Fidel

A long exposure photograph of the exterior of a very old apartment building. The face of the building fills the entire frame. The lights are on in the apartment and it is beaming out of the windows and shining through the louvers of the shutters. There is a balcony in the middle of the frame, a Cuban flag and photo of Fidel Castro hang on the edge. On the ground level of the building a poster is stuck to the wall, the poster features an illustration of Fidel Castro’s face with a star behind the head, the words "Fidel Cuba" are written at the top. In front of the building a 1950s vintage sports utility vehicle is parked. A man sits in the driver’s seat, his face is illuminated by a cellphone screen, his face is slightly blurry from movement during the long exposure of the photograph. Light streaks span the entire photograph in front of the vehicle, left behind by a passing car during the exposure of the photo.

Location:

Havana, Cuba

Year taken / this print:

2016 / 2024

About:

One of the few photos in this series to include a person. Also one of the few that suggests movement of any kind. I usually close the shutter if I see a car coming and then restart the exposure. I had thoughts of editing it out because of that, but my wife really likes it so it stays. She has better intuition about these things than I do.

We traveled to Cuba in 2016, just after the death of Fidel Castro. Our taxi was literally behind the last car of the funeral procession as it traveled down the Malecón. It was a strange time to be in Cuba. Well I assume it was, since I don't have any other Cuba experiences to compare it to.

There was a moratorium on music, drinking, and dancing the whole time we were there. These photos really reflect the quiet atmosphere of Havana I felt during that time.

Feel free to drop me an email if you want to know anything else.