the truest of professionals. This young girl never quits, and always puts herself second to the work... has my sincerest respect and appreciation. She is quite aware that the work is second to her in my mind, but gives 110% regardless. I love and admire her.

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

Camila y Leandro, Estadio Panamericano, Cuba, Morning of July 26, 2012

I receive a call the night before to confirm this morning's session, a reflection of the professionalism inherent in these two individuals. We arrive at their apartment before the sun is up and they are ready within ten minutes. Our destination is the main stadium of the 11th Pan American Games, a standing tribute to the games held in Havana, Cuba from August 2 to August 18, 1991.

The stadium is now silent with the exception of the few athletes living on the premise and practicing within its walls. The structure has deteriorated since its inception, yet holds a significance clearly felt when one stands within its shadows. 

As we pull up, the sun begins its ascent from the horizon. It is still quite early and the two dancers take a moment to get ready for their performance. They tell me that they have been working on a piece and would like to present it this morning for the camera. The larger camera will be used for the formal portraits and the smaller camera will be used for the motion sequences.

Camila has worked with us before, last year in front of this stadium and at my friend's home as well. She is a most genuine spirit and helps everyone feel comfortable even before we begin. Leandro is a most endearing man, and allows me to present requests without hesitation. They begin their performance as the sun rises, and continue for the next hour and a half. The temperature rises quickly yet they remain unaffected, never showing a sign of distress.

They move from one emotion to another seamlessly, and the simple concrete floor and white wall combination becomes their stage. They forget about the dirt, the small stones and the tiny pieces of glass here and there. We are treated to a performance before it has been presented formally to an audience. I cannot describe the feeling this morning, and will look forward to the images in six weeks.

All of us agree that the session has concluded at the same time, get into the car and head to a local stand for some juice. Pineapple is the choice this morning. 

For more of my work, please visit the newly designed website below, courtesy of Patrick Luu.

Halim Ina Photography

Señor Anache, Outskirts of Havana, Cuba, Morning of July 23, 2012

We arrive very early this morning after having missed the opportunity to photograph Señor Anache yesterday. Before the rest of the neighborhood wakes up and the street fills with children, we decide to make his portrait. He sits against a white wall and the sun strikes the building behind me, the reflection of the latter is clearly visible in his eyes.

The entire time he is gracious, as are his neighbors. When we ask for their portraits they give without resistance. My dear good friend Alejandro grew up in this neighborhood and his family lives on this street. Much of our time here is spent in his brother's home, drinking freshly made juice and talking about music.

We make images of Señor Anache with and without his shirt. He speaks of a lifetime devoted to his work and his family, and is as sharp as men half his age. At times he smiles openly, at times he is a little more reserved. Rather than being timid during his session, he glows with a sense of pride for all to see.

After our time with Señor Anache we begin photographing the girls in the neighborhood, giving them a little bit of time to get ready. We photograph three girls with indirect light, and then find some rest in the home of Alejandro's brother. This is a new neighborhood for me, and one to look forward to in the years to come.

For more of my work, please visit the newly designed website below, courtesy of Patrick Luu.

Halim Ina Photography

The Hands of a Working Man, Streets of Havana, Cuba, July of 2011

This year I hope to make images in a more spontaneous manner, like the image above.

While walking up and down the streets, opportunities are missed because we're walking to our next destination. The man with these hands was almost such a missed chance. On this day we walked a little more slowly, and recognized a mutual curiosity.

He was sitting with two other friends on a ledge in front of a home. They were taking a break from work, and watching people walking down the street. We talked a bit and then asked to make images of their hands. Each had their way of extending the hands, and this was his way.

Here they are, instruments he has used over the past five decades to support himself and his family. They extend from an unfocused background, like messengers from the past, and tell us their stories. The stains from under his fingernails are evidence of his creations, of his sweat.

I admire the working man and believe that this is the truest of heroes. He asks for nothing more than sustenance for him and his loved ones, and offers his hands as a sign of his humanity. He understood my desire to photograph his hands and allowed such to be done with only a smile on his face. I cannot express my gratitude fully when this is done on behalf of my work, I can only do my best to preserve the image for future generations.

For more of my work, and to contribute your thoughts regarding this project, please visit the newly designed website below, courtesy of Patrick Luu.

Halim Ina Photography

Elderly Woman, The Street, Habana, Cuba, July 18, 2011

On the second roll of film in the morning this image was made.

She was sitting on a ledge in front of a home, with newspapers all around. As Eldo and I crossed the street we saw her. It took me a minute to share my thoughts with Eldo, for we were crossing one of the busiest streets in the capital. People were walking to work and everyone noticed us slowing down to speak with her.

Eldo is both my friend and my guide on the island. He helps me like few others have ever done. He believes in the work and considers it his own. In the morning he prepares pineapple juice for us and in the evening rice and beans are waiting by the good grace of his beautiful wife.

He is also a photographer, but approaches his subjects in a different way. Rather than waling to them directly and speaking with them regarding their portraits, he likes to communicate only with gestures and make images after receiving more subtle forms of agreement. So for Eldo to walk up to this wonderful woman and speak directly is a testament to his dedication regarding our collaboration.

We begin making images with our 35 mm cameras at first, then pull out the medium format pieces and the tripod. On this busy street we are noticed by many, and our actions cause people to react in different ways. Some move on without sharing their thoughts, some show their disapproval openly. While I have never been able to completely ignore such reactions, this tender woman allows her portrait to be made and does so with more confidence than both photographers combined.

She neither judged our actions nor the reactions of the people walking by us. I admired her then and even more so after going through her images just today. I will walk past this exact spot many times this July and hope to see her on this same ledge. I will then hand her this exact portrait and hope she allows me another.

For more of my work, and to contribute your thoughts regarding this project, please visit the newly designed website below, courtesy of Patrick Luu.

Halim Ina Photography

Aunt, Centro Habana, Cuba, July 10th, 2011

In five weeks we will be on the same street photographing her family once again. Seven years ago her niece was the first one photographed, now the entire family has been included. This is her first portrait. She gave of herself in order to allow the younger ones to be more comfortable in the sunlight; she allowed her hair to be thrown in the air without reservation.

From this session we made the best images of her niece since that first year, and credit goes to her and to my host family for allowing us to use the rooftop as our studio. My friend's wife worked with the girls' hair, and dressed them up nicely for their portraits. This was the first year such care was provided to them prior to the photography, and the mood was jubilant.

In the street she presents herself as a tough, young woman. She certainly has reason to do so from my limited experiences. On the rooftop she was more reserved, spoke less and smiled much more. When I asked her to be photographed, she grinned and walked up to the wall without question. This was a safe place for her, with her younger sisters all around.

After the photography we walked downstairs into my friends' home, and had some cold ice cream from the local corner bodega, chocolate and strawberry the flavors.

For more of my work, and to contribute your thoughts regarding this project, please visit the newly designed website below, courtesy of Patrick Luu.

Halim Ina Photography

Friend of Emmanuel, Habana, Cuba, July, 2011

During a visit to Hamely's home, this young girl's portrait is recognized by Emmanuel. He nods in a cool manner when he sees her picture and tells us that he knows her from school, she is his classmate. He also knows her home and offers to take us there before being asked.

We arrive at her home five years after this first portrait. A young woman opens the door with a cigarette between her fingers. She greets us with a bit of unease and then goes inside to tell her mother about our search for the young girl above. She returns and invites us in without a smile, seemingly against her instinct. 

Two more people stand inside a dimly lit room, an older woman on a bed still sleeping and a teenager standing at a distance in the corner in the room. The latter is the only person with a smile and the only person with a hint of curiosity. We learn that this curious girl is the girl above, and that her mother has since died. She now lives with her aunt and her cousin. 

She speaks nothing but communicates volumes with her reactions, her expressions. Like so many before her, she communicates to me a happiness in seeing us return after so many years. Unlike the cool mannerism of her cousin, she exudes kindness and love. Her aunt however cools things down with her attitude. She wonders about our intentions and the reason for representing young girls in my portfolio. I take the portfolio to show her and display the variety of people represented. There are older men, younger girls, affluent and less privileged subjects.

She seems a bit upset at being shown so and tells us without our asking that her niece declines another portrait this year, all to the dismay of the young girl. For the sake of asking, I look to the girl above in the corner in the room and ask her if she would like her portrait. She nods with exuberance and this tells me that perhaps in the future we will make her portrait, once she has escaped her present situation.

In the meantime, I remove her print from the book and hand it to her. She receives it in her most delicate hands and then smiles in response. Regardless of surroundings, we achieve our goal and inform this young girl that we will be waiting patiently for her portrait perhaps next year. 

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Halim Ina Photography

A Ballerina named Irinita, Lizt Alfonso School of Ballet, Habana, Cuba, 2008

We meet in front of the famed Lizt Alfonso School of Ballet. While looking for a spot to photograph someone else, I stumble upon perhaps forty ballerinas waiting with their parents for classes to begin. The girls are standing in groups and chatting with their friends, the same with the parents. The space is a large square, surrounded by beautiful, two-story buildings with light walls. The place is one large soft box, and I decide to head back to inform the family of the location to be used for our photography.

Then the thought of photographing the ballerinas comes to me. I am by myself, without my interpreter. While I have learned quite a bit of Spanish since my first trip to Cuba, speaking with dozens of parents regarding the photography of their daughters intimidates me. I walk around a bit and hope for a friendly face. I find it in a young woman, and she speaks both Spanish and English.

I begin explaining my work to her and a few parents around us, a bit of Spanish mixed in with the English. She tells me that my Spanish is fine and to speak to the parents in Spanish. After a few minutes, a few more parents come around to hear about the work. I show the albums of my work to them, and ask them to allow their daughters to be photographed.

From the view of the parents, it must be quite a leap to allow a stranger to photograph their daughters in a public space. Regardless one girl steps forward, her name is Irina. Only after her courageous offer do others begin to line up. We decide to begin the photography since classes will begin in less than twenty minutes.

We pick the front of the school as the background, with the opposite building beautifully lit by the sun. I put the bags down, grab the tripod and begin setting up. Everyone gathers around, curious to see the work. They see a scene different than the usual perhaps, a medium format camera set up on an immense tripod, with a cable release and film to boot.

Irina steps forward, in front of her classmates and strangers alike. She is a most confident, young girl. She smiles at my fumbling, at my nervousness initially due to the fact that twelve girls with their parents are waiting all of a sudden. There is a calm about her that makes me feel quite comfortable however and a few exposures are made of her. She then walks away and stands to the side watching the rest being photographed.

Everyone writes down their names for me, and provides their addresses as well.

The doors of the school open, and the girls all walk inside to begin their lessons. Most of the parents leave, but a few wait outside for the classes to end. At this time my friend arrives and we make her portrait in front of the school a little bit away from the previous spot.

We walk away with the memory of this experience deeply stamped in my mind. In the next blog entry, the story will continue.

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Halim Ina Photography

Amanda y Vanesa, Ballerinas, Alamar, Cuba, July, 2010

This is their portrait from last year, Vanesa and Amanda. They have been friends since birth, living next to each other in a complex of apartment buildings. They are six months apart in terms of their age and without siblings, Amanda being the older girl.

In this image, Vanesa is being photographed for the first time. When we arrive on this day to photograph Amanda, I am told of a friend close by, also a ballerina. A long story short, Vanesa is collected by Amanda's mother and we make portraits of both on this incredible day. The background happens to be the white wall of an apartment building housing only artists.

From her apartment nearby Amanda's grandmother watches us as we work for over one hour. As the session nears its end, Vanesa becomes dizzy and faints. She falls backward and onto the concrete walkway one meter below the surface on which she is standing. The sound is indescribable but it seems that her hair prevents any serious injury. Everyone rushes over to her, two walk quickly to the corner store for some water and some ice cream.

We sit awaiting the water and talk with Vanesa. She seems intact and answers all of our questions. She apologizes for the incident and in our opinion has nothing to apologize for of course. Rather than waking up for breakfast on this incredibly hot day, she is rushed out of bed in the morning for photography in the sun with us without warning.

With the arrival of water and ice cream, all seems to improve and we walk over to her home. We offer to take Vanesa to the hospital but both families seem comfortable with her recovery. We bid them farewell for the day and return to the city.

Over the next five days and in between photographic sessions in the city, we return to their homes with flowers and an interest in her well-being. They are deeply touched, as are we by their kindness. We form a bond during this trip, our relationship takes on a new meaning.

On the last day, we drop by once again to bid them farewell. Rather than doing just that, we are invited by the girls to photograph once again. This time around, we find a place on the beach with only grass under their feet. We photograph for two hours with nothing but the sun over our heads and finish the last roll of film in my bag for the year.

During my most recent trip this past month, the girls have grown up by it seems a decade. They have entered their thirteenth year and have become teenagers. They show a curious interest in the boys around us, on the beach and by the apartment buildings. They have a confidence about them that is new to me, and one that makes me proud to know them. They are still the best of friends and hug each other anytime they get the chance.

We are offered the white wall next door but choose the beach once again. We photograph twice on the beach and once at the old Pan-American Stadium nearby. When I ask the girls about being photographed in their regular attire, they smile at each other and nod in the affirmative. They had wanted to do so but were afraid to ask. Our first session on the beach this time around is quite festive and one reminiscent of a fashion shoot.

Amanda and Vanesa mean the world to me, for they understand my work, our collaboration and give of themselves without asking for anything in return. I tell them so and advise them that they are the reason for my return year after year, rather than the old buildings in the city or the history of the island. It is their kindness that lures me back.

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Halim Ina Photography

The Girl with the Clear Eyes, Habana, Cuba, July, 2011

I find her this year as she has graduated from High School with a degree in education. By the end of this year she will be teaching children have her age in a local school. Her mother is quite proud of her and displays her daughter's graduation and achievement certificates.

She has gone from a little girl on the side of the Malecon to a young woman poised to teach the next generation and help her family at the same time. Her eyes are as clear and filled with life as ever. She holds a smile beautifully every time we turn our attention to her.

As before, she lives with her mother, stepfather, grandfather and two siblings in a one room home. They have split the room vertically and have added a bedroom above where five people sleep on mats laid out on the floor. On the first floor is a small bed for the grandfather, a tiny kitchen area and a small television.

This time around, in addition to seeing her pictures from last year, she receives a publication on whose cover her portrait sits. When her eyes catch this she smiles even more so, remembering a time six years ago when she shared her desire to be a model with me. Here she is, equal with all women before her to grace the cover of a magazine.

With this presentation another surprise is shared with her. I tell her that people from around the world have seen her portrait, and have shared interest in having a print. Many have in fact purchased her print and wanted to share their admiration of her strength and beauty through the act of a print purchase. I then hand to her and her mother the proceeds from those print sales, for they are the fruits of her labor and love.

They are deeply surprised, even though they experienced the same last year. Instead of counting anything, her mother instructs her to go upstairs and place the funds in a safe place. The feeling in the room is one of exuberance, for after six years we have managed to forge a purpose from a simple portrait. We talk for a bit more and then head home.

A few days later we return for another portrait session. We are welcomed as always with grace. However before beginning our photography, the future school teacher wants to show something to me. She takes my hand, and with the permission of her mother, guides me upstairs to the bedroom. Her stepfather is also upstairs getting ready for work as a security guard.

She points to a new bed, one large enough for the women in the family. This is the first time she has ever had a bed in which to sleep night after night. To put words down describing the feeling inside is impossible. Suffice it to say that a great emotion came over me and we just stood there smiling, the stepfather included.

She then took my hand once again and walked downstairs with me. She pointed to the new floor-standing fans in the room. This is also the first time that she has had such ventilation in her home, enough to keep her and her family cooler during the day. A few people are also sitting inside and look pleased at my reaction.

While my partner in work has seen much reaction to our work with the families before today, this experience also leaves him with the impression that the photography has taken on a new meaning. We leave the family on this day like never before, and promise to return the next week.

Should you like to make a difference with the purchase of her print also, you may contact me at halim.ina@gmail.com or visit my website below.

www.halimina.org

Barbarita, Habana, Cuba, July, 2011

During the last few days I decide to visit the families and share my thoughts regarding our work. Along with the discussion, photographs from the previous visits are shared as well.

During one such visit, we experience one family living in a new place. At first sight it seems to me that this is their place of work. The apartment is little more than a single, small room. When we enter the bed is to the right and the tiny kitchen is to the left, with a small aisle separating the bed from the cabinet hosting the stereo and television.

There is barely enough room for us to stand, let alone sit. We spend time with Barbarita and her mother, as well as the owner of the home who is also being attended to by our friends.

The man is an elderly man, quite friendly and open to our visit. He is missing one leg and lives alone without a family, therefore needing the assistance provided by our dearest friends. We share the photographs from the previous year and decide to make an appointment to return and make new portraits for Barbarita. We bid farewell for the time being and head out to the next family.

Once outside I ask my friend Eldo a question: 'Do they get paid well for this work?'

Hearing this, Eldo is surprised at my lack of understanding and proceeds to educate me on their situation. As it turns out, Barbarita and her mother are working for the possibility of inheriting the tiny apartment. The elderly man, lacking a family, is able to include them in his will and pass on the rights to his home in exchange for their assistance during his final years. They receive nothing in terms of payment during his lifetime. It is the promise of a future home for which they labor.

'A lesson a day' they say. On this day, it is perhaps a volume.

On my next visit to her home, I am greeted by her mother, sister and brother-in-law. Without a translator we have a conversation regarding our collaboration. A few years earlier Barbarita's mother decided that her daughter's photographs can be made but only for my personal portfolio. She was content with this and decided against the publication of the portraits and the sale of the prints.

During the second visit, Barbarita's mother seems a bit anxious and nervous at the same time. She is trying to tell me something but is having a hard time telling me so. My understanding of Spanish is acceptable but nuances cannot be understood. With the help of her son-in-law, we achieve clarity. Her mother explains to me their plight at this time, the hardships they are facing and the difficulty in even obtaining the smallest of items for her daughter. Things that can be taken for granted back home are nearly impossible to purchase for her.

With this in mind, and with the portraits we have made over five years, she asks me to present her daughter's work in order to educate the world about their life and also to perhaps help in any way possible through the sale of the portraits.

Should the readers of this entry be interested in helping in any way possible, perhaps through a purchase of her print, then I would be more than glad to have such a conversation.

In the end, the purpose of the work is as her mother desires, nothing else.

www.halimina.org

One With Clear Eyes, Outside of Havana, Cuba, July, 2010

Many have seen her since the first portrait back in 2005.

In that portrait she walks out of the water, barely allows her hair to dry and sits down on the sidewalk across from the famous Malecon to let a complete stranger make her portrait in less than five minutes.

On this day and five years later, she stands in front of her house early in the morning with her hair up and gives me two hours to make her portrait. She wakes up by 7:00 a.m. on a summer morning and walks back from her friend's house for us.

The day before, she tells me with a smile: 'You can come back as many times as you like.'

I thought she was lost on me two years before, as she experienced the turbulence of her teenage years. Although still a teenager in this portrait, she displays a calmness beyond her years. While my hands fumble around for the next roll of film in excitement, she smiles and chuckles.

If she is the only person in Cuba to photograph, she is reason enough for me to go in less than two weeks. She is the girl with the clear eyes, and this is just the beginning of her story.

halim.ina@gmail.com
Halim Ina Photography