Serendipity in getting lost

On my very first trip to Havana, Cuba — it was November 11, 2015 — I did what almost every weary traveler does after a long trip, I went for a short walk to stretch my legs. My first walk on the isla took me deep into the streets of Centro Habana, far from my hotel, the Malecón, and beyond my wildest photography dreams.  With no directions, no map, a disappearing sun, and no worries, you might fear the worst, that maybe I was lost. Well I was lost for sure, but I was also exactly where I always hoped to be. I was where the light was.  

All images in this gallery © Rodolfo Gonzalez

The street was drenched and bathed in a golden hue radiating from a row of third-world street lamps contrasting against the deep blue of the darkening nighttime sky. It is here that I made one of the first of my many favorite images and the first of many self-revelations. At this moment the self-revelation was night photography. What seemed like an endless exploration of Havana by day, made it seem like what was missing was Havana seen at night. The same avenues, same corners, and even the same neighborhoods change characteristics significantly. Maybe not a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde change, but for sure, I would describe it as changing from “9 to 5” work clothes and dressing up for a dinner and a show.

Creating images at night just like during the day, is all about the light and and the moments found illuminated by it. Half of our lives are in the dark, so a shame not to enjoy it (and document it). Since that first walk in 2015, I continue to get lost in Havana, and will continue to hope to be where ever the light is.