Cuba Medio Libre
Cuba Medio Libre (half-free Cuba)… it’s a spin on the expression and drink name that serves as a pun, a paradox and a true statement all at the same time. It’s also the best way that I can describe the country in 3 words. Cuba is in a state of limbo. It has one foot in the past and one foot in the present. The relationship with the US has taken steps forward and steps backward. Cuba is 90 miles away from the tip of Florida, and a world away in terms of culture. I think people in the US have a tendency to create assumptions of a country based upon what they’ve seen in the media, the type of government that a country has, pop culture, etc. But I challenge anyone to go to Cuba and see if those assumptions are not constantly warped as you dig into the seeming endless layers of culture, identity and history that this country will throw at you. Cuba is challenging and perplexing, but it is also invigorating. An area that I see this is by the way that one can experience history in Cuba. In the United States, we view history on a linear basis. Decades are clearly defined by their style, architecture, cars, etc. In Cuba, history is seemingly circular. One can experience different eras all at the same time. You can be walking down the Malecón, viewing the dusty eroded facades of 19th century buildings juxtaposed with 16th century Spanish forts while hearing the buzz from taxis, which are cars from the 50s and 60s, sometimes decked out in black lights and blaring reggaeton. It’s a lot to see. It’s a lot to hear. It’s a lot to absorb. It’s an assault on the senses, and also an assault on your sense of the world.
Despite the political climate, Cuba is also a very welcoming country. I felt safer here than any foreign country that I’ve traveled to. The challenges with technology and communication are real. However, I felt that also added to the experience of Cuba. There is a sense of interdependence that a traveler will feel there after a couple of days. Challenges are best overcome by communication and building relationships. I found myself in some very unlikely circumstances, but also found support in the most unlikely of places. Those were seemingly difficult challenges, which turned into experiences… which taught me a lot about a the people of Cuba. I will never forget them.
I want to thank Alejandro Peñalver and Cubamodela modeling agency for collaborating with me and providing the talent for the photoshoots. I want to thank Nayvis Fernandez, Carla Guiardinú Reyes, Gina Martínez and Brenda Estrada Enríquez for allowing me to showcase your beauty and talent in the streets of Havana. I also want to thank Havana designer, Jose Luis, for collaborating with me on the shoot with Nayvis.
Part of my goal for this trip was to network and lay the foundation to create the opportunity that other photographers can experience shooting models and fashion in Cuba the way that I did. Photographers who are interested in possibly participating in a fashion photography workshop in Havana later this year or early 2018, please reach out to me through email via my website at www.josheskridge.com
Cuba survival guide
A couple of days before hopping on a flight to Cuba from Miami, Trump made the announcement that he would be scaling back the progress with opening relations and easing travel restrictions that had started with the Obama administration. At the time of writing this, there has not been any legislation or policies defined as to the exact limitations that are going to be in place. So needless to say, it is tenuous at this point. The focus of Trump is that he wants to eliminate individual tourist travel, and he wants to prohibit the patronage of US citizens with companies that are owned by the Cuban government (e.g. large hotels). Companies and airlines have begun scaling back their options and frequency of travel to Cuba. If you travel to Cuba, it has to be one of the 12 acceptable reasons for travel. I’m pasting a link to the website on American Airline below that lists those reasons. I booked my flight through American Airlines. When you book, you will have to declare your reason for travel. A travel counselor will call you before your trip; mine called about a week before. There is no need to buy a visa until you get to the airport in Miami. At the Miami airport, they have a special check-in station for Cuba, where you can purchase your visa for $100. I recommend getting there at least 2 hours before your scheduled departure time.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/plan-travel/destinations/cuba.jsp?anchorLocation=DirectURL&title=cuba
Money – If you are a US citizen, you have to carry cash with you. I contacted my bank before my trip, and they assured me that I would be able to use my debit card to access my checking account while in Cuba. This was not the case at all, so please do not make the same mistake I did. You will not be able to use any type of credit card or debit card if you’re a US citizen and you have a US bank. Money transfer services, such as Western Union, are also challenging. A US citizen cannot send money to another US citizen in Cuba, and even sending money to a Cuban citizen is challenging. I suggest estimating the amount that you will need, and plan on worst-case scenario situations. I always wear a money belt when I travel in foreign countries, where I keep my passport and money. Do not keep your money all in one place, and do not carry it all on you at one time, unless you need to. I would suggest making sure that you always have plenty of small bills on you. It can be challenging, for example, when you need a taxi ride, as they will often say that they do not have change for your bill, which may or may not be the case.
Cell phones – It’s best to use Cuba as an opportunity to disconnect. I have Sprint, and even with their “international plan,” I ended up incurring charges of almost $200 in 1 day. When I found that out, I told them to cut my line. I went to a Cuban cell provider and purchased a Cuban line and cheap cell phone for about $80. This was necessary for me because I had to communicate with several people while in Cuba to arrange photo shoots. However, if it not necessary for you to communicate with people in Cuba by phone, then simply contact your cell provider beforehand and see how much it will be for an international package or just limit yourself to using the wifi hotspots and minimal texting. Also, I recommend downloading a Cuba travel guide app for your phone prior to arriving in Cuba. You will want one that you can use offline. I tried downloading one while I was in Cuba and was not able to due to restrictions.
Internet – Let me start by saying that the internet is not free in Cuba. Internet access is restricted to certain wifi hotspots in Havana, usually parks and hotels. You will need to purchase a card from ETESCA. That can be from several licensed stores or bodegas in Havana. It has also become a popular business for people at the wifi spots to sell cards, for a profit obviously. The cost of getting connected will run you about $2-$3 USD per hour. My suggestion would be to go to Hotel Florida in Old Havana and purchase a card in the shop, then have a nice coffee while surfing the web. Below is a useful guide to the current wifi situation in Havana.
https://insightcuba.com/blog/2017/03/05/havanas-wifi-hotspots-and-getting-online-cuba
Where to stay – I highly suggest using AirBnb in Cuba. It can be a great way to have an authentic experience, and the hosts are amazing at providing valuable information that you’ll need during your trip. The main challenge that I found is that I was not able to book AirBnb through the AirBnb app while in Cuba. Therefore, you will need to have your whole trip booked before you arrive or have another means of booking it directly while in Cuba.
I want to thank my AirBnb hosts, Lidia and Fidel, for not only being welcoming hosts, but for being my guardian angels in Cuba. The link to their AirBnb is below.
I also want to thank my 2nd AirBnb host, Eduardo, for having an amazing place in Old Havana and providing so much help and answering many questions during my stay.
Havana texture pack
Photographers are welcome to download and use the textures in the Dropbox folder below. I only ask that you share my blog post if you do download them.
Walkin on Wabash
Working with new people in new locations is creative fire for me. The opportunity to assemble a team of beauty and talent and simply walk down a street can be a wonderful thing, and one that I don’t take for granted. There are many things to love about Chicago, but one of the things I love for photoshoots is the infinite number of lines and pockets of light that I can use for a photoshoot. Glass buildings suddenly become huge reflectors casting beautiful light on a model. Trees and objects cast interesting shadows that I use in the composition. My mind literally goes into overdrive and sometimes I have to reign it back in, making sure that I don’t short circuit.
For this shoot, I had the chance to shoot with the beautiful Angelika Rol. I had ran across her profile a couple of years ago, and knew that I would want to work with her at some point. I was a fan of her unique beauty. What I didn’t expect was the ease of fluidity and poise that she had in front of the camera. It was pretty much effortless for me, and the shoot had a great flow from beginning to end. This was also my 2nd time working with Joanna Boblak. She is highly talented at hair and makeup. And I appreciated her attention to detail and flexibility to help us create, but also leaving room for improvisation. Last, but not least, I was lucky to have a styling powerhouse for this shoot with Kenya Sherron. Once I saw her website, I knew that she was going to add the right kind of stylistic elements to this shoot. We went for a minimalist vibe with a retro spin, complimented with pink and white tones. It was perfect for the setting that we were using. I highly suggest checking out all their pages and work.
Model – Angelika Rol
Hair and makeup – Joanna Boblak
Styling – Kenya Sherron
Photography – Josh Eskridge www.josheskridge.com
Chicago, I’ll be back soon!……
A Morning with Miranda
I make it a point to go to Chicago at least a couple of times a year to do portfolio development shoots. I’m fortunate enough to have made friends with creative talent there, as well as in other cities. I think that it is important in one’s creative growth to step outside of your area and network with people from other regions. I’ve worked several times with Andrea Pascalau of Corsei Photography. She played many roles that day, from assistance to styling to location scouting. She let me use her incredible space in Lacuna Lofts on the west side of downtown Chicago. Our model was Miranda Berggren, who was amazing to work with. Being a photographer herself, she was very intuitive to what I was looking for with certain looks and settings. She has this ability to come up with unique poses, but still look fierce, yet graceful… bold, yet beautiful. I highly recommend checking out her photography fanpage, Miranda Ann Berggren Photography. She has an artistic eye, and I’ll look forward to seeing her creative vision grow in the future.
I was also lucky to work with Chelsea Blair of Chelsea Blair Beauty Artistry. She did a phenomenal job with the looks, and was a blast to work with. She is in the process of moving to Nashville, so I would recommend reaching out to her if you’re in that area and looking for quality fashion hair and makeup work.
Pretty in Penguin – Part 2
This blog post is the conclusion and the counterbalance to my earlier post, Pretty in Penguin – Pt. 1. I had the opportunity to work with a great team in Cincinnati. I reached out to Angelo Axel Culvert of Pretty Penguin Studios in order to get some ideas rolling on how this shoot would look and feel. I wanted the day to have two distinct sets and two entirely different looks. I was working with two models that fit the bill for that (Shannon Markesbery and Taylor DiazMercado). Part 1 of the day would be a minimal styling, natural look, and Part 2 would be an over-the-top glam look. I wanted to shoot the 2nd part in Angelo’s studio and make use of the space, working with clothes racks, windows, etc. We wanted it to have a sense of controlled excess. The confined space worked great. It was just a matter of making sense of the chaos.
I had a great team with me on this shoot to make it happen…. Models – Taylor DiazMercado and Shannon Markesbery, Hair and makeup – Angelo Axel Culvert, Assistants – Natalie Darpel, Johnny Ritter and Kevin Kilpatrick
The image of Shannon Markesbery and I was taken by Angelo Axel Culvert.
Pretty in Penguin – Part 1
I’ve made an effort to step outside of my geography of Louisville, KY lately in order to collaborate with creative minds and models in surrounding cities. A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to work with a stellar team in Cincinnati. I partnered with Pretty Penguin Studios for hair, makeup and styling. The day was broken into two locations and sets. I wanted these sets to be on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. The first set would be a totally natural look using natural light, minimal makeup and very basic styling. I was lucky enough to have Kevin Kilpatrick let me use his brand new studio in Covington for the first time. I loved the rustic look of the floor and walls, which added a lot of texture and character to the images.
I teamed up with Natalie Darpel of Pretty Penguin Studios for the hair and makeup for this first set. The models were Shannon Markesbery and Taylor DiazMercado. They had really diverse looks and expressions, which made it a fun-filled, creative shoot. I also had assistance from Kevin Kilpatrick.
As far as technique, I wanted to use the incredible ambient light in Kevin’s studio. I shot with wide apertures on my 50mm lens. I used a large reflector on some sets for fill light.
Stay tuned for the 2nd part of this series, which was shot in Angelo’s Pretty Penguin Studios boutique.
A Labor of Fashion
There was an evening in early summer when I was sitting in Matthew Tyldesley’s backyard discussing future photo shoot concepts. His backyard was in the process of being re-landscaped. I mentioned that it would be a great idea to do some type of fashion theme in his yard. Matt hesitated because he said that his yard was not finished. My response was that it was perfect, and that the concept would be that the models were doing actual yardwork, but with a very editorial and glamorous style. That is how our concept began, and the wheels were set in motion….
Photography – Josh Eskridge
For the photography and look of the shots, I wanted to do this set in the middle of the day with harsh sunlight. I would use high-powered strobes to match the power of the sun. For all of the sets, I used either a Paul Buff Einstein with a white beauty dish or a ringflash. This would give me a very spectral light that would provide good detail and contrast and that I could really bring out in Photoshop in a stylized way. As far as composition, I shot wide for most of the sets in order to stay true to the theme. I didn’t want to disregard the setting by shooting close-ups. There were plenty of compositional challenges with this…. yard ornamentation, power lines, etc. I did not intend to photoshop these elements out. I loved the challenge of harmonizing the model in their settings, but still composing in a way that boldly drew attention to them.
Hair – Matthew Tyldesley
“For this project I wanted to create a look that I thought would work, given the unconventional nature of the editorial. The look was soft, clean and with minimal volume and with soft waves using a 1-inch marcel iron using an off-base placement. The male model’s hair was styled with volume straight back using a Denman brush and gel. I hope the viewer feels excited, energized and seduced. Thermal heat-Stylers, as well as a lot of finishing hairsprays were vital for sustaining the shape of the hair, especially when dealing with the heat and humidity on that day. We had a great set of models for this collection and hairstyles were created to compliment each model’s features.” Matthew
Makeup – Isidro Valencia
“I approached elegance and simplicity in these looks, focusing on the intensity of color. I used dark eyeshadows and dramatic eyelashes, then I used nude lip colors and a touch of blush followed by bronzer all over the body, thus creating a radiant look.” Isidro
Wardrobe and styling – Matthew, Isidro and Josh
For the outfits, we wanted the swimsuits to be very styled, one-piece suits, that would match our editorial look. We created a Facebook group page weeks ahead of the shoot and collaborated finalizing the looks. The swimsuits had to be special ordered, as you would not find these at your local mall. The shoes were by Steve Madden and Vince Camuto. For our finalized look we wanted the models to have a very pristine and polished look that would contrast with the manual labor theme that we were going to be portraying.
“A Labor of Fashion” was published in the 2013 “Indian Summer” Issue of Vigorè Magazine. The issue can be accessed by clicking the link below.
http://issuu.com/vigore/docs/vigore_magazine_september_2013
Shades of White
Shades of White is the result of an intricate collaboration and melding of talents into one creative statement. The concept started with a general idea, an “all white shoot.” White is the sum of all colors combined. It’s an absolute. Our goal was to take that absolute and break it apart to show the power of nuance, yet remain bold in expression.
Each individual on my team for this project is each masterful in their own right….
Hair and styling – Matthew Tyldesley – Matthew is an integral part of any shoot that I do with him because of his level of creativity with anything that has to do with hair, and his level of engagement with anything that he commits himself to.
“For Shades of White I wanted the hair to be as diverse as the wardrobe and to really showcase contrast within the theme established by our team. I spent a month making custom hair extensions to build the shape of the models hair and used pastels extensions placed in varying placements to create dimension. I also used two of my custom-made wigs that showcase both styling and design. Hair was coiled around varying styling irons to create texture and form for each look. I hope the viewer is taken to a place that is dream like, surreal, beautiful and unique.” Matt
Makeup and styling – Isidro Valencia – I have worked with Isidro Valencia for roughly two years, and I’m always impressed by the unique ways that he can combine colors and his careful attention to detail.
“Sometimes it is hard to match a dark skin just with one shade. The secret is to mix two or three shades to come up with the perfect tone. Before foundation I applied primer to the models face to help the concealer and foundation glide on smoothly. The goal in this photo shoot was to push my makeup skills over the top… to make it unique, distinct and bold.” Isidro
Wardrobe, styling and accessories – Genna Yussman – Genna was the perfect artist to fill this role. She is known for her ability to create fashion out of any material, which really took this shoot to the next level.
“From the windows, the walls, the ceiling to the floor Shades is a clothing line of Amor! The ingenuity of producing this series consists of using textiles that can be found in any modern home, but has to have that certain je ne sais quoi. In creating these very unique garments, stepping outside the box is a must as a designer, and remembering to not stay inside the lines is also important in the evolution of any artist. Ideas for art come from everything, everywhere, at any given time, and it is only our imagination that allows us to open up that window to let people see what it is that we see.” Genna
Model – Aubé Jolicoeur – Born and raised in Haiti until she was 9, Aubé has been featured in Vogue Africa, Marlene Haute Couture fashion lookbook, etc. She has walked in Derby City fashion week and Dayton fashion. She is known for her runway walk and creative poses. Modeling is a part of who she is, and it’s a way to express herself. She will be moving to NYC later this year to pursue her passion.
Model – Anita Mwiruki – Anita was born in Tanzania, and moved to the US when she was 7. She recently started modeling and has discovered that it is a way to express herself. She’s very diverse, and can fit the commercial look with a smile, but also likes to get crazy with hair and makeup with shoots that tell a story. She also loves fashion, and has started her own fashion blog. She will be walking in her first show in NYC this year.
“Style is more than just clothes that you wear, but it speaks to who you are.” Anita
Special thanks to Chris Diaz for assisting with this shoot.
Shades of White appeared in the summer white issue of Vigore Magazine, an international fashion publication, based in New York City. To access the issue, click this link…
http://issuu.com/vigore/docs/vigore_magazine_summer_2013?e=3235647/3990738
