willy6419 wrote:
2 days each, Havana Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba.
Any special tips, or must see places? people, street scenes. landscapes.
I'll be using the D750 (or D500), probably mostly with a 24-70. Might take the 50 (very light) and a TC 1.4 just for a little extra reach, but?? Not likely take the 70-200 or 300.
Any special warnings?
I've been to Cuba three times over a 12 year period (Havana, west to Pinar del Rio and east as far as Trinidad; Santiago de Cuba is next on my list). Great photos ops abound in Havana Vieja, if you can get past the crowds. The old ladies wearing bridal gowns and smoking big cigars are the equivalent of the naked painted ladies here in NYC's Times Square: they are performers and expect to be tipped. Within Havana Vieja, Plaza de Armas (with its square surrounded by book and poster art stalls), Plaza de La Catedral, Plaza Vieja, a long stroll along the wide, engaging Prado (passing by the Capital building and the Museum of Fine Arts - a must visit!) and Parque Central offer great photo ops. The Prado eventually leads to the Malecon, overlooking the Florida Straits, with a great shot of El Morro across the harbor entrance (probably the only instance where a longer lens would be nice). Most Cubans spend the hot evenings hanging around the Malecon.
Behind the Capitol building lies Habana Centro, where Havana's working class lives. It's funky, with buildings in various stages of decay, but very safe and offers great opportunities to photograph the real life of Los Habaneros. Most tours there will include a visit of Barrio Chino (not much to see, and the food is unremarkable) or Callejon de Hamel, a short, vibrant street filled with graffiti and street art (great visit).
Vedado was the upper- and upper middle-class areas developed in pre-Revolution Havana. Many of the diplomatic missions are based there. There is also the Hotel Nacional (a must see, though NOT must-stay, hotel). Nearby are some of the best jazz clubs in Cuba, as well as the small park on La Rampa (Calle 23) housing Coppelia, where people of Havana bring their children, friends and lovers to savor the best ice cream in Cuba. Great ice cream and great photo ops (one place where you definitely want to stand on the tourist line. Ice cream is more expensive on that line, but the wait is far shorter).
As far as equipment, the wider the lens the better. Cuba runs on the same electrical current as the U.S., but bring a three-prong to two-prong adaptor (it's not only the cars that are of 1950s vintage). Electrical outages can occur w/o warning; keep batteries charged (and bring as many batteries and SD cards as you can; camera supplies can be hard to obtain). Also extra lens filters for your DSLR (circular polarizer and ND filters most useful). An external power stick and a power clip for your cell phone are good items to have.
Okay. ¡Tenga un gran viaje!