Women in La Habana

[Tony M]

I visited La Habana last August and with excitement and trepidation spent a few days walking the streets photographing people. I am not a natural, or practised, photographer of people, and it took some time and bad photos before I started to settle down and take some decent ones. These three are of women who were either walking in the street or at the doorstep of their homes.

#1

1/30s, f/8, ISO 160, 35mm, Canon 6D, EF35mm f/2 IS USM

#2

1/80s, f/6.3, ISO 100, 35mm, Canon 6D, EF35mm f/2 IS USM

#3

1/100s, f/8, ISO 1600, 105mm, Canon 6D, EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM

I processed these in Lightroom. I have since bought Silver Efex Pro and, time permitting, I would like to re-process them using it.

Comments and criticisms are of course welcome.

Tony

[Inkanyezi]

Your first image reminds me of so much in Cuba, the dilapidated concrete with rebar sticking out and the toothless lady. I took some pictures with a theme around that, but so far I haven't done any serious work upon what I branded "Los logros de La Revolución". (Just relax, heaven will not fall on your head.)

I have only been back in Sweden a couple of weeks after returning from two months in Santiago de Cuba. The last week there I got dengue fever, and I am slowly recovering.

[Tony M]

Hi Urban

Sorry to hear you got dengue fever, and am glad you're recovering. I didn't see Santiago, as my trip was too short. Hopefully I'll get back there before too long and spend more time there.

Tony

[NorthernFocus]

The images are nicely done, Tony. Definitely some run down looking doorways. Are they representative of the general condition of things or did you specifically pick these for effect?

[Tony M]

Hi Dan,

They are quite representative of the area that I walked around (Habana Vieja, or Old Havana). The homes have barely been maintained since the revolution. The houses are very big; ceilings are 4.5 - 5 metres tall. However, most have had an additional floor added inside the existing building, to allow for growing families. The lady in the last photo had not done this to her house, as she didn't have a big family; she had two sons, one in New York and the other unmarried and working in La Habana.

Tony

[Inkanyezi]

Indeed quite representative. Sometimes the dilapidated homes even come crashing down upon their dwellers. Adding to this, in Santiago, where my house is, these two months, December and January, we had about forty tremors, with epicentra some thirty miles outside town, the strongest of them almost five at the Richter scale. It is a peculiar feeling waking up in the middle of the night by a bed that's rocking...

[William W]

. . . I processed these in Lightroom. I have since bought Silver Efex Pro and, time permitting, I would like to re-process them using it. Comments and criticisms are of course welcome.

I would encourage everyone to “view the images large” to fully appreciate the tonal register and texture.

The first shot is a ripper B&W Street Portrait. Bravo! Excellent work.

The interplay of light and dark; the composition to accommodate square format; the geometric juxtapositions; the low-ish camera viewpoint are all reminiscent of some of the 1950/60’sTLR Master Works – and this style (intended or not?) reinforce both the Major and the Minor Subject Material and the situation and landscape in which both are located.

***

The low key / soft light of the second image works – imperative that this one be viewed large to fully appreciate it. I do think the square crop works, but cropping across the hand doesn’t – I suggest going in and cropping just a tad tighter – but still crop in square format: the centre-centric composition will be reinforced with a slightly tighter crop and that would benefit.

***

The third image is very good but when loaded as part of this set is comparatively weaker than the first image – the main reason is the slightly different street genre in which it sits - the lack of communication from the Subject to the Viewer is most apparent. In the third image the Camera is an onlooker and not a participant: I would suggest that the third image be viewed/shown alone when one is seeking feedback and critique upon it, that will allow a less comparative approach and such usually renders better critique. That said, I reiterate, Image #3 is very good work.

***

I’d be interested to know your aims (your “final vision”) for the task of re-processing these image files - or is it that you do not have any particular aim for the images but rather you just want to see what the new software can do?

***

On a completely different but related topic: a word of warning about the Shutter Speed for this type of work:

Noted the two lenses used had IS: but the Image Stabilization will arrest some of your Camera Shake but it will not arrest any Subject Movement.

I do NOT see any apparent Subject Movement in Images #1 #2 and #3 but note that 1/30th second is very close to, or over the safe limit of Shutter Speed for a Portrait of a seated elderly person: also 1/80th can be a tad dangerous for a Standing Person - so is 1/100th.

It is always annoying to find that some potentially good street portraits are ruined by Subject Movement – so my advice is be vigilant apropos the Shutter Speed that you select for your Street Portraiture.

WW

BTW - I cannot see Image #3 anymore - I note you edited the opening post whilst I was writing - perhaps you need to re-edit it to ensure the Image #3 is available for viewing.

[Shadowman]

Lots of noise in those images, are you sure the 1st and 2nd were taken at ISO 160 and 100? Nice compositions.

[Inkanyezi]

BTW - I cannot see Image #3 anymore - I note you edited the opening post whilst I was writing - perhaps you need to re-edit it to ensure the Image #3 is available for viewing.

Go to http://www.tony.marshall.name/life-in-la-habana to see some more.

[Tony M]

Lots of noise in those images, are you sure the 1st and 2nd were taken at ISO 160 and 100? Nice compositions.

I don't think the originals had much noise. I added that effect in PP. Perhaps I got carried away with that effect...

[Sergio M.]

Great captures of three remarkable looking woman in their surroundings.
Took a look at your link; some fantastic stuff there.

Sergio

[flashback]

.

[William W]

Originally Posted by William W View Post
BTW - I cannot see Image #3 anymore

Go to http://www.tony.marshall.name/life-in-la-habana to see some more.

Thanks Urban. I am there now. Nice viewing.

And I can now can see Image three, in this thread.

WW

[ionian]

Wonderful pics Tony - I have nothing to add to what's already been said but had to say something as they are so good. Just keep that grain slider on a short leash!

[Shadowman]

I don't think the originals had much noise. I added that effect in PP. Perhaps I got carried away with that effect...

Tony,

Might be more effective if applied to only portions of the image such as the wall.

[Manfred M]

Great images Tony. Havana is always a place I've wanted to go, but have never quite managed to get there as something has always gotten in the way.

Your images do have that classical "street photography" look, other than perhaps the #2 which has more of a portrait feel to it. Is there any particular reason you decided to go B&W instead of colour, as I find the beautifully painted walls in doors of that part of the world particularly interesting elements for photographs?

[Mike Buckley]

All three are nice but the first one is just magical for me -- the doorway and the cocked angle of the woman's face.

I really envy you folks who can legally go to Cuba. It's only very recently that Americans that aren't visiting family in Cuba can legally travel there but there are relatively severe limitations. I've done the research and can't wait until the country becomes a more traditional travel destination without all the restrictions.

[Manfred M]

can't wait until the country becomes a more traditional travel destination without all the restrictions.

The downside will likely be that there will be a pent up demand to visit there from the USA (given the proximity of Cuba), so investors will throw money at the place and the "slums" will get torn down, the quaint old cars will disappear and Havana (as well as much of Cuba) will quickly come to resemble just another Caribbean island.

That's exactly what I saw happen in Eastern Europe. We were in East Germany the year before the wall came down and the year after. The difference that one year made was absolutely phenomenal, in terms of building, construction, imported vehicles, etc.

My suggestion would be to go before relations between Cuba and the USA normalize so that you can see this slice of Cuba before it disappears.

[Mike Buckley]

My suggestion would be to go before relations between Cuba and the USA normalize so that you can see this slice of Cuba before it disappears.

The problem is that Americans without family in Cuba can't legally go there on their own except in one rather extreme situation that even then requires for practical reasons knowing someone there who can help them find places to stay. That's the only situation that Americans are legally allowed to determine their own itinerary. In all of the other situations the itinerary must be part of a tour group and the daily itinerary must be pre-approved by the U.S. to comply with certain highly rigid criteria having to do with participation in programmed cultural exchange.

As far as I know, there is no other country in the world with such strong travel restrictions imposed upon Americans by America. North Korea might be another country but I'm not sure.

[IzzieK]

Very nice shots, Tony...So going on the conversation between Manfred and Mike, I would presume you have relations in Cuba. We all know that Urban does...My favourites are #1 and #3 for all the reasons already stated -- I like the conversions too, #2 is a little bit too dark for me.