The Blessed Bus Stop

One morning in Havana I took a student out of the centre to go explore the suburbs of Havana not sure what we would find. Zero expectations is the name of the game.

We soon wandered apart and I found myself thinking only of breakfast and where I could find some. I stopped shooting. I was no longer in the moment but instead obsessing on my hunger. I stopped and waited patiently for my student to return to where we agree to meet up.

While waiting I had a religious experience with a priest at a bus stop across the street from me.

I am not a photographer that is very comfortable with shooting people when I am spotted. It feels invasive to me (I would rather they didn’t see me. I guess that’s worse?). My approach is to engage with people and ask permission first then create an environmental portrait. I do this to be kind and considerate but mostly because I prefer this genre to general anonymous street shots.

So I waved at him, from across the street and pointed at my camera indicating I would like to take his photo. He crossed himself, blessed me with the cross. I took that for permission (from God?) and made some images. I mean I could have been a ward-against-evil but he was smiling a bit so I thought that couldn’t be it.

More waiting for us both. Soon a breeze came up and I lifted my camera, he crossed himself and me once again as I made more shots.

This is one of those experiences that turns into a story that is told over and over again for me. Not much happened. Just two people on opposite sides of the road sharing a moment of ease and respect. Even with my raging hunger I enjoyed it very much.

I always wondered if I should have asked him to take one step to his right so he was not overlapping the window frame. Just an afterthought really.