Portraits | Don't Forget To Move

Friday Faces: Milena from Big Corn Island, Nicaragua

This little cutie is Milena. We met her family on our last day on the Corn Islands in Nicaragua. We were walking along the beach, discussing the unfortunate fact that although we had really maxed out our beach time, we hadn’t connected with the locals as much as we would have liked. Of course, serendipity kicked in and we were called over by a flurry of kids splashing and giggling in the water. When we got into the ocean, the children immediately started crawling into our arms and using Jules as diving board to jump into the waves. They were also mesmerized by Jules’ huge red beard. On an island where a red beard is as common as a white Christmas, Jules’ facial hair received a lot of attention.

We did experience a first, however, when the kids starting yelling “Santa Claus” and tugged at his beard. They continued to affectionally refer to him as Santa and one by one sat on his lap to tell him their Christmas lists. Eventually their older sister declared it was time to go and all three children reluctantly got out of the water. We took a couple of snaps to remember our afternoon, then the kids each got in their last minute Christmas wishes before saying goodbye to Santa Claus.

Friday Faces: Ernesto from Havana, Cuba

Meet Ernesto, Ernie for short. We met Ernie on a park bench in Havana, Cuba. Just moments before he sat down, a different man had been sitting beside us, smoking a cigar. I was silently trying to get the courage up to ask for his photo when Jules confidently struck up a conversation and snapped his portrait. After he left I was kicking myself for whimping out on the shot. Jules gave me a little pep talk and encouraged me to ask the next person who sat down, whoever they might be. Then came Ernie. Unlike the photo above he sat down in a hurry, with a scowl on his face. I peeped out a buenas tardes (good afternoon), but got no response. Jules shot me a look and I knew I wasn’t going to get out of this one.

I love taking portraits of people, especially while traveling, but it can be intimidating. I never want the subject to feel like a tourist attraction. I also don’t feel comfortable paying people for photos, and occasionally locals will pressure you for money or a gift. And then there’s the whole pesky language barrier thing.

But I realized, what’s the worst that could happen? He’d say no and I wouldn’t have the photo, which would leave me in the same place I began with. So I turned to him and gave my spiel of “I’m a photography student and would love to take your photo, blah blah blah.”

Instantly his scowl was replaced by a warm grin. He chuckled and agreed to a photo. I took the shot and we had a quick chat. Turns out he’s a security guard at night and comes to the park in the day to relax and nap. He asked us about where we’re from and about our photography. Then we said goodbye. I left with a new found self confidence for asking for portraits and he was left to nap on the bench. Thanks Ernie!

Friday Faces: Wilfredo of Havana Cuba

Meet Wilfredo! Friendly neighbourhood newspaper salesman, rum connoisseur and all round good guy. We met Wilfredo on our first day in Cuba while we were walking around absorbing all the cultural delights of Old Havana. He approached us with a couple of newspapers for sale, we sparked up a conversation and became immediate buddies.

Wilfredo is like many older citizens of Cuba. Too far set back in their old ways to really change, but desperately trying to embrace modern developments and the recent influx of tourism that has taken Cuba by storm. Everyday he hits the streets with his multilingual versions of Cuba’s daily news, trying to make the odd peso from the intrigued tourist. Be it French, German, Spanish or English, he has a paper to cover all the main tourist languages that make their way through Cuba.

What’s interesting about Cuba’s media is that there are only a handful of newspapers (all government owned) and it only comes in print. There’s no easily available or affordable internet, so there’s no ‘in the moment’ digital news to tap into with fancy iPads or Macbooks. Cuban’s rely solely on the few government ran radio channels, TV stations and print newspaper to get their news. As a result, they get a very different perspective from our Western media sources.

Picking up a local copy of Granma or Juventud Rebelde is the perfect way to understand how Cuban’s perceive the world and what news they’re delivered. It also gives you insight into Cuba and what’s happening around the country. Over the weeks in Cuba, speaking to the locals and reading the news, we really started to development an understanding of Cuban life.

Whenever we were in Havana we made sure to pop past Wilfredo’s corner, drop in for a chat and talk about what’s in the news. He’d offer us a sneaky hip-flask of rum, which we’d thankfully decline at 10am in the morning, and then we’d keep chatting. In a city like Havana, where tourists are mostly viewed as a walking ATM, it was refreshing to meet Wilfredo, who was more interested in a friendly exchange of conversation.

Friday Faces: Josefina of Trinidad Cuba

Meet Josefina! Born in 1910, it’s fair to say she’s witnessed her fair share of changes in Cuba. Having lived almost exactly half her long life in both pre and post revolution times.

We met Josefina while cruising the back streets of Trinidad, Cuba one breezy Sunday evening, while everyone was out on the street enjoying their time off before the rigorous work routine restarted the following day. Playing chess or dominoes, drinking homebrew beer from a truck for 25c a litre and arguing about the latest sports results.

At 103, Josefina no longer partakes in the drinking and gaming, instead opting for a more relaxed day of rocking in her chair on the porch and watching the activities from afar. We stopped briefly to chat and were immediately offered an invitation to come sit with her.

“La vida es dura” (life is hard), seemed to be her main summary. While a lot of her public services are supplied by the state, she still lacks some basic items to help improve her quality of life. She, like many older Cuban women, asked us if we’d brought any soap. A strange request, but in a country with rations and severe trade restrictions, it’s often the little things we take for granted.

After a short conversation about life in Cuba, we said goodbye to Josefina and left her standing in her doorway, quietly watching the slow evolution of Cuba.

If you’re planning a trip to Trinidad, don’t forget to check out our Cuba Travel Itinerary for 1-2 weeks, or for the longer term traveler check out our 3-4 week Cuba itinerary. It’s full of amazing places to visit, such as Vinales, Varadero, Havana and many more exciting places!

Friday Faces: Josefina from Nebaj Guatemala

Being a photographer in a foreign country can be a blessing and a curse. We are constantly surrounded by incredible colors, intriguing lifestyles and exotic people. It’s hard not to run up to locals and start snapping away. Fortunately, courtesy keeps us from shoving a camera in somebody’s face before asking first. Oftentimes we give up the opportunity of an amazing photo for fear of being rejected or making the local feel awkward. And other times, very rarely, a beautiful portrait falls in our laps. This was one of those times.

We were walking through the gorgeous rolling hills of Nebaj, Guatemala when we passed a yard of giggling girls. We waved and just after we passed, one of the girls ran out screaming “photo!” We looked at each other and raced to wrestle our cameras out of our bags. The rest of the group was shy, hiding at the sight of our cameras, but Josefina confidently placed her hands on her hips to pose. With a beautiful toothy smile, she proceeded to pose like a model in her very own photo shoot. The large indigenous population of this area of Guatemala, the Ixil Triangle, has had a rocky history. The local Mayan communities tend to be, understandably, a bit more closed to tourists and weary of photographers. We felt very lucky for this opportunity to photograph such a sweet local girl in her traditional and colorful clothing.

Friday Faces: Pedro of Antigua Guatemala

Meet Pedro of Antigua Guatemala, a sweet old man we met in the plaza one day while taking some snaps. After a small chat the conversation quickly turned to all sorts of random facts about the city and the history of Guatemala. Pedro was proud of his country and more than happy to share his expertise with us for a half hour. And we were more than happy to listen. Apart from being a great way to practice your Spanish, it’s a really fun activity for cultural exchange and learning along the road.

After our history lesson Pedro was intent on learning about our own countries. While knowing a bit about the United States, he was pretty shocked when it came to Australia. He couldn’t get over the idea that it was more than 12 hours away in a plane. …“es muy lejos, muy muy lejos”.

Before leaving he was happy to pose for a few snaps and a friendly handshake. Gracias Pedro!

Friday Faces: Maricela of San Pedro La Laguna

Meet Maricela! This little cutie was the next door neighbor of our host family in San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala. Although quiet at first, she was quick to warm up to us, and often came over to play games in the yard. She is an absolute sweetheart, but don’t be mistaken by that smile, she also has a mischievous side. One of her favorite pranks was hiding sand inside Jules’ shoes. But who couldn’t forgive a face like that? She loved it when we chased her around the yard. She’d giggle and scream, but eventually end up in our arms for a big hug.

Like most young girls around San Pedro she wore the traditional Mayan dress, intricately hand woven with beautifully bright colors. When she wasn’t spilling food down her top and getting her mum to clean it, you’d see her parading around town like a little woman carrying shopping bags from the market and helping the family.

Portraits: Acul After-School Program

After a long morning spent hiking through the Ixil Triangle in Guatemala, we hurriedly began the walk back to the hostel, hoping to avoid the afternoon rain. As we walked through the tiny town of Acul, we passed a group of young kids at school, yelling and waving. They enticed us into the school to take photos, only to run away whenever we got close. This happened at least 5 times. The teachers laughed and we began to walk away, but then contemplated turning back to poke our heads into the classroom.

Going back would definitely mean walking home in the rain, but we decided to chance it. When we entered the classroom, instead of being greeted with laughs and smiles, most of the kids started crying, cowering behind the teachers, in fear of these foreign visitors. We were scared that we had permanently scarred the children, but after a few minutes they started to open up to us. We end up staying for an hour, learning Spanish versions of childhood songs (including the Hokey Pokey) and teaching them a few English ones, like Old McDonald. Here’s some of the cuties we met there:

Portrait: Guadalupe in Nebaj Guatemala

While hiking the Ixil Triangle in Nebaj Guatemala we came across a bunch of inquisitive kids who wanted to have their picture taken. After a bit of conversation and some initial shyness they were very quick to come out of their shell and start fighting for front position. Guadalupe was busy washing the lunch dishes and didn’t participate as much, but I managed to capture this photo of her beautiful smile.