I shot this portrait early the next morning, walking alone with the Sony A7C and a compact lens. The night before was quiet, with a few of the remaining participants eating pizza next to our Casa. Nothing like the evening outs we had at the beginning of the trip.

I shot this picture and the ones in the next two posts with the same camera and lens: the Sony A7C and the TTArtisan 50mm f/2, a robust but manual-focus lens. I didn’t use it at all until that morning. Most of my Cuba photographs were with the A7C II, my primary camera, and the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II.

At f/2, I created a shallower depth of field than with my all-purpose Pro zoom. More significantly, the rendering is softer and unlike the Sony, not super sharp. However, there is a lovely dreaminess to the lens. I shoot this way more often now in 2026, but it was still an experiment back then.

Two musicians were making lovely music at the pizzeria next door to the Casa. The same place we ate the night before, though we didn’t get this serenade.

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