Karen y Laura, La Habana, Cuba, 2018

Hace dos veranos, mi querida amiga Gysleda Virginia De La Barca Vega me concedió el privilegio de colaborar con algunos de sus alumnos de su escuela ModaEgos, entre ellas Karen Machado Vazquez y Laura Rivalta que aparecen en esta imagen. Este museo se convirtió en uno de mis lugares favoritos para nuestras sesiones, y muchos de mis amigos cubanos lo reconocerán el verano pasado.

Este verano espero ver más espacios y volver a visitar a muchos de ustedes en Cuba. También espero incluir más el mundo del baile en mis imágenes ... ¡las modelos y los bailarines son bienvenidos!

Two summers ago, my dear friend Gysleda allowed me the privilege of collaborating with some of her students from her school ModaEgos, including Karen and Laura featured in this image. This museum became one of my favorite places for our sessions, and many of my Cuban friends will recognize it from last summer.

This summer I look forward to more spaces, and to revisiting many of you in Cuba. I also look forward to including the world of dance more so in my images... models and dancers welcome! 

Facebook
Instagram 

Website

Tumblr 

Twitter

Jessica y Juan, La Cancha, La Habana, Cuba, 2018

Antes del verano en Cuba, me gustaría mostrar esta imagen del año pasado. Fue un honor hacer arte con estos dos bailarines. Gracias a la magnífica Tamy, nos conectamos y fuimos a las canchas de racquetball por una mañana de fotografía.

Entramos en el auto de Idiovel, un magnífico Plymouth de los años cincuenta. Llegamos muy temprano, antes de la luz, y nos preparamos de inmediato mientras hablamos de nuestra visión.

Por supuesto, Jessica y Juan fueron profesionales, y no necesitaban nada. Solo hablamos de la dirección de la luz en relación con sus posiciones de baile.

Durante dos horas fui testigo de su arte e hice todo lo posible para documentarlo con fotografías en blanco y negro. Su rendimiento fue sin época, al igual que la forma de la fotografía utilizada. 

¡Espero con ansias este verano con ellos, así como todos los bailarines de nuestro hermoso círculo en la isla!

-----

Before the summer in Cuba, I would like to show this image from last year. It was an honor to make art with these two dancers. Thanks to the magnificent Tamy, we connected and went to the racquetball courts for a morning of photography.

We went in Idiovel's car, a magnificent Plymouth of the 1950s. We arrived very early, before the light, and prepared immediately while talking about our vision.

Of course, Jessica and Juan were professionals, and they did not need anything. We only talked about the direction of light in relation to their dance positions.

For two hours I witnessed their art, and did my best to document it with black and white photography. Their performance was timeless, just like the form of the photography used. 

I look forward to this summer with them, as well as all of the dancers from our beautiful circle on the island!

Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 503 CW/180 mm combination.

Facebook
Instagram 

Website

Tumblr 

Twitter

Melissa y Alejandra, Santa Maria Del Mar, Cuba, 2018

Quedan seis meses antes de mi verano en Cuba y espero que creemos imágenes como esta para mi familia fotográfica en la isla. Aquí tenemos una imagen del verano pasado con Melissa Martin y Nanda Aab.

Gracias al Plymouth de Idiovel Alvarez, pudimos llegar a Santa Maria del Mar temprano en la mañana. Bravo es una palabra que usaría para describir a estas dos jóvenes, porque entramos en el agua de inmediato.

Es un honor tener esta oportunidad y poder colaborar de esta manera. Mientras que otros buscan documentar la isla a distancia, mi enfoque es tener una conversación completa e incluir los sueños de las personas en estas imágenes.

Al hacerlo, las fotografías se convierten en una colaboración equitativa entre el fotógrafo y el modelo. Mi esperanza es que este verano me lleve más profundamente en la vida de mis amigos, y que nuevos amigos se unan a nosotros.

=====

Six months before my summer in Cuba, and my hope is that we create images like this for my photographic family on the island. Here we have an image from last summer with Melisa and Nanda. 

Thanks to Idiovel's Plymouth, we were able to arrive at Santa Maria del Mar early in the morning. Brave is one word I would use to describe these two young girls, because we entered the water immediately.

It is an honor to be given this chance, and to be allowed to collaborate in this way. While others seek to document the island from a distance, my approach is to have a full conversation and to include the dreams of the people in these images. 

In doing so the photographs become an equal collaboration between photographer and model. My hope is that this summer takes me deeper into the lives of my friends, and that new friends will join us.

Note: These images were made with a Fuji GA645i onto glorious film.

Facebook
Instagram 

Website

Tumblr 

Twitter

Kendaya y Lisandra, El Campo, Cuba, 2018

El próximo verano en Cuba ya está en mi mente, así como mi familia fotográfica en la isla. Todos ustedes pueden depender de mi deseo de estar allí, y espero estar allí junto con mi película. Esta imagen fue del viaje del año pasado al campo con dos queridos amigos, y fue posible gracias a la increíble Gysleda Virginia De La Barca Vega.

Gracias a Kendaya Anwar y Lisandra Betancourt!

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Jessica y Juan Alberto, Las Canchas, La Habana, Cuba, 2018

Esta noche en mi apartamento estoy escaneando los rollos del verano pasado en Cuba. Se ha seleccionado una imagen para compartir esta noche, un recuerdo de una mañana especial, gracias a Jessica y Juan Alberto. 

El año pasado fue maravilloso por muchas razones, y especialmente porque me dieron el honor de fotografiar a tres hermosas compañías de danza. De una de esas compañías vienen estos dos bailarines increíblemente talentosos.

Después de ver su actuación una noche, me inspiré para fotografiarlos. Gracias a mi querida amiga Tamy, esta colaboración fue posible. Acordamos una mañana y fuimos a las canchas de racquetball para nuestra sesión.

Su profesionalismo fue impresionante, ya que estaban listos casi de inmediato. Tenían una visión maravillosa, y fue un placer ver su colaboración detrás de la cámara.

¡Gracias a Tamy Glez, Jorge, Jessica Gómez y Juan Alberto Reyes Perez por permitirme el privilegio de colaborar con ellos... hasta este verano!

=====

This night in my apartment I am scanning the rolls from last summer in Cuba. An image has been selected to share tonight, a memory of a special morning.

Last year was marvelous for many reasons, and especially because I was given the honor of photographing three beautiful dance companies. From one such company come these two incredibly talented dancers.

After watching their performance one evening, I was inspired to photograph them. Thanks to my dear friend Tamy, this collaboration was made possible. We agreed on a morning and drove out to the racquetball courts for our session.

Their professionalism was impressive, as they were ready almost immediately. They had wonderful vision, and it was a pleasure to watch their collaboration from behind the camera.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Nota: Hasselblad 503 CW/180 mm.

Karen + Laura, La Habana, Cuba, 2018

Es imposible esperar para imprimir estés negativos para mostrar el mundo, para decirle al mundo, “mira el milagro que es el pueblo cubano!” 

En esta serie tenemos a Karen Machado Vazquez y Laura Rivalta, y trabajaron perfectamente juntas de una imagen a la otra. Era como ver un baile entre dos personas perfectamente sincronizadas.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Nota: Hasselblad 503 CW/180 mm.

Dos + Plaza, La Habana, Cuba, 2018

Mucha gente me pregunta, '¿por qué Cuba es especial para tu fotografía?' Para mí la respuesta es simple, es la voluntad de la gente para crear sin dudar. Si bien esto parece un poco simplista, uno debe intentar hacerlo en cualquier parte del mundo antes de pensar así.

En esta imagen hay dos personas que eran una semana antes desconocidas para mí. Estábamos haciendo un video para ayudar a Anays y su compañía, y antes de pasar a la siguiente plaza, les pedí a algunos de los bailarines algunos momentos de fotografía. Sin lugar a dudas, se hicieron una docena de exposiciones ... y esta fue una.

Me encanta cada lugar que visito y comparto una razón solo para mis visitas a Cuba. ¡Son las personas, más que los edificios o las playas, quienes continúan inspirándome!

Nota: esta imagen es solo un escaneo aproximado ... ¡los escaneados más finos se compartirán pronto!

======

Many people ask me, 'why is Cuba special to your photography?' For me the answer is simple, it is the willingness of the people to create without hesitation. While this seems a bit simplistic, one should try to do so anywhere in the world before thinking so.

In this image are two people who were but a week earlier strangers to me. We were making a video in order to help Anays and her company, and before moving to the next square I asked a few of the dancers for a few moments of photography. Without a second's doubt a dozen exposures were made... with this being one.

I love every place I visit, and am sharing one reason only for my visits to Cuba. It is the people, rather than the buildings or the beaches, who continue to inspire me!

Note: this image is only a rough scan... the finer scans will be shared soon!

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Dos Estrellas, La Habana, Cuba, 2018

Este último verano fue excepcional, gracias a un grupo de bailarines nuevos en mi trabajo. Como siempre, comenzó con Gysleda Virginia De La Barca Vega, y continuó con Luis Miguel Jorge Benítez y sus amigos. ¡Gracias a estos dos hermosos artistas, hemos establecido una dulce colaboración entre la danza y la fotografía para el próximo verano!

Lo que hace que esto sea aún más maravilloso es que hablamos la noche anterior para organizar nuestros planes para la mañana siguiente. Cuando se trata de tales artistas, se necesita poco ... solo un espacio y la hora.

Nos decidimos por este espacio que estaba a menos de una cuadra de mi habitación. Tenía el interior más increíble, con suficiente espacio desde los marcos de las ventanas hasta el primer apartamento. Las ventanas faltaban, y la luz entró sin obstrucciones.

Cada bailarín fue fotografiado únicamente, y luego trabajaron juntos para hacer algunas imágenes fabulosas también. Me siento honrado de ser incluido en este círculo de profesionales y espero con ansias el próximo año, ¡cuando crearemos mucho más!

Nota: esta imagen se realizó con una Fujifilm X-T2 y una lente de 35 mm.

=====

Two Stars, Havana, Cuba, 2018

This last summer was an exceptional one, thanks to a group of dancers new to my work. As always it began with Gysleda, and continued with Miguel and his friends. Thanks to these two beautiful artists, we have established a sweet collaboration between dance and photography for next summer!

What makes this even more marvelous is that we talked just the evening prior to arrange our plans for the next morning. When it comes to such artists, little is needed... only a space and the hour.

We decided on this space which was less than a block away from my room. It had the most incredible interior, with enough space from the window frames to the first apartment. The windows were actually lacking, and so the light entered without obstruction.

Each dancer was photographed solely, and then they worked togehter to make some fabulous images as well. I am honored to be included in this circle of professionals and look forward to next year when we will create much more! 

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Note: This image was made with a Fujifilm X-T2, and a 35 mm lens.

Anays + Iberodance, Havana, Cuba, 2018

This past summer in Cuba was filled with dance, as in this image with Anays Diz Pe and her magnificent troupe. Over the next few weeks more images of dance will be shared. On this afternoon we gathered at this walkway in Havana to make some images for the company. We had a great time, and they came together quickly as this ship passed by on its way out of the harbor!

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Karla + Nanda, El Campo, La Habana, Cuba, 2017

Cuando alguien me pregunta: ¿por qué el trabajo en Cuba es diferente?

La respuesta es fácil para mí: es una colaboración igual entre fotógrafo y modelo. Los jóvenes modelos están completamente involucrados en las decisiones, desde la ubicación hasta la ropa y el tema. Por lo general preguntamos, ¿la playa o el campo o la ciudad? Algunas veces las modelos nos permiten elegir, algunas veces ellos deciden sobre la ubicación.

Si bien mi preferencia por la ropa es oscura y atemporal, para resaltar el modelo en lugar de la ropa, sus pensamientos son muy bienvenidos. Alejandra y Karla son maravillosas, mujeres jóvenes ... y es un placer fotografiarlas.

Esta mañana salimos al campo mucho antes de que saliera el sol. Salimos temprano para llegar a tiempo para el amanecer. En nuestro camino notamos que estaba nublado, pero continuó en nuestro camino. Decidimos que se realizarían fotografías, con o sin luz solar.

Tuvimos la suerte de tener sol temprano y nubes más tarde. Esto nos permitió fotografiar durante unas horas, en lugar de solo una hora. Esta casa fue encontrada mientras conducíamos, y el dueño fue increíble. Le encantó la idea e inmediatamente nos permitió usar la casa para nuestra sesión. Preguntamos si podíamos regresar y él también estuvo de acuerdo.

¡Espero ver a estas dos jóvenes en un mes y dirigirme a más zonas rurales, además de explorar la ciudad!

----------

When someone asks me: why is the work in Cuba different?

The answer is easy for me: it is an equal collaboration between photographer and model. The young models are completely involved in the decisions, from the location to the clothing to the theme. We usually ask, the beach or the countryside or the city? Sometimes the models allow us to choose, sometimes they decide about the location.

While dark and timeless are my preferences for clothing, in order to highlight the model rather than the clothing, their thoughts are most welcomed. Alejandra and Karla are both wonderful, young women... and a pleasure to photograph.

On this morning we drove out to the countryside well before the sun had risen. We left early in order to arrive on time for sunrise. On our way we noticed that it was cloudy, but continued on our way. We decided that photographs would be made, with or without sunshine.

We were fortunate to have sunshing early, and clouds later. This allowed us to photograph for a few hours, rather than just an hour. This house was found as we were driving back, and the owner was amazing. He loved the idea and immediately allowed us to use the house for our session. We asked if we could come back and he agreed as well.

I look forward to seeing both of these young women in a month, and to heading out to more of the countryside, as well as exploring the city!

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Young Ballerina + Tracks, Guanabacoa, Cuba, 2017

Over the past four years it has been my sincere honor to have photographed this young ballerina. Her parents are as kind as any in my work, and have always shared an immense pride in our collaboration. Whenever the sun was up in the afternoon they would call us and find out where we were, and if a session with their daughter was possible.

This is exactly what happened with this frame, as we had a rare, sunny afternoon. Her parents called us and we drove over to their home in central Havana. They were ready when we arrived and left their store in the hands of neighbors while we headed out to the countryside. We arrived in Guanabacoa and went about asking the families for permission to use their homes. We were embraced as we had always been and began with a home near these tracks.

In time we walked over to the railroad tracks which were a favorite to the family. We had perhaps 30 minutes of sunlight left and moved quickly to set up the cameras. She was ready of course and the fact that the sunlight was soft just made her day. It felt like forever in the sweetest of ways and we exposed perhaps four rolls of film in the meantime.

She was flawless and, to the delight of her parents, composed herself perfectly for each frame. One almost forgets the age of these ballerinas and for good reason. She has my sincerest respect and hope that we can do better for her this summer!

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Note: This frame was exposed with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/100 mm combination.

My Last Day in Cuba, Santa Maria del Mar, September 2, 2017

Everyone thought it was crazy to have a session the morning of my flight, especially in light of the session's complexity. We made plans to document three young models and in the stylings of Yudel R. Contreras Garcia. This meant that our trusted driver had to leave his home at 5:00 in the morning to arrive at the first home by 5:30, then visit two other homes before heading out to the racquetball courts.

It was just too beautiful of a session to miss and to experience alone, so with humility we invited three wonderful photographers to come along, Alejandro and Ernesto and Eduardo. All three had connections with these young women, from a neighbor to a cousin to a photographer who had documented them previously with me.

We were of course fortunate to have in front of us the most talented models on the island, from Anays to Anny to Yaniris. We arrived twenty minutes ahead of sunrise and had enough time to arrange the pieces by Yudel along with each model's make-up. Four photographers were present along with three models, and made for an interesting session to write the least.

At first two of the photographers were a bit timid, perhaps due to the level of professionalism that these models possessed. Their shyness disappeared pretty quickly however, as the photography began. We had three dresses by Yudel, and the young women worked flawlessly together to be photographed in all three dresses. Time flew by while models and photographers used all aspects of the space, while respecting each other's creativity.

The entire time we couldn't believe how much fun everyone was having, it was perhaps the best going away present that anyone could have given me. I am indebted to these beautiful women, and to the friends who were able to help make this happen!

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Cami + Taylor, El Mirage Dry Lake Bed, California, 2016

A few months ago a casting call was placed for dancers in Los Angeles, and the initial response was wonderful. More than a few dancers responded, and it seemed that the week would be insufficient with respect to the number of responses.

My past experiences have taught me however that very few have the composure to maintain the vision. These two young ladies had more than enough composure, and proved this to me during our session. Cami was the person responding to the casting call, but Taylor stepped forward as her friend in order to help with the session. In the end they supported each other beautifully, and were as selfless as friends could be.

In my mind they are sisters to the girls in my work, from the ballerinas in Cuba to the migrants in Lebanon to the refugees in India. They asked for nothing in return other than to be included in this portfolio, and gave everything for the sake of the collaboration. They reserved an entire day for the session, since the drive to and back took almost five hours.

When one was being photographed, the other supported from a distance. They exchanged ideas continuously, and helped each other change when such help was needed. Never did either one of them ask when the session would end, or when we would go back. They were and are selfless in my mind, and I for one look forward to my next visit to Los Angeles!

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

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

Two Models + Beach, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, Summer of 2014

Almost every other morning over the past two months we visited the beach with everyone from ballerinas to models to friends from years ago. We found it to be a place where we could work without hassle from the police, without restrictions from security guards. Here the people were free to create, to pose for the lens and to tell their stories without prying eyes… that is until families arrived a little after 8 or so in the morning. We would arrive before sunrise, set up our cameras and talk a bit before the first rays of sun hit our skin.

On this day Alejandro and Laura gifted us their presence. For the time being they model in La Habana, and attend my friend's school to improve their standing in the fashion community. We picked them up in the city and headed to the beach. We talked in advance regarding our approach, and both came prepared with clothing to contrast with their skin tones. In the beginning they were a bit shy, then they let go of themselves once we talked about positions in the abstract. These images are from the second half of our session, and all are on film awaiting processing. For the time being these are stills from the digital camera, mounted alongside the film camera and triggered at the same time with one shutter release cord.

Note: These were made with a Sony RX100M2 mounted alongside a Hasselblad analog system.

www.halimina.org