Jorge Luis Goes to Santa Maria

Driving out of Havana to Santa Maria just before dusk, the skies were dark and cloudy for the first time in days. But, glory, just as we were arriving at the beach, the skies cleared. And, gratefully we had the beach, often very crowded, to ourselves.

Jorge Luis

On the street the first time, I approached Jorge Luis to model for me. He was out shopping with his brother and his mother who looked as if she might swat me like a fly. On the street the second time, I was like the moon out walking with the sun. The women, the men, the Cubans, the foreigners, the children, the viejos, everybody was watching Jorge Luis.

Orly Goes to Soroa

It was a two-day quest to find a waterfall. We travelled to Pinar del Rio and Viñales and ended up in Soroa, a quaint and quiet village; so I was surprised to discover that the waterfall was a tourist destination. But we would not be put off our plan and, on the rather precarious shelf just above the giant waterfall, we staked our territory.

Orly

I'm mad about Orly. And he sings. This was a Friday afternoon on a friend's rooftop. The friend, Victor, who might be a bit fussy, did not want us to use the gold wire. "It's too dirty," he fretted. And when he tried to clean it, I had to forcibly stop him. I insisted: "We can clean the boy. It will be faster."

Road Trip: Pinar del Rio

For years, friends and well-wishers told me to go to Pinar del Rio. So we rented a car and packed up the gear and left La Habana chasing mountain ranges and caves and waterfalls. Orly served turns as driver, on-hand model, and singer. For the most part Pinar del Rio, a quaint antique town, was closed - after 6 pm, the streets were all but abandoned. But the next morning, I did find Jesus. Or rather Jésus.

La Habana

Here's what you're missing: the smell of diesel rising off the city, the salt pushed in by the tradewinds, music everywhere, salsa, boleros, and the theater, amidst the beautiful architecture, the ruins, the classic cars, the living vibrant thrumming theater of La Habana.

One Bed, Seven Boys - One Sordid Sultry Saturday (Part One)

The set: In a building among many like it on a street of huddled and shamed ramshackle buildings in the shadow of Cuba's jewel, the Capitolio, six stories up a tight and winding staircase, a condemned apartment.

One Bed, Seven Boys - One Sordid Sultry Saturday (Part Two)

The cast: Jorge Luis, Orly, Yasnier, Yudismiel, Michel, Amel, and Giovanni.

Playa del Chivo

On Goat Beach, I have seen no goats (chivos) but there is a vast cratered beach, and tucked away, a few paces off the beach, an abandoned armoury, made up in dirty graffiti, where in the dark corners, yes even as we worked, boys cruise and buzz with hungry insect lust.

Jardines de la Polar

We loaded up the gear and Jorge Luis, Lazaro, Yosmany, Luis, and Daniel and made our way to one of Cuba's mostly forgotten places: Jardines de la Polar. The garden, with its gazebos and bridges, lovely ancient trees, and tiled mosaics, originally designed for socialite parties in the 50s, is now a smashed up over-grown ruin.

Jean and Omar Go to Jardines de la Polar

If I could stage Midsummer Night's Dream, I could find no better place than Los Jardines de la Polar in the tangle of vines and roots and under the dappled canopy. I would cast the twins as the young lovers, Lysander and Demetrius. And then I might be forgiven for playing that merry wanderer of the night, Puck.

Jean y Omar

I met Jean in the street and I asked him if he would model for me. He said sure but that he had a problem. What? I asked. I have a twin brother, he advised me. After meeting Omar, his brother, I have never understood how that was a problem.

Jean y Omar 2

I was photographing Jean and Omar at the base of El Morro – the Havana lighthouse. It was not until we were finishing when I noticed a group of Cuban school girls, rather bestirred, watching us intently.

Francisco y Ricardo

I had met Francisco on a former sojourn to Cuba and asked him to model for me. He seemed interested but it didn’t happen. On a subsequent visit to Cuba, I ran into Francisco by accident and finally persuaded him whence he confided, "I have a twin." Really? What are the odds?

Deportes

At handball, tennis, boxing, baseball, at gymnastics, at whatever, Cuban boys are physical and fierce.

El Campo

Nothing happens quite by design in Cuba. So it happened that somewhere between design and accident, I stayed on a farm for two days in Santa Clara.

Un Día con Daniel

My day with Daniel almost didn’t happen. We had missed each other twice. Finally I met him on my last day in Cuba. We waited two hours for the girl, Rosie. We got kicked out of a resort. I was interrogated by a cop in the street. Finally we stopped at a farm and I asked to use the space. The farmer was so sweet. He brought me coffee and made me promise to come back to his home for a BBQ the next time I return.

Around Town

Images wandering around Havana and more from Jardines de la Polar.

A la Playa

To the beach to swim, to laze, to play. To the beach to drink and sleep and flirt. To the beach with their music, with their rum, with their sport, with their play, with their dance, with their young raw dizzying delerious spirit.

A la Calle

In the streets, Havana lives. Close-quartered neighbors open wide their doors and windows to gossip on balconies, to sit on stoops, to work with their cars or with their laundry, to drink, to dance, to sing, to watch, to partake in the beautiful boundless all-absorbing theater.

Los Chicos

I find many of my models on the street or through friends. Otherwise, they are not models. But Cuban boys, many of then have a rawness and an openess and, yes, a sense of adventure that I love to photograph.

The Rooftop Shower

A scorchingly hot Thursday. We started early in the morning. We went to the rooftop of an 18 storey building in Vedado where Michel and Jorge Luis took a shower to try to cool off.

At Polar Gardens, Yoander and Yohandri

Between rain storms, I took to the Polar Gardens, Yohandri, a long-standing favorite, and Yoander, a fresh find. In the gardens, slicked green dripped with silver raindrops. And in that beautiful canopied forgotten space, the boys - who had just met - were quickly, delightfully at ease with each other and with the camera.

Closer to Home

A little closer to home – photographs from Toronto: event photography and modeling portfolios.

Editorials

Editorial photography for fab magazine, autumnplay 2009, summerplay 2009, winterplay 2008, and autumnplay 2008

Kevin Slack Photography is the online portfolio site of Kevin Slack featuring Cuba travel photography, Cuban landscapes, portraits, and streetlife. All images are copyright by the photographer © 2010. Tag Cloud: Kevin Slack photography, travel photography, photography portfolio, Cuba photography, digital photography, Havana, Havana Photography, Havana Cuba, Jardines de la Polar, Cuban landscapes, Cuban portraits, Cuban streetlife, Cuban men.

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