Sharing Experiences with a US Photographer

Nonardo Perea

HAVANA TIMES — Recently I had the chance to meet a US photographer called Alejandro. He had come to Cuba to contribute in making a series of interviews with some Havana Times writers, with the aim to promote the website and seek out donations so that we can continue to exist as an alternative media platform.

When it came to my interview, I briefly spoke about my photographer’s side and the need I have to get a hold of resources in order to carry out my work in a more efficient manner.

And it’s not about crying our hearts out, unfortunately it’s a well-known fact that we live in a country where getting a hold of certain and specific things is a complicated and impossible matter, more so when you don’t have any relatives or friends living abroad who can get them for you.

Alejandro, who had already seen some of my work, was interested and he wanted to visit me and spend a day at my home, something which I’m very grateful for, because I know how much foreigners value their time and that of others.

Along with him came Yusimi Rodriguez, my dear colleague and age-old friend, who helped us communicate because I have no idea when it comes to English, and Irina Pino, who has been walking by my side for some time now, helping me whenever I need it.

I was amazed to meet a heterosexual man who didn’t feel uncomfortable at any moment while looking through my work, on the contrary, he gave his opinion the whole time and they were mostly positive on the whole. He recognized my skills as an artist, and even I wasn’t aware of his assessment at that time.

After a pleasant conversation in English and Spanish, I decided to change sex and in a blink of an eye, I was in another skin, and so I posed, very nervously, in front of his lens.

At some point, Alejandro suggested that I take an already famous photo, which has only been done with blonde girls, and never a transvetite man. I accepted his proposal and things flowed absolutely divinely. I still don’t know the name of the photograph, and I couldn’t see the original work, but he told me it was good.

Now, I have the images on my computer, I’m looking at them in order to classify them somehow. You have to remember that in order to take a good photo, you have to take many then pick. I have already begun to work on them.

After a session which flew by, and without a lot of preparation and previous ideas, I thought that I could have done things better, that I could have better made the most out of the moment, the chance to have high quality photos, of having Alejandro there with his extraordinary experience. It doesn’t matter if something is missing in the production, wardrobe, appropriate lights… In short, I’ve always wanted to outdo myself, and I normally always end up unsatisfied wanting more, but even so, I believe that this was a great day for all of us; a day I will never forget, and that’s what’s most important.