Where time stands still, a photo from Sancti Spiritus, West

Photographer's Note

Trinidad is a town in the province of Sancti Spíritus, central Cuba. Together with the nearby Valle de los Ingenios, it has been one of UNESCOs World Heritage sites since 1988.
Trinidad was founded on December 23, 1514 by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar under the name Villa De la Santísima Trinidad. Francisco Iznaga, a rich Basque landowner in the southern portion of Cuba during the first 30 years of the colonization of Cuba, was elected Mayor of Bayamo in 1540.Iznaga was the originator of a powerful lineage that finally settled in Trinidad where the Torre Iznaga is. His descendents fought for the Independence of Cuba and the Annexation to the US from 1820 to 1900. It is one of the best preserved cities in the Caribbean from the time when the sugar trade was the main industry in the region.
Nowadays, Trinidad's main industry is tobacco processing. The older parts of town are well preserved as the Cuban tourism industry sees benefit from tour groups. In contrast, some parts of town outside the non-tourist areas are very run down and in disrepair, especially in the centre.
The Plaza Mayor in Trinidad, Cuba, is the historic centre of the town, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988. The buildings surrounding the central square date from the 18th and 19th centuries when trade in sugar from the nearby Valle de los Ingenios and slaves, brought great riches to the area. Many of the buildings surrounding the central square belonged to the wealthy landowners of the city. When the trade in sugar diminished and the slave trade ended in the mid-19th century, Trinidad became a backwater and because little building work was carried until the 1950s many of the historic buildings and streets were preserved, especially the grand constructions in the immediate vicinity of the Plaza Mayor. Today, most of the houses surrounding the square are home to museums.
The colonial houses of Trinidad are typified by red terracotta tiled roofs supported out beyond the walls by wooden beams. Pastel-coloured paintwork for the houses is normal with wood and plasterwork details picked out in different colours to the brickwork. The large main door typically has a smaller entrance door (or doors) cut into it. In contrast to the houses of the same period in Havana the door tends to open directly onto a living area, rather than having a vestibule or entrance hall. The doors are often surrounded by architectural plaster mouldings. Windows lack glass, instead they are open to the elements, but have barrotes, bars constructed of small turned wooden columns which allow the air to circulate without allowing entrance to the house. In the 19th century these wooden barriers were replaced by wooden shutters behind a wrought-iron grille. The large windows are normally raised slightly from ground-level but can be flush to the pavement. Arched windows are also common, but are enclosed with radiating wooden slats. 19th century houses tend to be built around a small courtyard with the rooms facing onto it.
The small sloping central square is laid out to gardens on a raised platform with paths dividing it in quarters. The resulting four small area of garden are fenced off by white-painted ironwork fences. Cobbled streets isolate the square from the surrounding buildings. Wrought-iron lamp-posts, statues of English greyhounds and columns with large pottery finials decorate the square.
In the pic you can see the Church of Holy Trinity and the bell tower of the Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco.

DOVE IL TEMPO SI E' FERMATO

Trinidad è una città cubana di circa 75.000 abitanti della provincia centrale di Sancti Spíritus. Insieme alla vicina Valle de los Ingenios è un sito indicato come Patrimonio dell'umanità dall'UNESCO fin dal 1988.
Trinidad fu fondata da Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar nel 1514 con il nome di Villa De la Santísima Trinidad. È una delle città meglio conservate di tutti i Caraibi, dall'epoca nella quale lo zucchero era il principale commercio in questo luoghi. Sono proprio i resti di quel periodo coloniale e schiavista, nel quale fiorì Trinidad, ad essere la principale attrazione dei visitatori e il motivo stesso del prestigioso riconoscimento che l'UNESCO ha conferito alla città e a tutta l'area circostante più direttamente interessata alla coltivazione della canna da zucchero (la Valle de los Ingenios). Oggi la voce principale dell'economia di questi luoghi è costituita dalla lavorazione del tabacco.
La parte più vecchia della città è quella meglio preservata ed è oggetto di visite turistiche da parte di tour organizzati. Al contrario, diverse zone al di fuori della parte più turistica, anche molto centrali, versano in stato di semi-abbandono e sono lo specchio di un disagio diffuso nella città e in tutto il Paese.
Fuori dalla città c'è la famosa penisola di Ancón con una rinomata e ampia spiaggia di sabbia (Playa Ancón) sulla quale sorge un complesso turistico, fra i primi nati dopo la rivoluzione del 1959.
Nella foto la chiesa della Santa Trinita' ed il campanile del convento di San Francesco.

annjackman, ChrisJ, krzychu30, SnapRJW, pierrefonds, jjcordier, Sonata11, Budapestman, francio64, macjake, jlbrthnn, tyro, jusninasirun, kordinator, papagolf21, josepmarin, jhm, delpeoples, maria-v1981, PaulVDV, lakshmip1949, Graal, baddori has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

JFS (32189) 2012-02-19 0:54

Explosion of colours and life for those gray days...Lovely and colored architecture. A like your composition where we can see lots of details.

Have a good We my friend!

Hasta luego!
Juan

Royaldevon (17811) 2012-02-19 1:05

Good Morning Luciano,

It was not until I noticed the figures that I realised the scale of these buildings; for that reason, the figures held importance; they also supplied a little extra colour.
A good pov uses the converging lines to funnel the attention to the m/g and the focal church tower.
Excellent light and that cloudy sky makes a most attractive backcloth.

Have a good Sunday,
Bev :-)

annjackman (13233) 2012-02-19 1:14

Hello Luciano,
I know exactly where you were standing to take this one! I hope that you enjoyed Trinidad as much as I did. The partly cloudy sky was good for this picture as the light is suberb, showing off the wonderful colours. Even the red shirt adds an extra touch of brightness. The colonial architecture of this plaza is remarkable and your picture shows some super detail.
Best wishes, Ann

ChrisJ (86932) 2012-02-19 1:21

Caio Luciano

Perfect management of perspective here with the centre vertical of the yellow tower precisely perpendicular. The left & right leans don't bother me. Lens barrel distortion is to be expected with wide angled lenses. A marvellous warm vs cold color contrast between the blue building at left & yellow facade at right. Good linear perspective also with the lines starting in the corners. Tfs!

krzychu30 (8935) 2012-02-19 1:32

Hello Luciano,
this is awesome picture.It has this special Cuban flair with its beautiful,colonial architecture and these colorful facades.The POV is really well-chosen here and colors are simply amazing,so bright and vivid.It must have been wonderful holiday for you my friend.
Have a nice sunday
Krzysztof

SnapRJW (18792) 2012-02-19 1:42

Good Morning Luciano - This looks like a brilliant place to visit and photograph. Your POV gives a good overview of the location and a great 'feel' for the place. You have composed a lovely shot which takes in a variety of architectural styles from the quaint blue cottages to the imposing colonial buildings. All this visual interest is punctuated by the palms and the superb sky. The splash od red is fun. Warm regards rosemary

jurek1951 (35765) 2012-02-19 1:43

Ciao Luciano,
Really very nice your architecture photos this one is very sharp and very well composed.The lighting is fantastic.
Georg

ikeharel (37424) 2012-02-19 3:04

Ciao Luciano,
The title could be red as relevance to whall of Cuba...
The town main square looks humble, but offer good photographic subject to target, yet you had manage a nice shot, with superb contrast of colors, side light with cloudy sky's.
Buona domenica,
Ike

Nicou (97811) 2012-02-19 3:21

Hello

superbe commpo e tiamge mangigique captage quelle vue quel bâtiment avec l'églsie en fond ces tons bleus d'un côté et ocre de l'autre, sueprbe ensemble.

Bravo et amitié

Nicou

siudzi (23959) 2012-02-19 3:35

Hi Luciano,

A great place has been discovered for taking this wonderful image! Explosion of fresh, intensive colors achieved here. Very well done. TFS.

Have a nice Sunday!

Malgorzata

pierrefonds (48387) 2012-02-19 4:51

Bonjour Luciano,

Cette photo me rappele des souvenirs, j'ai visité Trinidad et photographier les même édifices. La prise de vue permet de voir les détails et les couleurs de l'architecture de l'église, du clocher du couvent et des immeubles. Il y a un un effet de distortion de lentille. La bonne luminosité rehausse les couleurs de l'image. Bonne journée.

Pierre

pajaran (36282) 2012-02-19 5:22

Dobar dan.
Vrlo interesantan i dobra tekst o starom gradu sa datim podaciama ...
Lep pogled na deo starog grada i oblake koji donose kisu ...
Dobar snimak, kontrast, perspektiva i prikaz, lepa fotografija.
Dobar rad i kompozicija, lepe boje.
Prijatno popodne i sve najbolje.
Paja.

Google.

Buon pomeriggio.
Articolo molto interessante e buona la città vecchia con i dati forniti, come ...
Bella vista sul centro storico e le nuvole che portano pioggia ...
Buona immagine, contrasto, prospettiva e punto di vista, belle immagini.
Buon lavoro e composizione, bei colori.
Un bel pomeriggio e tutto il meglio.
Paja.

jjcordier (62394) 2012-02-19 7:35

Luciano
Très belle photo de Trinidad, magnifiquement composée. La lumière est splendide et éclaire de magnifique façon ces beaux et intéressants bâtiments à l'architecture très variée.
Amicalement
JJ

holmertz (26982) 2012-02-19 7:58

Hello Luciano,
Great light and interesting buildings of very different kinds. The colours are fantastic.
Regards,
Gert

Sonata11 (28391) 2012-02-19 8:16

Hello Luciano,
beautiful picture of this wonderful square with impressive architecture. Colors, sharpness, clarity, exposure, POV are fantastic. Wonderful composition and framework as well. Wonderfully executed image. Perfectly well done.I love it. Thanks for sharing.
All the best and have a nice Sunday,
Barbara

Ninello52 (7065) 2012-02-19 9:58

Ciao Luciano!
Un'altra splendida immagine della tua ricca serie Cubana! Bella l'inquadratura dal basso che da slancio e profondità alla scena. Fantastici i colori del paesaggio, come al solito, e molto bello anche il cielo!
Saluti, Nino.

Budapestman (82620) 2012-02-19 10:10

Hi Luciano,
a splendid sunny photo of this beautiful place, I like the composition and the architectural details, Tfs! Have a nice Sunday evening! Kellemes Vasárnap estét kívánok!
György

Ricx (13445) 2012-02-19 10:33

HiLuc, I believe Cuba is just unbelievable - especially if you meet and live with the locals.. well posted my friend. sounds like a great trip ricx

Silvio1953 (98259) 2012-02-19 10:37

Ciao Luciano, la giustizia in questo mondo non esiste, io hoggi son stato a Gubbio e un po' più incontro il lupo di San Francesco, ho rischiato di rompermi l'osso del collo col ghiaccio bagnato da una pioggerellina fitta fitta, e tu mi mostri sta magnificenza, ma vai.... a Cuggiono,,,, deliziosa la chiesa, magnifico il cielo, poi sta splendida luce io non me la ricordo più com'è fatta, bravissimo, ciao Silvio

npecanhuk (53919) 2012-02-19 11:11

Ciao Luciano!
Wow!
Wonderful place!
Very beautiful picture!
Sharpness, exposure, colors, dof, chosen pov, horizontal format, black & white & grey borders and composition are all oustanding features here!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

francio64 (38188) 2012-02-19 11:20

Ciao Lucià,
bella immagine di Trinidad incorniciata da sembrare una cartolina.
Bella prospettiva, luce ben gestita e ottimi colori.

TFS!
Francesco

macjake (39235) 2012-02-19 11:30

Hi Luciano
wow!
great shot!
lovely colors, lighting, subjects and composition.
I like how the building in the far bg is straight up vertical but the one on the right is tilted.
beautiful!
cheers
craig

dkmurphys (36857) 2012-02-19 12:22

Ciao Luciano,
A lovely atmosphere in that special place. Well taken, very beautiful colors.
Have a good night.

Daniel

Gigidusud (8106) 2012-02-19 15:04

Ciao Luciano,
Bellissima composizione con bei colori e bella prospettiva.Mi piace la chiesa in fondo con il cielo nuvolose.
Grazie per la condivisione.
Ghislaine

chris04stop (6787) 2012-02-19 17:27

La tua foto é validissima, ovvio. E il cielo é fantastico. Ma un po' più a destra, un po' più a sinistra... Viene da piangere.Te lo avevo pur detto che Cuba adesso é uno squallore. Non mi hai creduto? Cavoli tuoi...
Anna Paola

cargus (6468) 2012-02-19 22:41

Well rendered image, a good balance between light and color, image sharpness highlight the picture well done..!!
Regards,
Adrian

mauro61 (52527) 2012-02-20 2:43

ciao Luciano,
grnde qualità con le diverse architetture che si legano con gli stili e i colori fra loro.
Il cielo è da sballo tanto è bello con il suo azzurro e le sue nuvole.
complimenti
maurizio

danyy (0) 2012-02-20 3:04

Hi Luciano,
bel effet de ce grand angle avec des distorsions de perspective outrageantes, un ciel comme les aime, capturé avec brio., du soleil qui fait vraiment du bien.
Regards.
Daniel.

mvdisco (16458) 2012-02-20 7:22

Bonjour Luciano Ciao,
Superbe composition et jolie saturation des couleurs,
Magnifique carte postale de ce endroit de paradis,
Un ciel de toute beauté et une architecture aussi,
Excellent cliché mon ami,
complimenti,,
Michel

diomed (13926) 2012-02-20 10:37

Ciao Luciano,
bellissima scena di architettura coloniale in una piazza inondata dal sole. L'inquadratura dal basso esalta l'eleganza delle palme e di un magnifico cielo. Bravissimo!
Buona settimana
Antonio

Fis2 (73146) 2012-02-20 10:49

Witaj Luciano!
Curious place, curious architecture.
Interesting church and beautiful belfry.
I like frame, colors and light.
Well done. TFS
Nice evening
Krzysztof

ciakgiak (30331) 2012-02-20 11:46

Ciao Luciano,
Oltre allo stupore e alla meraviglia che mi suscita questo luogo incantato, rimango davvero incantato dalla resa cromatica della tua foto, sei sempre più bravo, complimenti.
Un caro abbraccio
Giorgio

mesutilgim (68036) 2012-02-20 13:38

Hello Luciano,
Wonderfull capture with perfect layout and nice bright colors from Trinidad.
Another perfect TE entry with many good and interesting notes.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

jlbrthnn (79773) 2012-02-20 13:58

Ciao Luciano,
La lunga nota è interessante. Ritaglio, e la nitidezza della foto ha indotto una grande profondità. Luce e colori sono accurate e divertente. La qualità è impeccabile. Bravo.
Buona sera.
Amicalement
Joël

tyro (13149) 2012-02-20 14:46

Ciao Luciano,

This is a stunning photograph, perfectly composed and with incredible detail and sharpness. The colours are wonderful and the whole picture so well exposed and presented.

A very interesting and informative note too.

Beautiful!

Kind Regards,

John.

bayno (16241) 2012-02-20 16:56

Ciao Luciano,
bellissima la luce potente che fà risaltare i colori, il cielo è meraviglioso, stupenda la chiesetta d'epoca e l'atmosfera tipica caraibica che si respira, ottimo il tuo POV, ho fatto un WS per correggere la distorsione del grandangolo, spero che non ti dispiaccia...
buona giornata,
Valter

[workshop] [compare] +

jusninasirun (17142) 2012-02-20 17:18

Hello Luciano,
I like this composition and the view of this place. The architecture on the right has good balance with the colorful buildings on the left. Good details with people walking on the street against a nice sky.
Thanks and have a wonderful week ahead.
Regards,
Jusni

kordinator (13411) 2012-02-20 23:37

Hello Luciano
Great light and interesting buildings.
Nice palms and pleasant presence of peoples.
Great depth of field and point of view.
Fantastic framing under lovely cloudy sky.
Impressive composition.
Best regards
Saša

papagolf21 (76611) 2012-02-21 1:07

Bonjour, cher ami Luciano,
Ne connaissant pas Cuba, j'apprécie tout particulièrement cette composition, qui me permet de découvrir les joyaux architecturaux de ce pays et de cette région.
Très belle réussite photographique.
Amitiés.
Philippe

josepmarin (55063) 2012-02-21 1:20

Ciao Luciano,
una composición magnífica. La combinación gráfica de la arquitectura colonial de la iglesia, del convento, del campanario y de las casas pintadas de azul, así como las palmeras y el cielo maravillosamente decorado con unas nubes preciosas, forman una imagen absolutamente atractiva.
La luz y los colores tienen una alta calidad.
Un trabajo excelente, caro amico.
Un abbraccio,
Josep

jhm (122490) 2012-02-21 4:07

Ciao Luciano,

Cuba a country with a very long tradition, but very poor for a lot people.
I find your title perfect "Where time stands still" with a wonderful street scene.
Nice depth and perspective together lovely colors.
Excellent composition, nice presentation too. TFS.

Best regards,
John.

delpeoples (45018) 2012-02-21 5:22

Caro Luciano

Adoro questi colori vibranti e léffetto del grandangolo. IL contrasto tra i toni blu e gialli e' bellissimo e con la nitidezza cosi buona, possiamo vedere tutti i dettagli dellárchitettura. Complimenti.

Passa una bella giornata
Lisa

maria-v1981 (10403) 2012-02-21 6:33

Hello Luciano,
It is wonderful to have such a great subject. But it is even greater to have a photographer like you who can capture that image in such a magnificent way.
All the best,
Maria

PaulVDV (15017) 2012-02-21 9:52

Ciao Luciano,
Beautiful and colourful buildings on that square in the old colonial town. It really seems very quiet as time has stood still.
The tropical sky is a wonderful backdrop.
Best regards, Paul

lakshmip1949 (19110) 2012-02-21 11:51

Hello Luciano,

Lovely blue cottages on one side , beautiful architectural buildings on the other side and one or two people walking in between. I like this quiet atmosphere with lovely palm trees and blue sky . The sharpness and colors are great.

Lakshmi

adores (28248) 2012-02-21 18:10

Hi Luciano!
This must be a really incredible city! The details and colours of the old architecture are excellent! You got a beautiful sky and... no cars around:)!Good shot! I also like those people with colourful t-shirts!

Graal (88982) 2012-02-21 23:38

Ciao Luciano,
an interesting old architecture here. Good reportage and presentation from Trinidad. I like the colours and contrast. Photo is well done.
Have a nice day.
Aleksander

lpi (4424) 2012-02-22 0:41

Salut Luciano!
Le point de vue sur ce bel endroit est superbe!
Les couleurs et la lumière sont excellentes!
Quelle belle architecture!
Joli shot...Bravo!
Amicalement,
Lpi

siamesa (27449) 2012-02-22 13:28

Boa noite Luciano

Surely you "caught" all the beautiful places in Cuba.
This place is very nice with a special charm.
Abraços
maria

Cricri (86535) 2012-02-23 12:16

Ciao Luciano
Une image qui mérite bien un chiffre avec deux zéro :-)
Une vue intéressante sur ces différentes architectures, superbe lumière et couleurs,superbe image
Belle soirée
cricri

polpo56 (15121) 2012-02-24 13:26

Ciao Luciano,
una bella immagine in formato cartolina, realizzata in maniera egregia. Quanto mai appropriato il titolo, in effetti qui il tempo sembra essersi fermato.
Uno dei posti che mi piacerebbe andare a visitare, proprio per questo aspetto.

Ludo

SWEETFREEDOM (18423) 2012-02-26 0:55

Ciao Luciano,
colori e luce bellissimi, interessanti anche la chiesa, peccato per lo stato di abbandono in cui riveste.
ciao
Alessandro

dta (51510) 2012-02-26 3:34

Ciao Luciano ,
Belle construction d'image avec trois points forts en triangle . Cette ville à l'architecture coloniale est magnifique . Le ciel est splendide . Je préfère cependant le WS avec correction de la distortion .
Amicalement

baddori (18988) 2012-02-29 14:32

Luciano
Il campanile e le prospettive alla De Chirico .
Un ottimo lavoro ....forse anche il B&W o vignettato ( ed in parte lo è , mantenendo le qualità fotografiche .
GF

jmdias (45830) 2012-03-07 1:44

luciano

very beautiful view, lots of details to enjoy. the architecture is fantastic , a place I would like to know. I can recognize the typical spanish windows at left. nice the shapes of the church in the FG and the tower in BG. light, framing and sharpenss are fabulous. TFS.

hugs

jorge