On my trip to Cuba in early April 2023 I brought along eight rolls of 35mm black and white film to play with. I dusted off one of my original Nikon SLR bodies that I shot with 20+ years ago when I first took an interest in photography. The results of shooting on film in a place where everything looks 50+ years old can be timeless - making you feel like you are stepping back in time. The grain in the film, the contrast and the softness gives these photographs a nostalgic feel that is hard to naturally attain with modern digital cameras.

Shooting on film while traveling is a lot different than shooting with digital. Transporting film through airports can be a challenge - each pass through an x-ray machine can potentially damage undeveloped film. Film has to be hand checked at security check points which adds to the stress of being at an airport. A standard roll of 35mm film is limited to 36 exposures - limiting the chances to get 'the shot'. The cost of film and development has nearly quadrupled in price from when I first started shooting in 2002 - so you want to make each exposure count. And the biggest difference between digital and film is the lack of instant gratification when shooting with film - it took me two weeks to get these rolls developed. Worth the wait!