Photo © Carl Oelerich | Jíbaro Photos

Carl Oelerich

Member
born: USA
based: USA
Website | @carl.oelerich

Biography

It was a defining moment in Carl Oelerich's life when he first arrived in Cuba. Back then, as a photographer, he had traveled to over 40 countries, but it was in Cuba where he found his photographic voice. During his first visit to Cuba, he started to photograph the Campesinos of western Cuba, showing their place in a quickly evolving landscape. On subsequent trips, he started to forge friendships with many of the local farmers. It is these relationships, along with Oelerich's photography that is the basis of "Campesino," an award-winning 2018 documentary film that has been presented at many worldwide film festivals including the prestigious Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamerican in Havana.

Oelerich's work focuses on a changing world as seen by the individual. He is a firm believer in photographing the human condition with compassion and truth. In addition to the Campesino project, Carl’s other photographic interests in Cuba include baseball and the poetry found in the streets of Havana. Prior to his passion for Cuba, Oelerich also photographed the capitalistic emergence of Czechoslovakia and the aftermath of the war in Bosnia.

Born in Chicago, Oelerich moved to Salt Lake City as a child. He studied film and photography at the University of Utah. His other passions are hiking the mountains and rafting the rivers of the western United States with his wife and two children.    

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