One of my students Luis Casadevall recently went to Cuba and shot monochrome. Here is some of my feedback for his photos (very strong set) — so hopefully you can learn (below are my comments, and feedback/critique):

Man and cat:

Absolutely beautiful and tender moment. Love the look of the man into the eyes of the cat, the strong leading line from bottom right to his hand, and the constructed cat on the far right of the frame. Other nice details include the lines in his pants.

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People at the water

I love the composition here (curved arabesque between all the subjects), and the elegant movement of the people throughout the frame. Beautiful minimalism, tones in the water— a timeless photo!

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People by graffiti wall

Love the sense of scale here— the distance in which you’ve shot, and also the strong separation between the subjects in the middle of the frame and the white background. Also like the man on the far left, climbing up. I also like the ‘black blood’ markings on the wall. Nice mix-up with the distance!

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Hotel

Very beautiful light between the two couple: the look in the man’s eyes looking at the woman, and the very elegant space above the woman’s head with the curve here. I also love the leading lines of the composition of the table, and the hand-gestures make a beautiful photo!

Looking at your CUBA series — it almost looks like a modern-day Henri Cartier-Bresson!!!

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Framing with man in car

Love the framing here— especially the framing on top of the car, and the minimalism of the rest of the scene. What could have made this photo a timeless classic if there was a reflection in the rear view mirror.

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Tree trunks

Love the symbolism here— the woman in the umbrella in the bottom left of the frame. However for me, the scene has too much texture (perhaps reduce the ‘structure’ or sharpening of the scene?) Otherwise, the contrast, the layers and form are excellent.

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Woman peeking out

Love the woman on the left, and the girl on the far right!!! I seriously haven’t seen as innovative black and white photos in CUBA in a very long time; these are a very very strong set. I love the classic yet depth/dynamic composition of the layers here. SUPER SUPER STRONG!!

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High angle of kids stretching

Looks like a classic Henri Cartier-Bresson photo! I love the high angle, the arabesque between all the subjects the frame, and the textures on the ground! Top of the frame looks a bit blurry; next time shoot at f/8 or f/16?

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Hand and earrings

Love the addition of the man’s arm, and his veins, and the minimalism of the shapes and forms. Very strong photo. But once again, the processing is too intense. Lower the exposure in post-processing. Very good photo.

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Man sweeping and woman hunched over

Like this photo, the diagonals of the old woman’s cane and the man’s broomstick match so well! A classic beautiful scene which I feel will age well.

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Curved backs of boys

OMG THIS PHOTO IS AMAZING!!!! I love the curve on the wall on the far left, which echoes the curves in the backs of the boys. Super super innovative yet elegant/simple composition. This deserves to get printed and put on your wall!! A++++

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Boy with hair

This is also a very innovative photo: the perspective from behind his head, the textures in the water look phenomenal (like Sebastian Salgado’s ‘Genesis book). I also love the simplicity of the background. Another very very strong photo!!!

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Kid with hand on door

Super elegant photo and simple — reminds me of an old school American film noir film. Would also look great as a print!

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Haircut mirror

Nice textures and love the man’s face on the far right is obscured. This texture makes the photo look super epic!

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Man on the sand, sleeping

VERY VERY STRONG PHOTO! Another portfolio-worthy shot (which deserves to get printed). I love the metaphor of the blood on the background, and the curve in his body. The black and white tones here also look super excellent — your processing in black and white is perfect here!! I wish I shot this photo!

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THUMBS UP

THUMBS UP : beautiful separation between the man’s hand in white, and the textured background. Upload this as your last photo in your series

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Old woman

Beautiful separation between her face and the background. Has a ton of soul!

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Overall conclusion:

Things which are very strong about your series:

1. Intimate look into Cuba, and intimate emotions with subjects. I don’t feel I am intruding — I feel I am really there!
2. Black and white Cuba is more original; color is too over-saturated in Cuba photography. Also these photos are less about the exoticism of Cuba; more about the simplicity of the people, which also shows in your composition.
3. Your elegant and simple and dynamic compositions here are phenomenal. Seriously Magnum-Henri Cartier-Bresson levels in many ways!!!

Suggestions:

1. Continue to shoot in this style. It suits you very well.
2. Print more of your photos — they will look amazing.
3. Definitely stick to your current setup and processing style. Also make sure not to over-process or make “too sharp” some photos.

Overall conclusion for your Cuba project: A+. I love it a LOT, and I would even suggest printing this as a small book. Just print 25 copies, and share it with friends, family, or anyone who might be interested. Truly a beautiful marvel to see Cuba— it makes me want to go!

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HUGE HUGS,
ERIC