The Hands of a Farmer, Cuba, 2018

The work in the darkroom continues, concentrating on the countryside of Cuba. I wonder how many fields these hands have worked, how many meals they have provided to the man's family. Every line has significance, as well as every deformity. A single image cannot do justice to decades of hard work, this I understand. 

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Farmer + Hands, Campo, Cuba, 2018

There's something special about heading into the Cuban countryside. Normally we start well before sunrise and hope to find such a man in time for the perfect light. Sometimes we get lucky early, and get a chance to make a portrait after a conversation. He was great, made photographs leaning up against the Oldsmobile, some with and without his hat. His hands caught my attention, and I asked him to lift them for this image.

Note: Medium-format negative printed onto 11x14 fiber paper and toned in selenium today.

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Manos + Campo, Nicaragua, 2019

El mes pasado en el cuarto oscuro ... las manos de un trabajador de 90 años en Nicaragua, cerca de la ciudad de Granada. Fue por casualidad que lo encontramos, ya que caminaba con sus vacas para pastar en su campo. Vive en una casa tradicional de madera con su hija de 70 años. La suya fue una historia increíble, y me sentí honrado de que me permitiera fotografiar sus manos.

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Hands + Bracelets, Virat Nagar, Rajasthan, India, November 13, 2013

On the morning of November 13 of last year these hands were raised to the sky with joy. The young girl to whom they belong was photographed a few minutes earlier, and a day after we met thanks to her older brother. As my transportation during my time in Rajasthan, this kind man invited me to his home to meet his family, and to perhaps photograph them the next day.

The beauty and love that greeted me on our first visit was beyond my expectations, and my reaction was especially visible to the younger of the two sisters. So when we returned the very next morning, she was even more radiant and happy. These are the two adjectives that come to mind when seeing this image. Soon her portrait will also be shared, but for the time being this Rajasthani Princess will be represented through her raised hands below.

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Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 555ELD/120mm combination, and scanned through the negative sleeve for this presentation until it is printed in the darkroom.

Campesino + Los Manos, Centro Habana, Cuba, Julio de 2012

As we were walking back home I noticed out of the corner of my eyes this gentle man sitting on a ledge. He nodded my way and shared his smile, thus making him irresistible to photograph. We walked over and had an extensive conversation, finding out that he just happened to be in the city for a few days and was visiting his family from the countryside.

He was well into his seventies yet moved like a young man. His manner of speech was filled with exuberance and his muscle tone made me feel quite happy that a shirt was covering my skin. We talked about life on his farm and noted that he was a most peaceful man. While so many in the city wore faces of sadness, understandably so, joy oozed out with this man's words.

We asked to make his portrait and he was beyond willing. He asked me my thoughts about position, and I advised him that we'd make one without the hands and one with the hands. Looking back now I am so glad that we decided to include the hands, a rarity for me.

He was sitting on a ledge at a busy crossroad. People walked past us in every direction and looked once in a while at the tourist talking with the Cuban. We used the light bouncing off of the building on the opposite side of the street, and exposed these images onto higher speed film than usual to increase the depth of field while capturing the stillness of the moment.

My bags were placed directly in front of him and underneath me in order to minimize the reflected light from beneath us. In this way we would maintain shadows from under his features and maximize the highlights from above.

He was a natural, moved his hands between exposures until the roll was finished. We exposed two rolls of film and then continued with the conversation. We bid each other farewell and continued on our way home.

I will of course visit his family's home to drop off the pictures this summer, and hope to drive out to his farm in the future to continue this collaboration. These are the moments for which my camera exists.

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Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad V System.

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