EL MONTE DE MANUEL ALMENARES

Ten years ago, I began photographing the streets of Central Havana to document the neighborhood where I live and work. Over time, I have come to know hundreds of people and thousands of stories. By connecting with their world, I strive to humanize them and convey the general spirit of the street, through the small moments and details I observe. Sometimes, a fleeting instant draws me in. The light at the top of a staircase. A handprint on a wall. The lines in a cracked glass pane. I follow the fading light, a fleeting shadow, reflections, unusual shapes and symbols, children playing, a sleeping dog... all these things catch my attention and tell a story in a captivating way. I want my photos to communicate without language; to feel the presence and feelings of the subject and to speak with intimacy and empathy. I act as a witness and try to take the viewer to a world where people often struggle under difficult circumstances, yet maintain an essential grace and compassion. The existing lights and shadows shape, define texture, and often become compositional elements in my photographs. For me, analog technique remains more organic than digital. I work with black and white film in 35mm and medium formats, developing and printing my rolls at home. By participating directly in the entire process and watching my images appear, first as negatives and then as prints, photography remains magical and a constant source of inspiration in my life.