There were many reasons for wanting to go, but high on the list was my belief -- based on the few images I'd seen -- that Cuba would prove to be a photographer's paradise. And indeed it did.
As it turned out, there was a great deal more to see and do in Havana than we anticipated, and so we never left the capital. (The rest of Cuba will have to wait until the next trip -- and there certainly will be one.) While there, I took literally thousands of pictures. As often happens when I visit someplace for the first time, I ended up taking two kinds of pictures. The first are what I call postcard pictures -- carefully framed, technically good photos that depict well-known sites. I shoot them mostly to document what I'm seeing, and also to help share the destination with others when I get back. (Showing people a series of vintage cars wouldn't really give them much of a sense of Havana, for example.) I don't intend it as any kind of criticism when I state that you know a postcard shot when you see it ("Yep, there's the Sydney Opera House!") because it looks like something you've seen before.
The other pictures are those that I shoot for me -- things that catch me eye in some way that prompts me to think, "That's cool!" If you've looked at the images on this site it won't surprise you that the things that catch my eye include bold shapes, graphic patterns and vivid colors. These are the pictures I love taking most, and generally I hope they don't look like something you've often seen before. These are the mages that I feel are most "me".
You'll be happy to know that I haven't posted thousands of images. Instead, I've chosen about 120. They are mostly "me" shots, plus a few postcard shots that I was especially happy with or I thought people might enjoy. I make no claim that these images are in any way a definitive portrait of one of the world's most fascinating cities. The only thing I claim is that they represent how I saw Havana.
For now, I put them all in one gallery (called, in a blaze of originality, Havana) to make them easy to find. Eventually, I'll integrate the pictures into my other galleries. Until then, I hope you'll explore the gallery and that you'll enjoy it. My thanks for taking a look.
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The show in question, Urban Color, is a collection of images that really capture what I'm all about. Yes, they are all urban (shot in New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle, among other places) and yes, they are also colorful. (Purists will note that two of the images are technically black and white, but to my eye that's very definitely part of the urban color scheme.) They are also very graphic and, I believe, capture beauty in places we don't always expect to find it. For the show, all the images are printed on aluminum, which allows for rich, saturated color better than any other medium I know.
The show opens May 7 at The Young American (150 E. Main St.) in Old Town Tustin, California. (The Young American's owner, Forrest Devitt, has been incredibly supportive and generous, and I honestly think it's an open question which of us is more excited.) There's an opening reception that evening from 7-10, and all are welcome. Come by to see the show, say hello, get some food and drink and perhaps even win a Mother's Day gift basket. If you can't make it that evening, be sure to stop by sometime over the next couple of months. The show will still be there (the featured images may even change somewhat during the run of the show) and you can enjoy all that Old Town Tustin has to offer.
Hope to see you there!
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The evening will showcase a wide variety of artists and their art: Paintings, sculpture, glass, jewelry, ceramics and, of course, photography. I'm honored to be included in this year's event, which will be on Saturday, September 20. I will be there with five photographs (including this one). If you come to the event, please stop by and say hello. For complete information, just click here.
Here's all the information you need:
Copperwood Artware
148 A N. Glassell St., Orange, CA 92866, 714/633-8374
www.CopperwoodArtware.com
