Breakfast Club Havana Style
by Jo Ann Tomaselli
Title
Breakfast Club Havana Style
Artist
Jo Ann Tomaselli
Medium
Photograph - Photograph, Photography
Description
BREAKFAST CLUB HAVANA STYLE by JO ANN TOMASELLI
"... And these children
that you spit on
as they try to change their worlds
are immune to your consultations.
They're quite aware
of what they're going through..."
― David Bowie
It was after midnight when I entered the park directly across the street from the Hotel Presidente in Havana, Cuba. My intention was to grab a shot of the hotels' marquee for my photo-log. I was also testing the night time capabilities of an Olympus OMD EM-1 camera & a 75mm f/1.8 lens.
As I held up my camera to shoot, I heard shouts of 'hello my friend' and 'hey, hey, aqui', aqui'. When I glanced over at the vocal ruckus I saw a group of teenagers who, when they saw they had gotten my attention, immediately struck a pose.
I'm not sure where they materialized from as the initial group consisted of 6 boys, but in a flash there were 15 teens voguing, laughing & shouting 'tomar nuestra foto' -'take our photo'. Ahhh! I thought - this is infinitely more interesting than an architectural shot!
In the short time I spent with this group I realized my levels of incomprehension of the life of a Cuban teen. Not being conversant in their language except for a few basic phrases, I couldn't relate to them beyond our camera connection. I have no idea of the architecture of their daily life, what emotions they struggle with, the color of their hopes nor the dimension of their dreams.
I imagine these teens struggle with the same issues as teens world-wide with the added caveat of growing up in a Country that restricts freedom. I'm surprised when one of the young men tells me he has email. Delighted, I have him type his address into my phone self-consciously realizing this may be the 1st smart phone he's ever held in his hands.
I expect these kids will enjoy seeing the images they initiated and today, as I hit the email 'send' button, I cross my fingers hoping Google Translate has done a good job of transcribing my letter and add a little prayer that the email is delivered intact.
Uploaded
January 29th, 2014
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Viewed 1,506 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 03/13/2024 at 10:15 PM
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Comments (11)
Priya Ghose
This photo and the story behind it really makes me smile. A beautiful moment caught in time...
Jordan Blackstone
Congratulations! Your work is being Featured in CARDS FOR ALL OCCASIONS! Awesome work! l/f
Lee Craig
Such a range of expressions! Love this. It is especially striking in the black and white! Sharing!