I have always wanted to visit Cuba! It is a dream and will help me expand my street photography experience….the architecture, the vintage vehicles and the people it all appeals to me on a visceral level. The colors, the sights and sounds…it the kind of thing that makes my photographer’s eye twitch. So the bestie and I are going….she writes a lifestyle colum for an online magazine and I blog. It is a perfect combination and she is the perfect travel partner. So I am going to document my research and the cameras I am taking with me. I have to start this now so my head doesn’t explode before I get there…getting it all down will keep me sane.
Cameras
I plan to take 4-5 reliable film cameras and one Polaroid…my new Minty. I am starting to stockpile film so there is no mad dash to get enough before the trip. My most reliable cameras are the Holga 120CFN, the Holga 135BC and the Diana Mini. I think it is a good mixture of 35mm and 120mm film choices. Unfortunately, my La Sardina’s failed the test when I took them on a family cruise. There were too many issues with film loading and rewinding with all four.
Research
There are so many articles to read…people share their experiences and it makes my heart sing. I can’t wait to see and document it all. I am over the moon excited…my soul needs to be fed and traveling with my bestie is the best way to do this. We are Army girls always ready to go with the flow. We let the locale dictate the days…we don’t have to have fancy digs and plan to live like the locals.
My travel research beings with the first link a subscriber sent me. Where to have film developed in Havana….I will check out this photo lab and may get some film developed while I am there. I will see how it flows. This photo lab seems like a a good place to check out. I will give a comprehensive review on the services#309 Calle Obispo, Habana Vieja, Ciudad de Habana. That’s the main east/west street down the middle of Old Havana, running down from Parque Central to Plaza de Armas.
Fashion
Cool, casual and comfortable is my goal and I want to blend in and look like a local. It is not hard in Cuba…the population covers the color spectrum and mostly look like me. My Pinterest page will be my go-to for storing my ideas so take a look if you get a free minute…my plan is to update it as often as possible.
Join me on the journey from planning to touchdown and let me know what you think along the way. Any tips? Send them my way.
The rainy winter season has been taking a toll on my need/desire to take photos so I spend the time researching and choosing new equipment. I have had two cameras on my list since Christmas and finally decided on the 
Cameras, film, flash units all require tons of research so I am always on YouTube and Ebay looking for that thing that catches my eye and inspires me to hold it in my hand. I need a camera that makes me smile, one that makes me want to carry it and look at it all the time. So that is what the winter months are for…research and camera sprees. It’s sick…I will pass up a great pair of shoes for film and new cameras. I am officially obsessed! Take a look at my babies and stay tuned because the Summer is going to be camera fierce!
The summer season is winding down and my thoughts are turning to fall. It has taken me all summer to get my head out of grad school mode. It has been hard….re-focusing my after a commitment like graduate school was tough. So I channeled my energy into analogue photography and it has helped me find peace.
lomography genre. Among some of the more popular, are the Diana and Holga. These cameras, and (all of them in the Lomo line) are usually poor technical cameras. They are inexpensive, plastic and often have light leaks, poor alignment of their lenses or other defects, which makes it a cool signature look. They are inexpensive and can be found on 
Adventures of an Awkward Artist 