A First-Hand Experience Practicing Photography in Cuba
by Caterina Maina
It was December 20, 2019, and I had just gotten back from dinner with my parents who came to Boston to see me off. Nerves and excitement fluttered throughout my body as I tried to put myself to bed in order to be ready for my flight in the morning. I had been planning my trip to Cuba for months at that point, with many things coming together last-minute. I received a grant from my college that allowed me to pursue a photographic project in Cuba and I was planning on spending the next month traveling around the country.
When I finally landed in Cuba, I could not fully comprehend how I was feeling. I felt a mix of nerves, excitement, and joy for returning to a place I found a deep connection to. I did not know what to expect from this trip, but I knew it would impact me greatly.
Camagüey, 2019
I started my trip in Havana. It was here I met my amazing tour guide (who I can genuinely call a friend), Ron, who works with EEAbroad. He is also passionate about photography and was to join me on my travels around Cuba, showing me the ins and outs of the cities we visited, giving me history lessons, and showing me a true Cuban experience. In Havana, we spent our time exploring the city, where I photographed a lot of what was happening on the streets. I even had the amazing opportunity to visit La Fábrica De Arte Cubano and to go to a baseball game at the stadium. For Christmas, I had the honor of joining Ron and his family for Christmas Eve celebrations in a town outside of the city. Among eating amazing food, playing with his daughter, Victoria, and dominating many games of dominoes, I was able to photograph around the home and make some portraits of his family.
Camagüey, 2019
The day after Christmas, we made our way to Camagüey. On one of our many city walks, we met this man who kindly invited us back to his house. He recounted stories of his childhood and of how the revolution and current circumstances affected him. After some coffee and heartfelt conversations, we parted ways. The following days, we traveled to many towns that surrounded Camagüey. On one particularly hot day, we took the journey of walking from our casa all the way to El Lago De Los Sueños. As we walked down the dirt roads, the sun glaring upon us, we stopped at some stands selling Cuban soda and arepas. A little farther down the road, we saw some men preparing a pig for their New Year's Eve celebration. Passing by them at first, I kept thinking to myself how amazing that picture would be. After going back and forth in my head, I finally got the courage to turn around and ask them for a photograph. As I set up my camera, I could see the eyes of neighbors watching as I set up this alien-looking contraption that would capture this scene.
Palma Soriano, 2019
Following Camagüey, we took a bus to Santiago De Cuba where I spent the next couple of weeks. It was here I took almost every form of taxi there is in Cuba, danced until four in the morning, hiked up mountains that seemed to give gifts from the gods, and met a family that I will always cherish. When we first arrived I met Ron’s cousin, Yusmar, a lively guy who sells sunglasses on Calle Enramadas. He seemed to know everyone in the city. Coming up on the New Year, we planned to visit Ron’s tía and other family members in Palma Soriano, a little town north of Santiago in the mountains. The whole night, up until midnight on New Year’s Eve, Ron, Yusmar, and I walked around the town visiting all their friends and family as I photographed some of the festivities. At every house, we visited we were fed generous servings of rice, beans, and roasted pork. By the time we made it to the square for the countdown, our bellies were stuffed past capacity and we told ourselves we would swear off pork for a very long time (I believe we had pork a couple of days later).
Palma Soriano, 2020
The following day, we took an adventure to find a river nearby for a swim. It was a very hot day and, after the long night we had, we all wanted to just relax. Ron, Yusmar, Tía Tamera, and her daughters, Aimée and Anáis, and I walked down this roughed up path that supposedly took us to the river. After some off-trail navigation and stumbling onto a cow pasture, we finally found ourselves sinking into the cool current. It was just deep enough to wade around and the rocks felt smooth underneath our feet. We sat there for an hour, maybe more, soaking in the sunlight and enjoying the peace. It was moments like this I loved to capture with my camera: the tender, casual moments that allow you to reflect. At one point a rider rode by us; he brought his horses into the river to bathe and get something to drink before continuing on. The next week or so in Santiago, we spent a lot of time venturing around the city and to nearby areas. One day we connected again with Tía Tamera, Aimée, and Anáis for a beach day at Caletón Blanco. It was there that Ron reconnected with his great uncle, who we later visited at his house and enjoyed fresh mango, guava, and coconut from his yard. The following days in Santiago included some amazing experiences. We hiked 9.5 miles to La Gran Piedra (and took a very rewarding bus ride back down), we explored Cayo Granma and visited the elementary school, and we spent the day upon a mountain waiting for the sunset. Santiago really surprised me and now it will always have a piece of my heart.
Mar Azul, Carbarien, 2020
The next day we left for Santa Clara and at this point in time I felt like I had burnt myself out. But nothing could slow me down, especially because my sister, Isabel, was on her way from Los Angeles to join me for the rest of my trip. She arrived a day after we did in Santa Clara and the first thing we treated her to was a beach day up in Caibarién at Mar Azul. Unfortunately, we were hit with some rain but after a tasty beach-side lunch surrounded by cats, the sun came out and we could enjoy ourselves. The next several days all seemed to blur together, trying to give my sister the best experience she could in the five days she had here. Two days later, we left Santa Clara to go back to Havana. I, unfortunately, spent the next day bedridden, taken down by a pesky sandwich but I luckily got the Old Havana tour at the beginning of my trip. We then spent the last day before our flight at Playa Santa María and also bought some souvenirs to take home.
Looking back on my experience traveling around and taking photos in Cuba, I have learned to appreciate the unknown of so many adventures and the amazing things that come out of going with a leap of faith. As a young woman, traveling alone was and still is difficult. However, having a company like EEAbroad that set me up with an amazing local guide allowed me to access parts of Cuba I may not have connected with the same way by myself. This trip also challenged me as a photographer, gaining the courage to talk to people I did not know and conversing in a language I am not fully fluent in. It allowed me to once again see the beauty in just coming upon photographs in the world and allowing intuition to guide you.
If you’re interested in traveling to Cuba and/or going with a focus on photography, check out the EEAbroad Cuba Through Your Lens photography tour or consider collaborating with EEAbroad to design a Cuba Customized tour that fits your personal bucket list and dream itinerary.