Diptych Project #19

Diptych Project35mm FIlm
Written By Karmen Meyer
A Cuban man wearing a straw cowboy hat and smoking a cigarette sits on his horse and looks directly at the camera. Photographed on 35mm film with a Nikon F100. Developed at home.

THE PEOPLE. CUBA, FEBRUARY 2025. I don’t think that I can begin to understand the nuances of living in a place like Cuba. The difficulties and joys are on an entirely different spectrum. One I keep trying to understand but surely never will.

I was told once that Cubans have three faces; one for the tourists, one for the government and one for their families. I don’t know how much truth there is to this. But it has continued to linger in the back of my mind as I work through the images I took there.

How many of the smiles were joy, how many were a platitudes to keep the tourists happy. We tried hard to leave more then we took from Cuba and it’s people, but honestly I am not sure that we succeeded.

I will never forget the warmth and resilience I witnessed. And recognize that they may not have the choice to be anything but.

Branches reach upward, covered in vines and washed in dreamy light. Photographed on 35mm film and developed at home.

THE PLACE. CUBA, FEBRUARY 2025. A wild witness. To revolution after revolution. To trials and triumphs. A place of true magic, this I have absolutely felt.

Karmen Meyer https://karmenmeyer.ca
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Diptych Project #20
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Diptych Project #18