Clay Cook was just returning from India when he received a call from the publisher of The Voice of Louisville that would have him turning around and heading to another adventure—this one in Havana, Cuba. The project was to create a twenty-page fashion spread for the magazine, featuring the scenery and culture of Cuba. Clay was more than ready to hit the streets of Havana to shoot some of Cuba’s hottest fashion in the blazing sun.
Cuba is still a communist country, which means that every part of Clay’s project had to go through the Cuban government. The Voice of Louisville’s parent-company, Blue Equity, was there to establish business relations with Cuba, and Clay says that the success of his project and theirs depended heavily upon their ability to work with the high-power people in the Cuban government. “There were a lot of relationships that had to be built and a lot of Cuban cigars that had to be shared before anything could have happened,” he notes.
Working with the government by their side, Clay and his team first set out to select the best possible locations. The team hired a tour guide and spent two days scouring Havana to find the right locals that found the balance between the elegance and beauty of the Cuban landscapes and the raw energy of the Cuban lifestyle. “We wanted to scout the popular places,” says Clay, “but also wanted to search the back-alleys and less glamorous paths.”
I tried to keep the images dramatic and warm but also very vivid representing the Cuban culture; their lifestyle isn’t exactly easy to explain, but the people, fashion and culture are an explosion of race, age, and color.
Immersing himself into the culture was definitely Clay’s favorite part of the trip. He said that immediately upon arrival, he was welcomed with open arms, and that the long work days were masked by the music, nightclubs, and people who drew him into life in Havana.
I was instantly enthralled with the Cuban history and culture and I felt like I had a real duty to document it properly.
Of course, there were still the ten-hour days. And as Cuba was experiencing record-breaking heat during the time of Clay’s trip, carrying around his equipment for these stretches of time was definitely a workout. Clay says that between traveling internationally and knowing he’d be lugging equipment in the sun, he was meticulous about which gear to pack. Even so, he had to find a way to be efficient without sacrificing the gear that would yield top quality results.
Clay’s images have been met with overwhelming excitement, from the client as well as from the collaborators in Cuba. “It was really great to collaborate with Cuban locals because it added a sense of realism that couldn’t be achieved any other way,” says Clay.
Here’s a look at Clay’s cover of The Voice of Louisville:
And here’s the behind-the-scenes footage from Clay’s photo shoot in Havana:
To view more of Clay’s work, visit claycookphotography.com.