Echoes of Pinar Del Rio: A Family in Black and White

This collection, 'Consolación del Sur, Cuba,' offers an intimate glimpse into a deeply personal project. It delves into the daily lives, struggles, and joys of my son Elihu's extended family, with whom I share a profound connection. Residing in the verdant Pinar Del Rio region, agriculture forms the unwavering cornerstone of their livelihood and identity.

These selected images are drawn from extensive documentation, spanning over a hundred days immersed in their world across multiple visits between 2010 and 2017. The series was created entirely with black and white analogue film, often using my Leica M and Konica Hexar AF. Every part of the photographic journey, from personally developing the negatives to handcrafting each print in the darkroom, was undertaken by myself. This traditional, hands-on approach was essential to capturing the timeless quality of their existence and the enduring spirit of family in rural Cuba. It is a quiet observation of life unfolding, a testament to a place and its people who have become an indelible part of my own story.

Black and white Leica M photograph of a powerful wave crashing onto a sandy Cuban beach with a rocky point in the distance. Consolación del Sur series.
Interior of a Cuban barbershop, a barber attending to a client, with a Che Guevara portrait reflected in the mirror. Black and white Leica M photograph.
Close-up portrait of a young Cuban boy in a baseball cap beside a horse, near a body of water. Black and white Leica M photograph from Pinar Del Rio.
Young Cuban boy sitting atop a thatched roof looking out, as a bird takes flight nearby. Black and white Leica M documentary photograph.
Cuban man with arms outstretched by a tree near water, another figure partially visible; a scene of daily life. Black and white Leica M photograph.
Warm portrait of an elderly Cuban couple, the woman's hand resting on the man's shoulder. Black and white Leica M film photograph.
Man resting under a large tree in a rural Cuban setting, with a cart and an old vehicle nearby. Black and white Leica M photograph.
Cuban man and woman framed in a rustic wooden window or structure, the man holding a bottle and giving a thumbs up. Black and white Leica M photograph.
Cuban man standing proudly with his horse and a goat in a rustic outdoor setting. Black and white Leica M photograph.
Young Cuban girl sitting in a wooden chair, holding a cup and looking towards the camera. Black and white Leica M portrait.
Figures, including a child, walking away down a rural Cuban path leading a cow. Black and white Leica M photograph.
Half a dog standing inside a Cuban building with tiled floors and stacked white goods in the background. Black and white Leica M photograph.
Candid portrait of a Cuban man looking directly at the camera while seated at a rustic table with a plate of food. Black and white Leica M photograph.
Group of Cuban agricultural workers standing in a flooded field, likely a rice paddy, under a cloudy sky. Black and white Leica M documentary photograph.
Tommi Aittala's son, Elihu, standing on a rocky Cuban shoreline with large waves crashing dramatically behind him. Black and white Leica M photograph.