LOS SANTEROS. CUBA.

This particular work is part of a return to picture taking after years of training and education. I spent years working as an assistant to some rather extraordinary people, eventually working my way up to being a 'first' assistant . Years of technical practice made picture taking more of a connective experience and I was proud to see how quickly it translated to my own work. For years after the digital age began I found that black and white photography suffered and was happy to see it begin to take on the proportions that I recognized from my early years as a printer. Although I refuse to manipulate, I do choose my exposure and contrast carefully to avoid that artificial quality that too much technology brings to a photo. I shoot cameras that still give me a bit of grain to stay with my favorite look of Tri-X film with a bit of push. This photo of the Santeros is a personal favorite. I loved the spontaneity of the moment and that I had been in a position to capture the image from a unique and unobtrusive angle. I'm a rather large fellow who played baseball most of his young life, it's difficult for me to blend into the background without bringing some attention to myself. Having a birds eye view gave me a perfect opportunity to capture without presence.