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B+Wpro photographers who do it all the time
to get the most from a trip.A
lthough there’s something very
special about visiting a place for
the first time, producing images
that capture its character can
be difficult because everything is new andexciting and your attention tends to be
pulled in all directions. One way around
this problem is to stay for a long time so
the novelty wears off and you start to
see beyond the glossy veneer. National
Geographic photographers are renowned
for spending weeks or months on location
working on a story, but by doing so theimages they produce have an intimacy and
sympathy that wouldn’t exist if they flew in
and back out in a matter of days.
Another option is to keep going back to
the same place so you get to know it over
months and years. This approach applies
as much to rural locations as urban – you
could revisit the same beach, woodland
or landscape just as much as you could
return to the same town or city. The benefit
of making return visits is that as well as
returning to the same old haunts you’ve
frequented before, you can also make a
point of discovering new places. Locals can
be a great help here as they will know about
the hidden gems tourists never see.
Cuba is perhaps my favourite place in
the world so far. It’s also one of the most
complex, a country whose present is wholly
defined by its past, but it’s that complexity
that makes Cuba so fascinating.
Once wealthy and grand, Cuba’s clock
effectively stopped when Fidel Castro ejected
the corrupt government and dictatorship of
Fulgencio Batista in 1959 and became the
country’s socialist leader. In response, the
USA severed all financial ties and Cuba
was plunged into economic despair.
Life in Cuba is hard. Living conditions
for many are substandard; the once grand
buildings have faded and crumbled due
to 60 years of neglect; most of the cars
on the road are old American models that
predate the revolution and rationing of basicHAVANA CUBA The Malecon (waterfront) in Havana is where the locals gather in the evening, and
a great place to head with a camera. Waves crashing against the sea wall is a common sight.
Canon EOS 5D MkIII with 70-200mm lens, ISO 400, 1/320sec at f/11HAVANA CUBA
Dominos is a popular game in Cuba and it’s
common to see it being played on the streets.
Canon EOS 5D MkIII with 24-70m lens, ISO 400,
1/640sec at f/3.256-61_LEE_FROST_171 ER/MB.indd 6056-61_LEE_FROST_171 ER/MB.indd 60 05/11/2014 10:5005/11/2014 10:50