A Change in Perspective

A few months ago I went to Cuba for a few days, and I must say, this place changed how I look through the lens of a camera. To tell you the truth, before going, I didn’t look through any tourist books or do much research (like I normally do for most of my trips). I had heard so many good things about this country, I thought I would just go and discover Cuba on the go. As when most people go on a trip, I had a picture in mind as to what Cuba was, and when I arrived I found that it was ever so slightly different. Poverty was everywhere and so many towns and buildings needed restoration. It amazed me how different the picture in my mind was to the 'real deal'

As an armature photographer my first thought was “where are the beautiful pictures?”. I began searching for the pretty towns, nice houses, and beautiful streets to capture, but I found them hard to come by. The same thing happened when I arrived in Havana. Havana has a very tiny tourist district (aka- the pretty area), and  the rest needs a good scrub and restoration.  After I found my ‘beautiful pictures’ and continued on my journey I felt as though my pictures didn’t do Havana justice. They were more or less a lie, because they had not captured the true spirit of Cuba - the people, the real city and their lifestyle.

At some point while I was on my way to Varadero my perspective of photography started to change. This was when I realized to be a photographer you need to open your eyes and not just look for beauty, because most of the time, you're staring right at it.   You need to capture moments in time and the life as it is. This is the true spirit of a country, lifestyle and its people

The pictures I have chosen for this blog are the ones I believe reflect the true Cuba. I hope they too help open your eyes so you may also discover and appreciate this little country for what it is.