From Cuba to Connecticut

By Reynaldo Cruz

It was my pride to become a Photographer for Social Change in 2021, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising tensions in Cuba in the wake the July 11 protests and the massive repression and censorship that followed. Out of precaution, I limited myself to documenting through the window and making only one post on Instagram, while making posts in a WordPress site that has since been discontinued.

5:19pm #Holguín #Cuba

Running errands…

Everyone in Cuba knows what a set of cloth bags tangled on the bicycle’s handlebars means. Definitely, the person is heading to run errands, buy either rationed groceries or simply produce

9:00am #Newington #USA “MORNING PAPER: A good day always starts with a greeting, a coffee and a good read”

After my arrival in America, I participated in the 2022 from Newington, and in 2023 and 2024 from West Hartford (the two latter as an ambassador). The Newington one, as frustrating as it may have been due to the little activity that you can find in town and the distance from place to place, was a learning challenge for me.

My West Hartford experiences were a lot better, due to my proximity to everything interesting in town. I ended up sitting in an outside patio of a restaurant, watching people avoid the rain and photographing them. 11:00pm #WestHartford #USA

1:00pm #Connecticut #USA “Small business vibe: Carol, from Carol & Company LLC in Collinsville, gets her hands working on her jewelry making routine.”

The fun part for me in each one of them was the adventure of taking and posting one photo every hour, and do it for 24 straight hours. Even though you don’t have to do that to participate, it is a lot of fun to stay awake and keep that adventure going. It is true that you end up exhausted the next day, but the satisfaction of finishing the work is unparalleled. Also, being able to contribute to charities with your talent with the lens is a very rewarding experience.

To me, as a photographer, being part of something bigger is part of our social duty. Taking pictures is not only about capturing moments, working with clients or photographing beautiful landscapes or sunsets. Making the world a better place should always be in our agenda.

So, if you are interested in photography, no matter whether you are a professional or an amateur, or whether you use a DSLR or a cell phone, or whether you are sixty or sixteen years old, save the date: September 13, 2025.

And if you are in Connecticut, contact me, so we can get more people to meet for coffee during that day.

Reynaldo Cruz | Instagram | Website