Suggestion for a travel in Cuba.

[attilio_peschiera]

<p>I'have planned to travel to Cuba next maj 2010.</p>

<p>I have Nikon D200 Digital Camera and Videocamera Panasonic.<br>

I'm thinking to put in my bag the following lenses.<br /> Nikkor 16-85 VRII<br /> Nikkor 70-300 VRII<br /> (So I'm covered for all kind of photos).<br>

I'm thinking also to take with me the following fixed lenses.<br /> Nikkor 35 f2 AFD for general purpose.<br /> Nikkor 85 f1.8 AFD for portrait to cuban people.<br /> and Tamron Macro 90 f2.8 AFD (I don't know, but if I have the possibility to take macro should be useful)<br>

I'm thinking to leave at home nikkor afd 24 f2.8 (I don't like really) and nikkor afd 50 f1.4 (for portrait I prefer 85 f1.8 and for general purpose I prefer 35 f2).<br>

I think to leave at home also my zoom tokina 12-24.<br>

<br /> Do you think that is a right selection of lenses or can I leave at home all my fixed lenses and travel only with two zooms? (I'm not shure if take only zoom to be more light or to add also two or three fixed lenses).<br /> <br /> Do you have suggestion about wich kind of photos take in Cuba ? (tour of 1 Week in Cuba, La Havana and other locations, plus one week at Cayo Largo).</p>

[luis_g]

<p> I would leave the 70-300 at home, and take the 16-85 for use in strong light (plenty of that in Cuba), and the 35/1.8 and 85/1.8. Unless you're a plant buff, I'd leave the macro at home, too.</p>

<p>What to photograph in Cuba? It's perhaps <em>the </em>most photographed Latin American country, specially Havana. Everybody who's anybody in documentary work has been there several times. No one can suggest this for you. You have to come up with your <em>own Cuba.</em> Being on a tour, where you go is going to be pre-determined. Look at your itinerary and check out a large site like Flickr to see what it looks like where you will be going.</p>

<p>For example:</p>

<p>

<p>You mentioned photographing the Cubans. They're a very friendly people who have been through a lot -- and love life, and well-behaved tourists. Stop at the dollar store where you live before going, and load up on $2 calculators, specially the solar-powered kind. Something to give to the people you photograph. Or give them a couple of dollars. Offer to send your subjects prints, write their names and addresses down, <em>and do it. </em>You speak Italian, so you'll be able to make your self understood a little bit there. Learn some basic spanish phrases before you go.<em><br /></em></p>

<p><em> Study and look carefully </em>at work that's been done before.</p>

<p>Look at David Alan Harvey's <em>Cuban Soul, </em>most of it done on one 35/1.4 lens:<em> </em></p>

<p>http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=David+Alan+Harvey+%2BCuba&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=y3C6S_6DEIL68Aa319WCDA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CBsQsAQwAw</p>

<p>Or Robert Polidori's large-format work on the haunting interiors of Havana, frozen in time...</p>

<p>http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=polidori+%2BCuba&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&start=0</p>

<p>Cuba is sensory overload. When the Gods dished out character, humor, and good-naturedness, the Cubans (like the Italians) got a big, dripping wedge of it. Odds are you'll be overwhelmed if this is your first visit, just keep shooting, and avoid being blinded by it all. The reality there is magical realism, and coming from Italy, you should be well-equipped to deal with that.</p>

<p> </p>

[Hector Javkin]

<p>I would leave the Tamron 90mm behind in addition to the lenses you are already leaving, but if you had a tiny point and shoot camera, you might want to add it.</p>

[luis_g]

<p>Take a lot more memory cards than you think you'll need. A P&S is not a bad idea, specially since you are not taking a back-up DSLR body. Since you'll be spending half your time at the beach, maybe a waterproof model?</p>

<p> </p>

[attilio_peschiera]

<p>Thanks! I have also a compact nikon like P6000 just to use as P&S or as backup camera.<br>

I have not yet decided about Tamron 90. I don't know if can I have opportunity to use it (for example if I'll see plants or little animals particular)</p>

[david_henderson]

<p>I would definitely just take the zooms. To take advantage of the opportunities Cuba has to offer you need to be quick to react , minimising lens changes and having to change position to frame. What I'm saying is that if you're walking around with the 16-85 on the camera, and that frames right, then its unlikely IMO that you'll want to take the risk of losing the shot by changing to the 85mm which you might then have to change position to use. </p>

[michellemandat]

<p>I think that only one lens is necessary the 16-85. Travel light.</p>

[luis_g]

<p> While I am all for traveling light, and the 16-85 would be my one lens choice from Attilio's inventory. I think you'd be shorting yourself by not taking at least <em>one</em> fast lens, and the wider the better. Without buying anything new, the 35/1.8 would be my 2nd choice.</p>

<p> </p>

[phil_marion]

<p>I think there are tons of different things to photograph in Cuba: landscapes, sunsets, portraits, city fragments....ect. Check out my online photos - there are 2 Cuba galleries.<br>

<a href="http://www.flickriver.com/photos/phil_marion/sets/">http://www.flickriver.com/photos/phil_marion/sets/</a><br>

I'd go with just zooms that cover the biggest gamut possible: telephoto as well as wide angle. Don't worry about taking too much to Cuba. Just worry about carrying too much on each walkabout.</p>

[gejza_cepela]

<p>Maybe a visit to one of the historical jails in Havana.It's full of political prisoners and other interesting characters.Enjoy your trip.</p>

[phil_marion]

<p>Gejza, more interesting would be visiting the numerous people held illegally without habeus corpus, based on flimsy 'hearsay evidence' and subject to torture in a more famous jail. The problem is it isn't near Havana - it is at the other end of the island in Guantanamo Bay.</p>

[robert_k1]

<p>A pot should not call a kettle black.<br>

The kind of photos Gejza is interested can be found at anyone's home country. For such a project, shooting at a home base has many advantages: better understanding of the situation, background, and subject, better connections, more time, etc. etc. Not something a traveler can do within a short time frame. Perhaps the post has a different agenda.</p>