«You have to ask more of yourself.
You have to start looking for photographs that no one else can take. You have to take your tools and go further.” William Albert Allard.
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Ballet Beyond Borders: Dance to shorten distances.
I believe that the best thing that can happen to a freelance photographer is the opportunity to be present in an international competition capturing every moment. That type of dynamic is very different from what one usually knows, that takes you out of your comfort zone and is a challenge that tests the skills you have acquired.
This was the case of the presentation of the Ballet Beyond Borders in Havana and which had Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba as the host company, a high-level luxury. It is a competitive dance event where children and young people perform, offering them the opportunity for artistic growth and development. Workshops are offered for dancers to improve their skills. A jury of international quality, with a lot of experience and prestige, evaluates both individual and group presentations that include the originality of the choreographies. An atmosphere of fraternity, true friendship, spirit of collaboration, opportunity for artistic growth, are some of the strongest values of Ballet Beyond Borders. Unity in the work team creates very close ties, good energy and makes everything work well.
As a photographer it was a wonderful experience. I was able to take a large number of photos that little by little have been placed on my digital profiles, but their protagonists have also shared the images that I have taken, since I sent them to most of them so that they can have a memory of this activity. Despite the great challenge it represented for me, I think I managed to capture some of the most important moments. It is not easy to capture the movement, the emotion, the artistic precision, the drama, the passion that was experienced in those days.
It is not usual for me to write so much in my publications, but things that are unique really deserve the exception. I am very happy with this opportunity, because the dancers and choreographers were very happy with the work. What more could a photographer wish for? Here I leave a tight summary of the more than 300 photographs of the event. It will be a great pleasure and honor to meet them again and take photographs again.
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Fine Art Photography
Making Fine Art photoillustrations allows me to explore another version where photography continues to be an important part. On the other hand, I can also unleash my imagination to create these surreal worlds, which I really like.
This photoillustration belongs to the “Kairos” project, but it will be part of a new series, still unnamed, but I hope something will come to mind soon. Meanwhile, its main element this time will be the clouds, sometimes the protagonists, but other times as a support to create these fantasies in images.
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Mal Paso Company
Photographing dance shows at the Marti´s Teatre is always a challenge and at the same time it is a passion. You can look for different angles and expressions that the public doesn’t normally see. It’s like watching the show again, but from another perspective, like a new version. That is why other details that would be difficult to detect in motion can be detailed.
The Mal Paso Company is one of those that exhibits quality and prestige. This dance company is made up of dancers with wonderful performance. They put effort into each presentation and add that extra detail that makes them successful.
Under low light conditions it is a challenge to take photography. In this case I used my Nikon d800 and the parameters are the following: 80-200mm lens, f4 aperture, speed 1/320, ISO sensitivity: 3200.
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White butterfly.
There are days when you plan to take a type of photography, but the conditions are not adequate and something else happens. This is what happens to me all the time with nature photography. It is always a surprise. It’s been a while now that I haven’t geared up for something specific, preferring to pack everything for as much versatility as possible in the wild.
So it happened with this butterfly. That day I intended to do some bird photography, but there was none. So instead of looking up, I looked down at the grass, and there was this butterfly. It is called Blanca de col, Great Southern White (Ascia monuste eubotea), very common in almost the entire country, but which is always a pleasure to photograph. I was looking for birds, and I found a white butterfly.
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Lifeguard
A few years ago, I was visiting the southern coast of the Matanzas province, in Giron Beach. This dog that kept an eye on the bathers, specifically a group of people who apparently owned it, caught my attention. The puppy was very affectionate, kind to everyone, but he did not leave the place and remained immovable. There is no doubt about the fidelity of dogs that makes them so special.
The puppy’s attitude gave me the chance to take some photos from very close. Apparently it didn’t mind my presence at all. It remained until it´s owners came out of the water. I was able to get a good photo that afternoon.
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Fractals with light
The world of fractals is impressive. For me it is like the visual or artistic part of mathematics. The symmetry that occurs in various objects or spaces has something intriguing. There are many photographers who at some point discover and take photos of a fractal. There are even photographers who specialize in this style of photography, leaving interesting works of art for posterity.
This lamp is in the Simón Bolívar House, in Old Havana. I was there to participate in the opening of the collective exhibition Kaleidoscope 2023. After walking briefly through the space, we entered the conference room and when I looked up I saw this wonderful lamp and it clicked.
About the artist.
Self-taught training in photography since 2016. He studied Photographic Appreciation (Semiotics) at the Cabrales – Del Valle Photography Academy in 2022 and Curation and Museography in 2023. He has several personal exhibitions since 2018. In 2021 he held the two-person photographic exhibition with Paul Murray “Cuba in parallel”, later presented in Santiago de Cuba, Havana and the United States. Since 2022 he is a member of Lente Artístico Project. He has also participated in different collective exhibitions, national and international competitions, as well as obtained several awards and mentions.
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“Photography helps people to see”. Bernice Abbott
Adrián Juan Espinosa 