Hi All: If you're interested, I recently added some color shots to my Cuba folder in the online "Leica Gallery". Again, I apologize for the scan quality in advance, as they are flatbed scans of color prints. I hope you enjoy them anyway... Comments welcome! "Cuba in color."

Cheers,

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), June 07, 2002

Answers

Like the coco taxi one!

Reminds me of being there last year. they make great shooting platforms. Thanks for sharing

B

http://briandavidstevens.com

-- brian (briandavidstevens@talk21.com), June 07, 2002.

Good Stuff, Jack! I'm partial to the B&W, but the color is good too! b~

-- Bob (bobflores@attbi.com), June 07, 2002.

Jack, usually b&w images appeal to me most, but i think your best shots are 1) the one of the kid swinging the baseball bat, the colour composition, unique turquoise of the wall and movement of the bat give it eye-catching movement and 2) street hoops: love the rustic backdrop and dynamics of the players, only suggestion could be to try with a slower shutter to capture some blurred movement of the players. Enjoyed them, thanks

-- sparkie (sparkie@mailcity.com), June 07, 2002.

Good shots! especially liked the bikes and cars, and kids playing, How did you go? tour ? arrange your own trip?

-- gary brown (drdad1111@yahoo.com), June 07, 2002.

opps, hoops waz b&w. great monotone shot. keep up the good shooting jack

-- sparkie (sparkie@mailcity.com), June 07, 2002.

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments.

Sparkie: I agree re the slow shutter speeds -- problem was Cuba is a very bright place lighting-wise. At the time, I was shooting Delta 400, and this shot was probably already something like 1/250 @ f11 -- not a whole lot of room left in the M to slow things down with!

Gary: I arranged my own trip, which was an "interesting" travel experience!

Cheers,

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), June 07, 2002.

Negotiations is my favorite.

-- Igor Osatuke (visionstudios@yahoo.com), June 07, 2002.

Thanks for posting these. They are far, far better than a certain famous photographer whose Cuba work was recently in the National Geographic.

-- Bill (bmitch@comcast.net), June 07, 2002.

That's because he used an M6 classic and Jack used an M6TTL and we all know the newer the Leica product the better the results...didn't you read all those reports and the book? ;>)

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), June 07, 2002.

Jack- Real good portfolio! I wonder which were taken with the 28'cron? I like the one with the man on motorcycle, talking with the lady; wonder what the conversation might have been about?! Did you take in the beaches? I understand they have some of the very best-- white sand & all. Would the M7 have been a big improvement for you? (I assume you used the M6-TTL) I suppose it is safe there. Is there much crime?

-- Frank Horn (owlhoot45@hotmail.com), June 07, 2002.

Bill: You have just made my day... errr make that my whole year!!!

Jay: You can actually thank the extra center dot in the M6TTL!

Frank: None of Cuba was done with a 28 as I didn't have one with me on that trip. I did make a trip to Veradero, which has an incredible white sand beach -- but there was not much else going on there. I'll go as far as saying the M7 would have been a convenience... Lastly, the girl talking to the guy on the motorcycle is the image titled "Negotiations" that Igor is referring to. By the title, I'm sure you can figure out exactly what was being discussed!

Igor: "Negotiations" seems to be a universal favorite among males... However, for some reason females hardly give it a second glance. But heck, they don't understand the cars and cigars either ;- )

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), June 07, 2002.

Jack, My favorite, you smoking that great Cuban cigar. I just returned from a 3 week stay in Italy and happened to find a few Cuban cigars in my suitcase which I forgot were there :) Great site. Thanks Don

-- Don (maldos@cox.net), June 07, 2002.

good shooting Jack, I like many, specialy black and white.

how long did you stay in Cuba Jack?; and what proportion of film did you take (betwen B&W and Color)?

Regards from Mazatlan

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), June 07, 2002.

Nice shots. What can I say? Somewhere I'd like to go myself. I presume the B&W photos were all shot w/ IIICs & IIIFs since they won't accept color film. My memory is that the M6s don't shot anything but color, right? So my deduction is probably safe. You're such a purist, Jack!

-- Patrick (pg@patrickgarner.com), June 07, 2002.

Really nice color shots. I enjoyed the hues and pastels so much. Every shot have something to offer. Thanks so much for this very interesting experience.

-- Glenn Travis (leicaddict@hotmail.com), June 07, 2002.

I thought that was Hemmingway, with the cigar! ;-}

-- Frank Horn (owlhoot45@hotmail.com), June 07, 2002.

Thank you again for the comments...

Roberto: This was my first real experience shooting B&W on a travel destination. As such, I took a 50/50 mix of each. I was there for 10 days.

Patrick: You may be confusing me with someone else? It was because of my desire to start shooting B&W more seriously that I got into the M in the first place. But I may have to cop to being a purist ;-)

Glen: Yes, the nature of the colors there surprised me. I am ready to back again and see what else I can see.

Frank: No way Hemingway EVER looked so good!

;-),

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), June 07, 2002.

Hello Jack,

All the photos were fun. I loved the lady with the big cigar and the young woman talking to the chap on the motor scooter. I think you could do an very thick book on all the vintage cars that are in running order in Cuba.

Lots of friends of mine have shot some of their best work in Cuba. I am anxious to get there somehow some day before Cuba and the US establish diplomatic relations, the embargo is lifted, and Cuba will become another country. (For humanitarian reasons I hope this day comes swiftly; life is more important than art.) Curious: Any problems Americans have had with the State Dept. or any other agency?

I do think photographing the old cars is important for historical reasons. A lot will eventually be bought by collectors and restored to mint condition. As they are, they are classics works of folk art and science. One hopes a few at least will be kept in orginal condition after everyone starts driving Toyotas.

Good work, Jack.

Best,

Alex

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), June 09, 2002.

Nice work, Jack.

Cuba is on my list of "must-visit" places. We should organize our own trip of photographers to make a week or 10-day trip down. We could all meet in Cancun an take the flight over.

Would be a lot of fun.

-- Jim Tardio (jimtardio@earthlink.net), June 09, 2002.

Jack .... great images..... you've got the eye and you know how to handle that little Leica.

-- Sheridan Zantis (albada60@hotmail.com), June 10, 2002.