Journey to Cuba: A People to People Cultural Exchange

Instructor: Jay Seldin

Join us for one of the most exciting visual experiences for photographers in the Western Hemisphere. And it’s only 90 miles off the coast of Florida. Cuba is the largest Caribbean Island. It is 760 miles east to west and 55 miles north to south. Its history dates back to the 15th century, when Columbus landed in east Cuba. Its culture is influenced by Spanish and African cultures. Our Cuban photo excursion is an 8-day/7-night experience in which you will meet face to face with Cubans from all walks of life. This is an extraordinary opportunity for U.S. citizens to share thoughts, insights, and ideas with the Cuban people, centered on a "People to People" cultural and photo exchange.

We will provide participants with a visa and Letter of Authorization for travel from Miami to Havana and back. Our journey will take us to the streets, courtyards, and homes of people who reside in Havana, the capital of the country and its commercial and cultural hub since colonial times. You will learn about daily life in this amazing, complex city and in nearby towns, where we will travel to see special cultural treasures. You will have a rare opportunity to visit with the Cuban people behind the aging facades of their homes, to photograph their interiors and create environmental portraits of the people that we meet. In addition, we will travel to the tobacco plantations of Pinar del Río for an exciting overnight stay. But Havana is the centerpiece of the trip, the center for art, music, dance, and film and the most beautiful city in the Caribbean, regardless of the fading paint and cracking stonework. This is a location- oriented workshop—we will not keep you indoors discussing Photoshop, but we are always there to advise and help out, whether about composition, camera handling, or Photoshop/ Lightroom workflows.

Image © Jay Seldin