Photographs 5 & 6 are also close-up portraits. In both
cases, I had been shooting horizontally almost exclusively. I had taken many
photographs of both individuals, but in both cases, the vertical portrait was
the strongest image.
Photograph V
I was on a day trip shooting with seven other photographers
attending Peter Turnley’s Cuba workshop. We had made various stops and this
photograph was taken at a tobacco and coffee plantation in outside of Vinales.
I was very patient taking dozens of shots of this man. I had watched his friend
roll cigars and we all feasted on fresh fruit and cigars. In fact, I ended up
buying both cigars and very rich coffee beans in between taking pictures. For
me, he was universal in terms of tobacco workers as partially evident by the
cigar, but totally individual as his eyes speak and combine with the cigar and
his hat to make this the strongest photograph I took at this site.
Photograph VI
I took this picture and others in the exhibit at La Placita
in San Juan. I spent many hours with my camera sitting across from the concrete
benches that border the inside market. Just as in the prior photograph, almost
all of my bench pics were horizontal, but not this one. First, I wanted to
photograph her alone – not with the many others who sat outside La Placita. Her
stare was so powerful, and combined with her clothe and flip-flops, I felt her
strength, her richness and was honored to take her picture.
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