Mystical dance in red. Photo: Linda Williams
HT Cuba Photo Contest 2011 Winners
August 5, 2011Woman on the balcony. Photo: Jim Ziemer
By Circles Robinson
HAVANA TIMES, August 5 — One thing is clear about the Havana Times Cuba photo contests is that each year the selection process is going to get harder with the increasing competition.
The winner of The Color Red in Cuba category was Byron Motley with the photo: “Cooling off on a hot day”. Orlando Luis Pardo took both Second Prize and the Special Mention with “Libertad vs. Bloqueo” (Freedom vs. Blockade) and “Hoy como ayer” (Today like yesterday).
In the Cubans Working category the winner was Michelle Rankin with her photo “Shoeshine”. Second prize went to Angel Yu with the photo “Vendedores en el Latino” (Vendors at the Latinoamericano Stadium). The Special Mention was awarded to Carlos Durá for the photo “Trabajando en mojado” (Working wet).
In the Cuban Women category the winner was Sergio Leyva with his photo: “Napping on the bus”. Second Prize went to Carlos Durá for his photo “Mirando tras la reja de la ventana colonial” (Looking from behind the bars of the colonial window). The Special Mention was also won by Sergio Leyva with the photo: “El último sorbo” (The last sip).
In the category of Cuban Beaches the winner was Alexis Trigoura with the photo “Fishing net”. Second Prize went to Chris Lewis for “Havana Beach” and the Special Mention to Angel Yu for “Playa Baconao”.
The selection process
After painstakingly reviewing the more than 300 photos submitted by 40 participants, in the first two elimination rounds the jury reduced the selection to 13 photos in each category (see the finalists below).
On the final round of selection the 19 HT judges picked their first, second and third place favorites for each category and these were awarded points on a 10, 5 and 3 point basis.
In the coming weeks and months many of the photos submitted for the contest, be them prizewinners, finalists or entries, will be published accompanying different HT articles with credit to the photographers.
Havana Times looks forward to holding its fourth photo contest in 2012.
Statements from the winners:
Michele Rankin: I am from Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada, and a member of a local amateur photography club. I travelled to Cuba for the first time in February 2010 and fell in love with the colours, character, and people of the country. I am currently studying Spanish and have been returning to Cuba as often as time and funds permit. Ultimately, I would love to spend part of each year submersed in the culture and practicing my photography!
Byron Motley: I am a Los Angeles based singer/fimmaker/author/photographer and activist. I love traveling to Cuba and have adopted it as my second home. I have been fortunate enough to have had my photos exhibited in the U.S., Europe and Cuba. I am also an avid baseball fan, and I’m currently producing a television documentary on the history of the Negro Baseball Leagues.
Sergio Leyva: I was born and live in Havana. My photographic work is concentrated mainly in documentary and social photography, with a style centered in the use of natural light and black and white film, which helps me to achieve a natural atmosphere in my photos. I began taking pictures of the daily life of Havana residents, an obsession that came out of my endless walking in search of unrepeatable moments and unique characters in as sincere a way as possible. My photos are a small testimony of my city and its inhabitants, and my humble effort to preserve them for posterity.
Alexis Trigoura: The winning photo was taken during my añual vacation to Varadero with a nikon d 80.
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The Color Red in Cuba
First Prize
Cooling off on a hot day. Byron Motley
Second Prize
Libertad vs. Bloqueo. Orlando Luis Pardo
Special Mention
Hoy como ayer. Orlando Luis Pardo
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Cubans Working
First Prize
Shoeshine. Michelle Rankin
Second Prize
Vendedores en el Latino. Angel Yu
Special Mention
Trabajando en mojado. Carlos Durá
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Cuban Women
First Prize
Napping on the bus. Sergio Leyva
Second Prize
Mirando tras la reja de la ventana colonial. Carlos Durá
Special Mention
El último sorbo. Sergio Leyva
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Beaches
First Prize
Fishing net. Alexis Trigoura
Second Prize
Beach in Havana. Chris Lewis
Special Mention
Playa Baconao. Angel Yu
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HT Photo Contest Finalists
Click on the thumbnails below to view all the photos in this gallery
Click on the thumbnails below to view all the photos in this gallery
Click on the thumbnails below to view all the photos in this gallery
Click on the thumbnails below to view all the photos in this gallery
