Greenbook: A Local Guide to Chesapeake Living -Issue 11 | Page 7

H
e says that the greatest joy he found while travel- ists are not permitted to photograph. Once I learned what
ing to Cuba was a culture that remains colorful I could access, I was able to focus my efforts,” Jay said.
and vibrant despite near total government con- As you will see from the following pictorial, Fleming was
trol. In fact, of the few complications Fleming encoun- able to capture the beauty of the landscape, culture and
tered during his travels (there is a dual currency system people of Cuba through images that are at once interest-
that can be confusing at times, hustling by jiniteros isn’t ing, captivating, thought-provoking and beautiful. His
uncommon and navigating the extensive system of some curated collection includes scenes of Cuban life not nec-
private citizens’ particulares, or personal business enter- essarily experienced by the average tourist, and inspires
prises, can be hazardous) Fleming says his greatest chal- anyone who might be contemplating a trip to the island
lenge was access to his preferred subject matter. Flem- to want to know more.
ing’s work specializes in capturing images of marine life,
boats and native watermen; however, the government You can see many more of his images and his
allows little to no access to these sites or people. “The advice for getting to and around Cuba on his blog at
Cuban government has a long list of subjects that tour- JayFlemingPhotography.com.
Tobacco farmers are required to sell 90% of
their tobacco harvest to the government. The
remaining 10% can be sold independently to
tourists. Our hosts suggested dipping one end
of the cigar in honey, which acts as a natural
filter and sweetens the taste of the tobacco.
They claimed Che Guevara dipped his cigars
in honey because of his asthma.
GREENBOOK | SUMMER 2017
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