Cuba - advice

I've been to Cuba.
Felt totally save even walking about at night. The people are so friendly.
You'll have a fantastic holiday and get some great shots.
We stayed in Havana then moved to Varadero.....
If I was going back I'd take my best gear...(my only gear).
 
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A great place - I'd go FF with the 24-70 and the 70-200. :)
 
I have travelled extensively in Cuba. The camera you take will cost the average Cuban 2 years wages so I strongly suggest you don’t flash it around, I carried my Nikon DSLR in a daysac that I strapped to my chest rather than on my back. I also used a neck wallet but I had no problems whatsoever apart from the normal tourist rip off attempts. There are pick pockets in Havana and anyone who helps you will expect something in return. I suggest the following places for photography in Havana - The Malecon at night, the old Bacardi HQ on the edge of the tourist area - pay the guard $1 to let you up to the top floor for fantastic views, behind the Capitolo building is the old Upmans cigar factory - again a Dollar to the guard gets you an unescorted walk around and it’s stuffed full of old things - take a torch as the power is off, you can go to the current cigar factory in a taxi but buy your tour ticket before you go - tickets from any of the hotels on Park Plaza. And don’t forget the Tropicana - you don’t need to buy a photo permit and book via the tour desk in one of the big hotels again. Ask them to ring and get you a front row seat, then tip the lady selling you the tickets $1…… Cubans are lovely people but they know you as a tourist have money. Lots to photograph down by the cruise port - fantastic church called St Edwards I think which is very photogenic inside opposite side of the road from where the cruise ships dock. Enjoy!
 
I've done Cuba twice, but on an organised photographic trip that encompasses Vinales, Trinidad and Cienfuegos.

I would take the 17-40, 24-70 and 70-200. Tripod and Flash.

La Guarida restaurant is a must (that would necessitate the 17-40 for the stair case shot
Gran Teatro on Parque Central is also a must, the staircase is beautiful, a few cucs for a visit.
Plenty of crumbling buildings in Centro and Viejo (24-70 is ideal)
Lots of old american cars - but being pushed out by lots of modern cars. Look out for classic european cars, plenty around even Morrises, Austins, Fords, Vauxhalls and MG. I'll be jealous if you see a Saab 93B or F.
70-200 will be ideal for detail shots..buildings and people, don't leave home without it.

If you have a collection of hotel soap bars then those will be ideal to give as 'payment' for portaits. I even actually paid with a wet, sweat-encrusted, branded baseball cap in Trinidad so some goods are appreciated more than money (not sure if the currencies have been aligned yet - tourists have 'convertibles' (cucs) and locals have nacionales - very different so check your change). There is a 'money exchange' facility in the foyer of the Hotel Parque Central you can swap euros, pounds and Swiss francs quite easily - don't take US dollars.

Enjoy! It is an incredible journey. some ideas for you in here Welshwizard's precovid trip to Cuba
 
It's almost a given that you'll enjoy Cuba, but then as anywhere, everyone's Cuba is their own. The significant thing is the difficulty moving about in Cuba, Via Azul is still your friend in that respect, but then it sounds as if that isn't your intention, which is fine (but you will miss out on a lot). If your "moving along the coast" from Havana is Varadero, you should be aware that this is the least Cuban place in Cuba, which is fine if what you want is a resort, but would be disappointing if you were expecting local character. (Mrs Ham & I spent a few days there at the end of a few weeks traipsing around the country for some well deserved R&R ;) )

Photography-wise, Cuba has it all: Street, Architecture, Portrait, Landscape, History, Atmosphere. What gear you choose to take depends on your own leanings, there's no right or wrong. If I'm honest, my trip to Cuba was probably one of my least successful trips photographically, like a kid in a sweet shop I wanted to grab it all and ended up with less than I would have hoped (although, there are some I like, it would be almost impossible to have a total bust).

Outside of tourist centres, some Spanish helps. Don't be surprised by bad food - it's all they've got. Don't be surprised by the limited Internet - you will recognise public WiFi from the crowds milling around, and if you are in a hotel, you will probably have some connection. Watch where you are going - if you are walking around with a real or virtual viewfinder on your eye, there is a substantial danger you will fall into one of the very many massive holes in the pavements and roads. Please DO NOT ask me how I know this. And those big American cars? They're as likely as not to have a Lada diesel under the hood ;)

A couple of recommendations: Vinales for the scenery (day trip from Havana) and Trinidad for atmosphere.
 
Ham said:
And those big American cars? They're as likely as not to have a Lada diesel under the hood ;)

A couple of recommendations: Vinales for the scenery (day trip from Havana) and Trinidad for atmosphere.
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Actually Moskvitch engines rather than Lada, but most people don't know a Moskvitch from a Lada. If you think you see a Chrysler Alpine, it's actually a Moskvitch Aleko (they say it is not a copy, but it is absolutely identical!)

I know a guy called Guillermo in Vinales who's a good contact if photos of the tobacco farmers is on the desired photo list.
 
Kell said:
I think CUCs are now obsolete. It's one the scams to look out for. Getting CUCs in your change instead of CUPs
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Good to know, I knew there was a change on the horizon - but we went just before Covid so much has probably changed since....


And before I forget - for beer lovers - spend a bit extra for Bocanero rather than the standard fare.

Cocktails can be a bit variable too. Cuba Libres are standard, Mojitos the next level. Pina coladas at Hemingway's bar are worth a try.
 
I went a few years ago, absolutely loved it and would absolutely go again. Cuba is extremely safe and in fact in Varadero the crime rate is practically 0 as the punishments are harsh. They rely heavily on tourism and can’t afford for that to be affected. That being said, like anywhere it’s always best to practice caution.

My travel camera at the time was the Olympus EM1 II and 90%+ of my shots were with the 12-40mm f2.8 pro (24-70mm eq) which were on a sling strap), but I did take a wide prime for the cars.

I do wish I had my FF mirrorless at the time because as good as m4/3 is Cuba (Havana in particular) is a magical place and I really wish I’d got the best of the best shots from there.
 
welshwizard645 said:
Actually Moskvitch engines rather than Lada, but most people don't know a Moskvitch from a Lada. If you think you see a Chrysler Alpine, it's actually a Moskvitch Aleko (they say it is not a copy, but it is absolutely identical!)
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Ok, I was extemporising. The car I know about for sure was the Opel Record (P1) of a taxi driver we used. His father had originally bought the car new, expecting to change it a year or so later. The rest, as we say, is history. He was particularly proud that he had and used the original key. He'd swapped the engine for a Lada petrol at some stage.
 
Kell said:
I hear you. Though I have to say it's tempting to uncomplicate things and just take my fixed lens compact and just get what I get.

Some of my favourite shots from Iceland were taken on that, despite also having a 5D and some L glass.

BUT... there's a part of me that would always lick myself in the future for not having something decent.
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I go round in circles with this, I'm even considering something like the RX100 as I do get fed up of carrying bigger kit, however when I look back at the photos from Cuba and Venice the light wasn't favourable at times (too much sun/contrast or dull and overcast) and I could have done with the extra dynamic range. That being said, I look back at the photos and I'm sure I could a lot better now anyway, they're not the best, I'm not even sure I like the processing anymore :facepalm:

If you're interested here's a link to my album, there's one or two car pics in there :LOL:
flic.kr

Cuba 2019

Explore this photo album by TDG-77 on Flickr!
flic.kr flic.kr
 
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Kell said:
That was what I thought I would end up getting. In the end I bought a Canon G5 X and I love it.

There's a thread here of my thought (and buying) process in case it's of any use. There's some G5 shots in the later posts too - or there's my G5 album on flickr
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Thanks, I had the G7x for a while but I don’t think it was the best copy as the corners were very bad. The G5x II looks tempting but I like the look of the 24-200mm range of the RX100 VI. Trouble is the G5x II and Rx100 VI (and VII) are silly money.
 
Kell said:
I loved the idea of the range of the later RX100s, but TBH for what I wanted it for (taking out on night out instead of lugging a FF and flash) I thought the 1.8-2.8 lens of the earlier models better suited my requirements - even though it was shorter. 24-70 on the Sony from memory.

I only 'ended up' with the G5X as I preferred the fully articulated screen and the hot shoe. Plus the fact it was slightly more range at 24-100.
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It’s always a trade off for sure, there’s definitely times when the faster lens would be advantageous.
 
Kell said:
Just wanted to say a massive thank you for the hints and tips.

As per usual, there were far too many to do, but what an experience.

In the end, I took my little Canon G5X, the 5D3 and a 17-40, a 24-70 and a nifty fifty 1,8. Plus a big 580EX and 270EX flash - one for each of the cameras.

Didn't take anything longer than 70 and on maybe two or three occasions, perhaps wished I had. I used to have a 70-300 (non L-series) which I sold to part fund a 100-400 (and to prevent too much GAS) which would have been good for the extra reach and low weight.

But, we were already trying to ditch stuff before we went on the way out as the cases were all over our allowance. Couldn't really expect the missus to leave behind her toiletries so I could take 1.5kg of lens.

Got back this morning - will update when I can, but it will be a biggie as from what I can gather, so much has changed (for the worse) during the pandemic. And most of the above is no longer true, but will give a bigger update (and some selects if anyone's at all interested) at the weekend.

Our Air B&B host (who was amazing) explained that, for example, a pound of Pork pre-covid was about 35 pesos, after covid it was around 350. The whole money thing was the biggest shock - we didn't change any money anywhere official as it would have ended up costing us a fortune.

Official exchange rates (when we arrived) were one Euro to 25 Pesos. But spend your Euros (or dollars, GBP, Canadian dollars - they would accept almost anything) in any of the restaurants and they were worth between 80-100 Pesos. By the time we left, that rate had gone up to 130.

We stayed right in the Old Town for the first 5-6 days, then moved out along towards Miramar. Very pleased we were nowhere near Varedero for a number of reasons. The first being that I'm not fond of all-inclusives, and the second being that there had been a massive explosion at the oil refinery near there and the entire sky was black. Continued burning for the best part of a week.

Supermarkets had nothing. We'd normally air B&B it and cook for ourselves around 50% of the time but it proved almost impossible to do. We'd taken out some items to make meals and couldn't get the other bits while there. Tried a supermarket and it had 4 packs of pasta, one 3-pack of orange segments and a cat asleep on a cardboard box.

We wanted tomatoes, and ended up buying baby cereal from a hole in the wall to exchange for the information to find out where to get the tomatoes. Crazy, crazy place.
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That’s a shame it’s gone like that, Cuba’s such a great place.
 
Such a shame you encountered these problems. I loved my trip there and had been thinking about a return visit.
 
The B&W picture of the lady in the white dress on stage looks like Omar’s Portuondo - lucky you getting to see her live, she’s 91 and was a close friend of the legendary Ibrahim Ferrer. I have a couple of her albums, amazing voice.
 
Lovely pictures Kell. It looks a holiday of a lifetime :D
 
Fascinating pictures Kell, sure I have got one just like _585 from 2020.

My expericences were different as we stayed in the Iberostar Parque Central in Havana and only stayed in the Casa Particulares in Vinales. Hotels in Cienfuegos and Trinidad.

New broom in the White House, new broom in the Capitolio, Covid etc makes me want to go and check it out again.

As for payment for portraits we took a lot of bars of soap with us (hotel soaps), ran out until a guy wanted my baseball cap, which was encrusted with salt from my sweat. Think he got the better deal as he wasn't terribly photogenic and I was blinded for the rest of the day..
 
Was thinking of Cuba next year but have been reading about the US declaring it a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” and anyone visiting Cuba since 2011 can’t use the Etsa scheme to enter the US and needs to pay £137 and queue for a Visa And current earliest appointment for a Visa is Feb 2023.
I’m thinking I’d rather have the easy entry to the US than visit Cuba. I know Cuba is unique but anyone any ideas for somewhere similar?
 
Craig1912 said:
Was thinking of Cuba next year but have been reading about the US declaring it a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” and anyone visiting Cuba since 2011 can’t use the Etsa scheme to enter the US and needs to pay £137 and queue for a Visa And current earliest appointment for a Visa is Feb 2023.
I’m thinking I’d rather have the easy entry to the US than visit Cuba. I know Cuba is unique but anyone any ideas for somewhere similar?
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Wow never knew that, guess that’s me scuppered if I want to go to the US then.

Edit: just read they’ve eased the laws and it’s now only those who have visited Cuba since 2021.
 
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