Havana - Rollei & Pentax 6x7

[Sikario]

Here are a few photos from my trip to Havana, I spent a week there in May. Most of the shots are from the twilight hours, because in the mid-day heat I struggled to move let alone take photographs. The first shot was taken with my Pentax 6x7 and 105mm f/2.4 lens, the rest with my Rolleiflex 3.5F (Planar).

 

[nikon_sam]

Very nice...Cuba is one place I would like to see...
I love the old round cars...
I like the late soft light, it's very pleasing to the eyes...

 

[Thardy]

I really like those shots too. The late light is wonderful.

 

[jbielikowski]

Oh man, I really like those squares, composition, colours, DOF... Cuba!

 

[Colin Corneau]

My compliments -- you really know how to see light. For me the photos went beyond just "here's an exotic place". After all, almost anyone can just show up -- not everyone can make a photograph interesting on its own merits.

 

[andredossantos]

Excellent shots!! I went to Cuba last month. There are so many photos to take in Havana that you have to skip shots. Otherwise, it would take an hour to walk two blocks. Totally serious, I would pass up two shots for every one and on one particular block I burned a roll of 120 in less than a minute (12 distinct frames).

 

[nonot]

Really like these too, I'm surprised though that there's virtually no people in your shots, Havana is usually bustling at almost any hour.

 

[andredossantos]

Really like these too, I'm surprised though that there's virtually no people in your shots, Havana is usually bustling at almost any hour.

The downtown areas are, for sure (Centro, Havana Vieja, Vedado, etc). The outer neighborhoods surrounding them get very quiet and desolate early morning/late at night.

 

[Keith]

Lovely photographs. Ever since I saw the movie 'Buena Vista Social Club' I've wanted to got to Cuba!

 

[helen.HH]

Tres Coooool ...First & last are SUPREME

 

[andreios]

Magnificent images! I saw them appearing on the flickr thing but posted here as a kind of story they are even better! Congratulations!

 

[bobby_novatron]

Great photos! Would love to return to Cuba. I was there 12 years ago, and like you said, it's a photographer's dream. Hard to walk a couple blocks, there's so much to shoot it's ridiculous.

Nice work with capturing the early morning light -- wonderful soft tones in your pics. Great composition as well.

 

[Brad Bireley]

Wonderful photos!! Love those squares! What film?

 

[Dave Jenkins]

Aaaahh! The worker's paradise! Quite a bit better for a photographer than for the workers themselves.

 

[bobby_novatron]

Totally right, Dave. A paradise for us capitalists to enjoy -- with hard currency, imported beer and fancy resorts. The average people there have a really difficult time. Such a ridiculous system, but somehow it keeps creaking along.

 

[Sikario]

Thank you for the comments. 🙂

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nonot - That's an interesting point. It's predominantly because I'm not great at photographing strangers. At times I felt very conspicuous walking around with my camera, and I felt uncomfortable taking intrusive photographs of the local people.

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Brad Bireley - The various films used were as follows...

First shot with Fuji Provia 400X
Second, third and seventh with Fuji Velvia 50
Forth, fifth and sixth with Fuji Astia 100F

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Dave Jenkins - Very much so and I was very aware of this during my stay. I stayed in a private Casa and dined-out at local restaurants, bars and cafes every day. Far away from the tourist coaches.

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[Gumby]

Looks like it was a nice trip. I especially like 3 & 5.

 

[Bill58]

Totally right, Dave. A paradise for us capitalists to enjoy -- with hard currency, imported beer and fancy resorts. The average people there have a really difficult time. Such a ridiculous system, but somehow it keeps creaking along.

Nice work!!!!

Somehow people there survive. CNN had a short piece the other day about a guy who has a gov/t contract (what else?) to repair, of all things, plastic cigarette lighters. Amazing....and sad that they have to endure such misery solely to justify a system only propped up by Russia, China and the ridiculous little dictator in Venezuela.

 

[Pablito]

I wonder if it is possible to go to Cuba with cameras and not photograph the old cars.

 

[Gumby]

Apparently not.

That would be like going to Yosemite National Park and not photographing mountains.