Cuban Photo Tours led by Louis Alarcon
Cuban Photo Tours led by Louis Alarcon
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On our Private Photography Tour of Havana, a real photography workshop in Cuba. Ee take you where your typical tourist will not go, uncovering the real Cuba. In Havana, you will get to experience and photograph daily Cuban life, mixing and mingling with the locals at unique locations such as boxing gyms, colourful Afro-Cuban streets and smoky Jazz Clubs. Louis Alarcon is an artist and documentary professional photographer based in Havana focus cuban photography offering a fantastic cuban photo experience. Photography workshops in Havana allow us to discover the city on a one-day tour. Undoubtedly, standard tourists cannot delve into Havana compared to photography fans since the camera is like a magic key that allows us to enter places and also establish ties and conversations with the Cuban people, who know that the amateur photographer, in general seeks to get portraits and meet people.
Cuba, Caribbean
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
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Cuban Photo Tours led by Louis Alarcon
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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5.0
143 reviews
Excellent
138
Very good
4
Average
1
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Terrible
0
Anthony R
Melbourne, Australia7 contributions
Dec 2019 • Solo
This was a fantastic introduction to Havana.
Louis was booked all ready and refereed me to his associate Alfonso.
Alfonso meet me on my first day in Havana in the foyer of my hotel at 9:00 am and we spent the day together until well after sunset.
His knowledge of Havana is second to none and was able to strike up conversations with everyone we ran in to.
He was able to guide me to so many locations that I would have never known about myself .
He also was a great help advising me about the local currency and so many helpful tip’s about taxi’s, purchasing local goods etc. spending the day with him was a great introduction to an unknown country for me.
With his guidance I have so many beautiful images of Havana that I will treasure for many years to come.
Thank you so much Alfonso
Written 7 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind about our daily photo tour in Havana.
As photographers we know what we would like to discover if we traveled to another country, so we help you discover these secret sites in our beloved Cuba.
Written 5 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
brigitteb19
Montpellier, France21 contributions
Dec 2019
I hadn't planned on spending a day of photography in Havana without having prepared it in advance. So when I received the answer for an appointment the next day I was very surprised and delighted.
The day was fantastic; I traveled around the city and even another part of the city accessible only by boat to take pictures of places that I would not have found by myself in such a short time.
Alfonso my photographer has shown great attention and extraordinary professionalism. Thanks to him and his son-in-law who allowed me to spend such a beautiful time.
The day was fantastic; I traveled around the city and even another part of the city accessible only by boat to take pictures of places that I would not have found by myself in such a short time.
Alfonso my photographer has shown great attention and extraordinary professionalism. Thanks to him and his son-in-law who allowed me to spend such a beautiful time.
Written 18 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your comment on our one-day photo tour through the streets of Havana.
Whatever country you visit, there is nothing better than having the company of a fixer, it is the way in which you can discover the best photographic places in a new place.
I hope you were satisfied with the photographs you took.
Written 1 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TiffanyJL
Adelaide, Australia25 contributions
Apr 2023
I was lucky enough to join Luis, 4 other keen photographers & our local guide, Jorge for a week long photo tour of Cuba at the end of April 2023. It was an incredible holiday - fun, challenging & educational. We worked hard, visiting a number of very different locations, both around Havana and in Viñales, where we met all sorts of interesting characters. Luis' passion for photography and ability to engage with people, and persuade them to be photographed, was truly inspiring. I learned a lot about light, composition, the multiple buttons on my camera and interacting with your subjects. I also learned a lot about Cuba from both Luis and Jorge, (who was also amazing). We ate well, enjoyed mojitos and stayed in clean and comfortable places. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who loves travelling off the beaten path and photography.
Written 22 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Tiffany.
It has been 8 intense days of photography of all kinds: urban, portrait, nature, landscape, birds, city and countryside.
A great experience thanks to the good character of the whole group and your passion for photography.
I still remember your picture taken in Viñales with high ISO, the little girl who looked like the cover of a Japanese National Geographic, you know what I mean (the Olympus give a little grain, but that grain is sometimes magic).
Written 8 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Liliane A
2 contributions
Jan 2020
Havana that tourists don’t see!
We spent a day with Alphonso Blanc and Alfredo Sarabia 2 professional photographers. Alfredo is also a photographer artist.
These photographers are very kind and available to give us advice about the photo and about Havana. With them, we discovered another Havana that tourists don’t see. We went to photograph dancers during a rehearsal, a boxing school, a Cuban family.
It is a total immersion of Havana unknown to tourists where people are very warm.
We were pleasantly surprised and very pleased with our day.
We do not hesitate to recommend these two photographers.
We spent a day with Alphonso Blanc and Alfredo Sarabia 2 professional photographers. Alfredo is also a photographer artist.
These photographers are very kind and available to give us advice about the photo and about Havana. With them, we discovered another Havana that tourists don’t see. We went to photograph dancers during a rehearsal, a boxing school, a Cuban family.
It is a total immersion of Havana unknown to tourists where people are very warm.
We were pleasantly surprised and very pleased with our day.
We do not hesitate to recommend these two photographers.
Written 17 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your kind comment. Sorry I could not attend you personally but as I said Alfonso and Alfredo are fantastic Cuban photographers with a lot of experience in making photo tours in Havana less known to tourists.
Thanks for trusting us.
Written 1 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lori752017
Montreal, Canada9 contributions
Feb 2024 • Family
My mother and I did a quick trip to Cuba for some R&R. I did a one day, photography based tour with Alfonso in old Havana. This tour provided great access to authentic local culture. We walked the streets of old Havana, Alfonso and his sidekick Chino provided a lot of information about Cuban culture and the history, and the pace was easy to accommodate my mom who tagged along. Havana is full of great photo ops and having local guides facilitated access to local people. We had discussed taking a ferry across to a fishing village when we originally planned the tour several months ago, which did not end up happening but which I did not think to ask about on the day. We visited a boxing training gym as promised but I was disappointed that there was no sparring on that day. The pre-established additional photography fee of 20$ was not good value as a result but was not within Alfonso’s control. All in all, we had a very pleasant day getting to know Alfonso and Chino and the beautiful historic city of Havana. Photo ops were plentiful and compelling and having local guides with knowledge of photography and the ability to point out subjects and aid with composition was valuable. The tour was relatively expensive in terms of overall value but I really enjoyed the day and the experience and would highly recommend trying to access experiences that reflect real Cuban life beyond what is offered in typical resort life. This photography tour definitely allowed that!
Written 25 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your comment about our one day photo tours in Havana City.
As you saw they are totally oriented to photographers interested in improving their technique and discovering places with good photographic possibilities.
Written 3 March 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mike
Buffalo, NY2 contributions
Mar 2022 • Solo
I couldn't have asked for a more personal photography experience if I tried. My guide Alfredo Sarabia was prompt, polite, knowledgeable and an over all amazing guide. He took me places that I never would have seen or experienced in my trip to Havana, from a boxing club to a ballet studio to people's apartments with access to their roofs and balconies. I originally thought the price was high until the actual trip was over it was priced perfectly for the experience. I couldn't be happier. Alfredo if you read this, thank you! You rock man!!
Written 11 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your sincere comment. You could see that a photographic tour given by photography teachers has its price and value.
I am very glad that you enjoyed so much the photo tour in our beloved Havana, congratulations for your pictures.
Written 8 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tom S
1 contribution
May 2022
I spent three days with Alfonso Bianco and his good friend Alberto Arcos. Best decision I made in Cuba, since not only I learned a ton as an artist but also got shown hidden gems plus got entry to places tourists normally can't access, like the National Dancing School and others. Even if you speak Spanish, the enthusiasm, connection and knowledge of the two will benefit anyone. I might add that we also became friends and shared quite a few Mojitos, too. Highly recommended!
Written 7 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for repeating your days in our photo tours in Cuba. Havana is huge and the activities are thousands and thousands, what happens is that they are known only to local photographers and that is our job.
Written 8 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
NCC0830
Amsterdam, The Netherlands28 contributions
Dec 2019
All of the details of this experience were planned and executed perfectly. Not a small feat given the vagaries of travel. The living arrangements and food were just right to see a range of options available to tourists. Luis is a very talented photographer and teacher who had a plan for each photoshoot. He emphasizes street photography and took us to places where we could each be successful at this. He arranged models and opportunities to experience both challenging photography and the character of Cuba. I very much appreciate the tour guide from Locally Sourced Cuba (Pedro Foster) who was superb. Both the time in Vinales and Havana were top notch. I also really liked that Luis introduced us to other Cuban photographers so we could learn something from their vision and their approach.
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your comment. As you could see it was a Cuban photo tour totally focused on daily life, on photo shoots, on contacts with other photographers but without forgetting to have fun, eating well and drinking good rum.
Viva Cuba !!
Written 5 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
cara s
1 contribution
Dec 2023 • Family
Alfonso took us on the most incredible photo tour of old Havana and Casablanca. He knows the city like the back of his hand, wasting no time to take us to the most visually interesting parts. Back alleys, living rooms, boxing rings and more! Alfonso has personal relationships with many residents all over the city which gave us a unique opportunity to shoot within peoples homes and restaurants. I never would have found the areas he took us to on my own. Great sense of a humor, and a very kind person. Don't think about it, book a tour with Alfonso!
Written 4 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind review about our photo journeys to Cuba. We have designed it as a human tour oriented to photographers so we do not forget to visit places where the usual tourists do not have access.
We didn't forget the technical part either, this is not a tourist tour on a convertible car, our photo tour is about life and people around photography.
Our camera is the key to enter into special places.
Written 8 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Amy P
Albany, NY22 contributions
Jan 2020
I chose Luis's tour because it looked like an amazing way to take great photos in Cuba. It was SO much more than that! Luis and our local guide, Javiel, took me to places I'd never have seen on a "regular" tour. Not only did I see more of Cuba than I even knew existed (truly!) but Luis's easy rapport with the people we interacted with made each photo opportunity an amazing experience. I have never, ever, worked with a photographer like Luis. He taught me so much! I feel like I walked away from this trip a completely different person AND photographer. I can't thank him enough.
Not only was the photographic experience unforgettable, the logistics (food, lodging, transportation, timing) of the entire week were seamless and made for the perfect background to a trip of a lifetime. I will never forget my time with Luis and Javiel -- and am so grateful to them both for a fantastic week!
Not only was the photographic experience unforgettable, the logistics (food, lodging, transportation, timing) of the entire week were seamless and made for the perfect background to a trip of a lifetime. I will never forget my time with Luis and Javiel -- and am so grateful to them both for a fantastic week!
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Amy, you were the perfect Black and white traveler :-)
that was a fantastic week, we were a small group but with a great energy to discover the most photogenic and hidden Cuba.
See you in Europe ;-)
Written 5 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Dear Louis, having read the wonderful reviews below, I would be interested in a one or two day photography tour of Havana on either 17, 18 or 19 December 2019. Could you please let me know if you are available and the cost of either a one or two day tour? Best wishes, Jane
Written 18 August 2019
Looking at a near trip this month and really want to photograph place es, like boxing gyms, dance, people street photos and as much as I can take in for one day...looking to see how I book a day and the cost? thanks
Written 3 April 2019
We booked the tour "a day in havanna" is this the same tour. If it is the info says 5 hrs do you walk all of the time. Will be going there in a few weeks. Thanks in advance for the info.
Written 30 May 2018
I'm sorry for the slow response. I hope you had a great time in Cuba
Written 26 August 2018
Buenas noches. Estamos revien llegadas a la Habana y estamos interesadas en el Tour. Cuál es la duración? El costo? Horarios? Como nos Contáctanos?
Written 19 May 2018
I am going to Cuba from Dec 11 to Dec 18 and would love to do a photo tour
I will be staying in Varadero at the Melia Las American
Thanks
Jim Costello
Written 20 November 2017
Hi Jim. I offer my daily Photo tours only un Havana. Do you need in Havana o Varadero?
Best regards from the crazy and fantastic Havana.
Written 21 November 2017
Hi Louis,
We are two Canadians looking to spend a week in Cuba this summer, in late July. We would like to spend a few days with you as a photo guide in your country. We thought we could spend a few days in Havana and maybe elsewhere, we are open to adventures. We both are experienced amateur photographer and we've been traveling since a few years around the world, spending a week here and there, taking pictures. We both like street photography, people, culture and a bit of landscape.
Is it something you can arrange for us? Let's say from the airport in Havana (or elsewhere?), a 5 day-long photo tour including accomodations, ideally separate rooms but we're ok to share if we must, and then, one or two days on our own and we come back to our respective family here in Montreal, Qc.
Would you be our personal guide/instructor/photo mentor?
How much would it cost?
You can write me directly if you want at sb @ sergebeauchemin . com As you noticed, I've inserted spaces in the address so it doesn't get spammed.
Please tell me if you can help.
Written 20 March 2017
Hi Jerrold. Depending on your interest, I mean if you are interested just in street photography or perhaps you prefer to work with models : dancers, boxers, afrocuban dancers, etc..
Let me know and I will answer you.
best regards
Written 9 February 2017
Hi Estret
Just wondering how much the day tour cost. Its me and my partner, but only I take photos.
Written 29 December 2016
Hi anpham, I need to know when and if you are interested just in street photography or if you want photo sessions like afrocuban dancers, models, boxers, etc..
I wait for your answer .
best regards
Written 9 February 2017
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