Photos offer close-up of Cuba
SHARONVILLE – Cuba had never been on Cliff Goosmann’s travel list, but after participating in the country’s Person to Person Cultural Exchange five years ago, the Montgomery resident enjoyed it so much that he returned for a second visit, photographing life in Havana and touring other areas of the island nation.
In a presentation titled “Cuba 1 – Havana and Countryside,” Goosmann will share his photos March 10, the first of seven programs in the Photography Club of Greater Cincinnati’s annual Travel Series at Sharon Woods. Throughout March and April, local photographers will share their adventures through photos that represent their travels across the globe, and include scenery, local residents and wild life, among other representations of cultures worldwide.
Here is a look at Goosmann’s show.
Where did you travel, and when?
“This program is about my first two visits to Cuba. The first trip was in January 2012 and the second in February 2014. Each trip was eight days long, excluding U.S. travel to and from Miami, Fla. On the first trip we stayed in Havana and toured the old city, the Malecon and neighboring suburbs. On the second trip we revisited Havana and also took a two day overnight excursion to Vinales and the Pinar del Rio area of Cuba. “
Why did you travel there?
“I had never considered traveling to Cuba until a friend told me that he had gone and enjoyed his visit. Enactment of the ‘Person to Person Cultural Exchange’ allowed individuals to visit Cuba as part of an approved tour group. Sometime thereafter, the Santa Fe Photography Workshops (SFW) announced they would be sponsoring photography trips to Cuba. I like to travel for the experience and the opportunity to photograph new places. Once the trip was announced, I was ready to go and signed up immediately. After the first visit I felt there was a lot more to see and do so when another trip was announced, I went again.”
Describe your trip.
“In order to comply with the ‘person to person’ requirements, we were provided with two Cuban professional photographers and a Cuban tour guide. In addition we were accompanied by two professional photographers from SFW. We had the advantage of traveling in small groups with photographers who knew where to go and what would be interesting to see and photograph. We were able to visit local homes, walk the back streets and be part of the community. The first trip included the typical bus tour of Havana with several stops at interesting places such as the Hotel Nacional, Revolution square, the open air book market and the El Morro fortress across the bay. We took another bus trip to visit a famous Cuban sculptor’s home in a nearby suburb.
“On the second trip I noticed many subtle but significant changes especially in Havana. There were more tourists, new hotels were being built, and there seemed to be even more old cars up and running. We traveled in small groups and visited some different homes and some we had seen before, watched and photographed several modern and folkloric dance groups, and then took a several hour bus ride for our overnight stay in Vinales, a small quaint town in the Pinar del Rio area of Cuba.”
What was the highlight of your trip?
“Just being able to visit a country that I had heard so much about but was unable to visit was exciting. After the initial thrill of just being there we visited Cuban homes, saw the beautiful old, now decaying buildings, interacted with the locals and observed their way of life. Traveling out of the city was a very different experience since we were able to see how the farmers lived and made a living.”
What would you like visitors to take away from your photo presentation?
“Although many of the buildings are crumbling from neglect, Cuba is a beautiful country which is holding up as best it can. The climate, hurricanes and lack of natural resources all contribute to a difficult environment. The people were always friendly, very engaging and proud. Although poor, their homes are very clean, the laundry hanging out over the railing is always amazingly clean and even city is kept clean. They are managing to get by on very limited resources.”
The Photography Travel Series is a free program, open to the public, though a valid Great Parks of Hamilton County sticker is required for entry to Sharon Woods. They can be bought at the park for $3 a day, or $10 for the year.
The travel series is celebrating 25 years as part of the club that was established in 1951. The Photography Club of Greater Cincinnati meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the Evendale Arts Center, beginning at 7:30 p.m. This is a change from its previous schedule and location in Wyoming. Annual membership is $35 for an individual and $50 for a family.
Sharon Woods Travel Series
March 10 – Cliff Goosmann, “Cuba 1- Havana and Countryside”
March 17 – Ed Soldo, “Iceland....a Road Trip”
March 24 – Alan Lloyd, "The Grand European Cruise”
March 31 – Cliff Turrell, “The Emerald Isle (Ireland)”
April 7 – Cliff Goosmann, “Cuba 2- Cuba Oriente (Eastern)”
April 14 – No program
April 21 – Neville Duffield, “Ethiopia”
April 28 – Mike Rank, “Cruising the Mediterranean”