Benz World Blog » Cuba

Capitolio Nacional

Jason Benz — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 09:45:54 +0000

This is Karen’s photo of the National Capitol Building in Havana. It was the seat of government in Cuba until after the 1959 revolution. As of 2013 restoration began in preparation for it to be once again used for the national assembly.

Cuban Music

Jason Benz — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 11:25:44 +0000

The music of Cuba is exceptional. History has made it unique. We found it in every city in the cafes, bars and on the streets. Being a musician in Cuba is considered a profession worthy of a wage from the government. I grew up in the UK where being a musician was considered a lack of profession. In 2013 Sony looked to the Caribbean for music. In 2014 a delegation from Sony visited the Cuban state owned record label with an offer of world distribution for the island’s national music archive. This week’s announcement confirmed global licensing of 30,000 songs dating back to 1964.

Split Toning was used to process this image in Camera RAW. I used the settings from this shot as it has become the most popular one from Bluesfest 2015.

Conception Cathedral

Jason Benz — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 01:55:01 +0000

This is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Cienfuegos. Roman Catholicism is the main religion in Cuba. In 2015 Raúl Castro lifted a ban on people of any faith joining the Communist party. This ended the separation of Religion and Politics which has existed since the government declared itself officially atheist in 1961.

This photo was taken with an early compact digital camera EX-Z3 in 2004. It is also the first image I had accepted by Shutterstock for Stock Photography and is available for download here.

Pimped Classic

Jason Benz — Sat, 08 Aug 2015 10:10:21 +0000

Karen photographed this classic car in Cuba. If anybody knows the model please leave a comment. I used fractalius and photoshop to pimp it up.

Cuban Thaw

Jason Benz — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 12:37:56 +0000

I photographed these people in Cuba in 2004 when Fidel Castro was still running the country. I was pleased to hear that the USA plan to reopen their embassy in Havana this month, after 54 years. Maybe it says more about the American political system when only an outgoing president, unencumbered by elections, can take the risks needed to resolve historic problems.

Cienfuegos Square

Jason Benz — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:38:13 +0000

This is Cienfuegos Square in Cuba. It is one of the Caribbean images from the old website I took in 2004. Before I get back to Australia I have been transferring some of the old images to the new photoblog.

This image has been accepted by Shutterstock for Stock Photography and is available for download here.

Pimped Lada

Jason Benz — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:46:49 +0000

I decided to have a go at pimping this Lada from Cuba. If anybody knows the model please leave a comment. To process this image I used the same technique as Red Chevy. Orton Effect, Fractalius and Selective Desaturation.

Cuban Man

Jason Benz — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 10:37:20 +0000

This was my first attempt at portraiture. Back in 2004 I decided to try and get the perfect cover shot for the lonely planet guide to Cuba. Cuba is a place soaked in history so to get that across I asked some of the old locals if I could take their picture. I liked this shot because of the crooked bars and the way his skin matched the red of the door. This was taken when Fidel Castro was still running the country. I remember someone telling me that he had been in power so long he had seen 10 U.S. Presidents come and go. After returning from Cuba I discovered without a Model Release Statement from the local the image could not be sold. These days I keep spare Model Release Statements in my camera bag at all times.

Red Chevy

Jason Benz — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:49:10 +0000

This is a 1957 Chevrolet in Trinidad, Cuba. To process this image I used a similar technique as the Blue Chevy. Orton Effect on the car and desaturation and de-focus background. To add some extra sparkle I also added a subtle Fractalius layer.

Havana Cuba

Jason Benz — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 03:05:30 +0000

This was taken in Cuba. This building is typical of the design and condition of houses in Havana. I like this shot as despite being taken with an early digital compact camera EX-Z3 it had a natural HDR look about it even before I started work on it. To process this image I started be removing the cables in front of the building with the Spot Healing Brush Tool set to Content-Aware. I then added Vignette, Viberence, Selective Desaturation and the Orton Effect. Then I gently lifted the pastel shades of the buildings using individual channel curves. I tried to submit this image for stock but it was rejected by Shutterstock and Dreamstime for copyright. I guess Art-Deco buildings count as Art.