Critics’ Choice Single Photo Category Submission

This series of photographs presented is a joint effort by an American of Cuban Jamaican and Haitian descent, searching for her family, and a Cuban national befriended on that journey, (in the spirit of international cooperation). Vinales is a town just an hour or so outside Havana. As always, in Cuba, the architecture is splendid, cleaner and brighter than Havana, the climate is fresh, and delightful. However, the countryside and its occupants outside the town are a special treat. Fertile farms, red, red earth, tobacco is to be found growing everywhere in between the stunning vertical limestone mogotes, so popular w climbers and cavers, which can be seen in the background of these pictures, taken on Jaqueline's farm. Being a city girl, I have never experienced such a lifestyle. She runs the farm with her son, and the work seems never-ending, including trying to control the invasive nature of that red earth. They grow practically everything they need to eat-subsistence farming-coffee, beans, rice, pigs. turkeys, chickens and more....some of the people in these photos have their own land, and call upon their neighbours when help is needed. This spirit of cooperation is much cleaner than the cutthroat competitiveness of NYC, where I live. The tobacco farmers must sell 90% of their crop to the government at a predetermined price, leaving 10% for the farmers to sell as they see fit.The ladies often meet for a coffee break in the morning-plucked and roasted right there on the farm-and sometimes gather in the evening around the small TV to enjoy a bout of Korean soap operas. Work hard, play hard, these people give we city folk a run for our money when it comes to having a good time-they really know how to party. These were taken early in the day, portraits of family and friends who all contribute in some way when needed. It is almost a cash-free existence, bartering, exchanging favours for labour when needed. The Blockade, of course, being partially responsible for a return to this ancient, and in my mind, a preferred method of doing business. Black and white was chosen to amplify the character etched on their faces, and to prevent the viewer from being seduced by the lush nature of the colours to be found-almost blinding in intensity.