Unseen Cuba: The First Ever Aerial Images of a Foreign Land
05/28/2015
Curators’ Corner
Few Americans have experienced the astounding beauty of Cuba. For decades, the complicated and controversial state of Cuba-U.S. relations has made a land less than 100 miles off the coast of Florida all but inaccessible.
Lithuanian photographer Marius Jovaiša gives us an enchanting view of Cuba from above in Unseen Cuba, a project that has much more than a helicopter and a camera for a back story. Jovaiša, the founder of Unseen Pictures and a modern explorer of the Caribbean, spent five years and $1 million to bring Unseen Cuba to fruition.
"I went to see Cuba and realized that nobody has been able to take aerial pictures of that amazing country because of a secretive political regime and technical difficulties,” Jovaiša told the Huffington Post. “I thought it would be awesome to try to become the first man on the planet who could convince the Cuban government to give permission for such an endeavor.”
The photographer spent two years navigating paperwork and bureaucracy alone before moving on to logistics, which weren’t any easier. For most projects, Jovaiša simply rents a helicopter and plans his shoot. But the lone rental service in Cuba had only an oversized MI-8 that wasn’t viable. Jovaiša instead had to order an ultralight aircraft from Australia and have it shipped to Cuba. After that, there were more politics and certifications, not to mention finding a pilot and mechanic to operate it.
Nevertheless, Jovaiša pressed forward and got Unseen Cuba off the ground. The result is a spectacular collection of 400 never-before-seen images of the Latin American country, from seaside cliffs and valleys to pristine waters and unique villages. The book is supplemented with an app for Android and Apple phones.
Behind these pictures is what Jovaiša aptly described as “a wonder of nature and human history, an absolutely unique place in the world.”
“The people of Cuba are incredibly sincere, welcoming, warm and tough because of difficult and poor life conditions,” he said. “But instead of breaking them, the difficulties made them very strong and inventive.”
Enjoy a few of Jovaiša’s photographs below, and click here to visit the Unseen Cuba website.
