In March and May 2022, I returned to Cuba and asked my Cuban friends to sign a copy of the Silver Edition book. I was amazed that so many Cubans wanted to look at every photo and read every story. Some slowly turned the pages, just taking it all in. Some cried, some laughed, and some hugged me.
A dear friend said, “Michael, you don’t understand. We live this life every day. We choose to ignore it because we have no choice. Your photos, your words, they bring home our reality. It’s sad; it’s real, and thank you for making us see it.”
Another friend said, “You make my country look so beautiful. I know my country is beautiful, but I’ve never seen it so beautiful.”
A photographer friend said, “You know Michael when I turn these pages, I feel like I am looking at the work of many photographers, not just one, not just you.” (A compliment to my varied style of photography)
I’ll be expanding on this over future trips. I still have so many more friends to sign my book. Thank you, everyone. Thank you to all my beautiful Cuban friends. I love you all so much!
Related Blog Posts
LEICA FOTOGRAFIE INTERNATIONAL REVIEWS VANISHING CUBA
Cuba – the Caribbean island, is surely one of the most photographed places in the world. The light, the colours, the people, and the life on the streets: each moment seems to offer a perfect opportunity for a picture. One photographer who has explored Cuba repeatedly, through the perspective of his camera, is the American Michael Chinnici. His gorgeous photo book draws on the wealth of stories, experiences and encounters he has gathered during more than twenty trips in recent years. There is no doubt that the New York-based photographer has been successful in his efforts to capture the “soul of Cuba” in pictures.
PHOTOBOOK JOURNAL REVIEWS VANISHING CUBA
Wow!!! Thank you, Melanie Chapman, for writing such a wonderful review of my Vanishing Cuba book! And to quote the poet John Dunne… “The poet John Dunne wrote “No man is an island…”. Spend time experiencing Cuba through Chinnici’s insightful eyes, and you may be tempted to reply “…and no island is one man.”
PRESTIGIOUS AESTHETICA MAGAZINE REVIEWS VANISHING CUBA
“The first thing that caught my attention when I received the first draft of the book was its title,” writes Havana-born activist artist Leonor Anthony in the foreword to Vanishing Cuba, the latest volume from New York-based photographer Michael Chinnici. “What is it, in fact, that is vanishing?”
Recent Comments