Some photos from Cuba

[Leica All Day]

I just got back from Cuba and it was interesting. I brought 2 M6ttl cameras, a 28mm Elmarit, a 35mm Distagon and a 90mm Summicron. I haven't got my film back yet from the lab, but I shot a lot of photos with my new phone (iPhone 11) while I was there and I actually like the look of the B&W settings.

Here are some cell phone photos.

Havana, Cuba

[/url]Havana, Cuba by

Havana, Cuba
Havana, Cuba by

Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba by

Santiago de cuba
Santiago de Cuba by

cheers, michael

 

[Leica All Day]

Santiago de Cuba

[/url]Santiago de Cuba by

Havana, Cuba
Havana, Cuba by

Havana, Cuba
Havana, Cuba by

cheers, michael

 

[Rayt]

Wonderful! Can’t wait to see more.

 

[Leica All Day]

Havana, Cuba

[/url]Havana, Cuba by

Havana, Cuba
Havana, Cuba by

Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba by

cheers, michael

 

[Leica All Day]

Wonderful! Can’t wait to see more.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Leica All Day]

Supposedly Alberto Korda used this version of the 90mm Summicron to take the famous photo of Che Guevara.

[/url]Havana, Cuba by

Tourist mode in Havana
Havana, Cuba by

I would just jump in random shared taxis and after 10 minutes I'd get out and jump in another one. I had no idea where I was going but somehow it all worked out.
Havana, Cuba by

Havana, Cuba
Havana, Cuba by

cheers, michael

 

[jarski]

great photos once again, from new location 🙂

 

[Hogarth Ferguson]

Wow these look so amazing.

 

[Leica All Day]

Thanks a lot everybody.

Here is a ration book (supplies book).

[/url]Santa Clara, Cuba by

cheers, michael

 

[valdas]

Looks very nice those iPhone photos! BUT - looking forward even more to see the ones from M6!

 

[raydm6]

Very nice Michael! Love those old America cars!

 

[Gerry M]

I don't think street shooting can get much better than these. Very well seen and done!!

 

[Leica All Day]

Thanks a lot everybody for the comments, I appreciate it. I went to the far east of the island to the city of Santiago de Cuba, because I wanted to learn about Santeria, the religion that was brought over with slaves from Africa. That part of the island is actually closer to Haiti than Havana, and it has a different feeling than Havana and I wanted to experience it.

Santiago de Cuba

[/url]Santiago de Cuba by

Havana, Cuba
Havana, Cuba by

Havana, Cuba....I visited a bunch of government run bread shops and the selection made me sad.
Havana, Cuba by

Santa Clara, Cuba.....I was walking down a small street and I told this guy he looked cool and I asked him if I could take his photo, next thing I knew I was in his house having a good time.
Santa Clara, Cuba by

cheers, michael

 

[Leica All Day]

Trinidad, Cuba......I love being on the road, taking photos.

[/url]Trinidad, Cuba by

Trinidad, Cuba
Trinidad, Cuba by

Havana, Cuba..... I usually visit schools when I travel to interesting places.
Havana, Cuba by

Trinidad, Cuba
Trinidad, Cuba by

cheers, michael

 

[Bob Michaels]

Glad you had a good trip and returned with great photos. The libreta, sometimes referred to as a "ration book", is not to allow Cubans to buy limited amounts of otherwise unobtainable goods. It does allow every family to get limited quantities of basic goods such as rice, sugar, salt, bread, eggs, meat, cooking oil, beans, coffee, soap, toothpaste, milk and other necessities for pennies or almost free. Everything in the libreta is also available for purchase in the market (government) at subsidized prices. The libreta amounts are not sufficient to provide for a family's total needs but does furnish a good part of them.

Here is a ration book (supplies book).

[/url]Santa Clara, Cuba by

cheers, michael

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[Ko.Fe.]

Looks awesome on my iP8.
Have you tried to print them on 8x10?

 

[Erik van Straten]

Michael, great stuff!

Cuba is so photogenic, I remember the pics from Cuba by Tom Abrahamsson.

Erik.

 

[David Hughes]

"...I visited a bunch of government run bread shops and the selection made me sad."

I'd be very interested to know if they smelt like a bakery should. I still know few old fashioned bakers and the smell of fresh bread on the shelves does me a lot of good...

Love the photos, B&W seems right for them.

Regards, David

 

[airfrogusmc]

Great thread with wonderful images.

 

[Leica All Day]

Glad you had a good trip and returned with great photos. The libreta, sometimes referred to as a "ration book", is not to allow Cubans to buy limited amounts of otherwise unobtainable goods. It does allow every family to get limited quantities of basic goods such as rice, sugar, salt, bread, eggs, meat, cooking oil, beans, coffee, soap, toothpaste, milk and other necessities for pennies or almost free. Everything in the libreta is also available for purchase in the market (government) at subsidized prices. The libreta amounts are not sufficient to provide for a family's total needs but does furnish a good part of them.

Thanks a lot Bob for all the info and tips before I went on my trip, I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to chat with me and answer my questions.

That info above is spot on, I had some good conversations with Cubans about that system. I remember a person telling me he got 12 eggs a month and I remember thinking to myself, that can't be right. I know there is a black market too, but from what I was told, a lot of Cubans can't afford the prices. I took a collective taxi on a 12 hour long,cross island road trip and we were having trouble finding gas. Three different gas stations said they were "sold out" and I could see my driver getting frustrated, then he went back in to a station and offered more money and all of sudden we had gas.

Hello Erik, I used a Tom A. soft release the whole time I was there and Tom was definitely in my thoughts. Thanks Ko.Fe, I haven't tried to print any of these yet, but I would like to.

Thanks David, unfortuanelty, the bakeries didn't really smell like anything.

Thanks a lot everybody for the comments. It has been awhile since I've been on a photo trip and it was my first time in Cuba, so there was definitely some adjusting going on for me. It took a minute to get adjusted to all of the differences, but once I got comfortable and I started using my cameras and getting back into the groove of things, everything just worked.

The supermarkets selection and variety are really slim.

[/url]Santa Clara, Cuba by

This is definitely not one of those fancy, beautifully restored cars that tourists ride around town in.
Santiago de Cuba, Cuba by

I have a pretty good collection of photos take inside cuban homes that I took with my phone.
Havana, Cuba by

cheers, michael