EXPLORE. Chapter Three

The Production

In the spring of 2016, Cuba opened its doors to American tourists for the first time in decades.  Wanting to see the island nation before the U.S. tourism industry injected itself into Cuba's culture, we packed up our bikes and got a charter flight to Santiago de Cuba.  Because of Cuba's tropical climate and the extensive guest house system, we decided to leave all but the most essential gear behind. That meant leaving camping supplies, cooking supplies, extra clothes, or anything other then the most necessary equipment. The idea was to ride fast and light. With this unique circumstance, we brought fragile road bikes and gambled that we wouldn't need repairs. That gamble turned out to be a big mistake.

Sure enough, one of the bikes was damaged during transport. I volunteered my bike to the team and hired a driver. With a new focus on shooting instead of riding, I had the opportunity to document the trip in a way that would be impossible strictly by bike. Eventually, we did get the bike fixed, and I was able to join the tour. 

In this piece, I wanted to focus on the sensory overload that comes hand in hand with an international bike tour.  I shot with a GH4 and Gidecam. I did the postproduction.