Faces from the Street: An Urban Portrait in Cuba
Photo Feature by Idania Cárdenas
HAVANA TIMES – The streets are an open stage where every expression of the human condition coexists. There you find the laughter of children, the routine of workers, the resilience of those without a roof, and the serenity of those who have learned to look at the world from a distance. This series of portraits is both an exercise in observation and an invitation to pause over what we usually overlook.
Why the black background? Because Havana already has too much tourist color. Because what matters is not the context but the story that gathers in a glance. Because even in the darkness, even a sigh can shine.
Each photograph becomes a living document where the signs of time can be read: overflowing laughter, melancholy hidden behind a smile, the vulnerability of someone allowing the camera to capture their fragility, immediate emotions and the traces of different ways of life. The weary gaze, the firm expression, or the innocence of childhood are all displayed with the same dignity and expressive power.
The technique is straightforward: raw light, visible grain, sweat and dust clinging to the face.
More than an archive of images, this work seeks to pose a reflection: What do faces tell us about the city we inhabit? What do they reveal about ourselves? In the plurality of gestures and glances lies a collective portrait, a mirror that reminds us the city is not only a physical space but a human fabric in constant transformation.