Though it's so close to our home in Florida, Cuba is a place I never thought I'd get to visit for the purpose of telling a story through photography. It just seemed like too big of a task or too awesome of a dream to actually happen. So when Tammy and Fraser contacted me about doing their engagement photos in Havana, I didn't get my hopes up too high. A lot had to fall into place, particularly with fairly short notice and an already hectic travel schedule. BUT, after meeting these guys and connecting with their story, I knew I had to be a part of this journey.

What their relationship represents to me, is exactly what I love about this craft and the concept of joining lives and families through marriage. 

In essence, Tammy and Fraser couldn't be from more different backgrounds... culturally, politically or in any other way. Fraser is an Aussie (like me). We grow up believing that ours is the "lucky country", a place where anything is possible. I don't have to explain how drastically different this is from the Cuba that Tammy grew up in. However conflicted you are about the current state of affairs in Cuba, or it's political history, from my observations and interactions with Tammy and her family, Cuba can only be described in one word... beautiful. 

Somehow, Tammy and Fraser found one another in Miami, and they have an amazing life together. Soon they'll make it official with their upcoming wedding in Australia, and I can't wait to capture part two of their story. But first, we had to start by celebrating their engagement in a place near and dear to their hearts. Old Havana, though dilapidated and hardly representative of it's former glory, remains a richly textured labyrinth of sights, sounds and smells. The city has the power to truly captivate you, and make you forget that the outside world continues to exist.

For our purposes, it was the perfect backdrop to tell the triumphant story of two love drunk strangers from distant cultures, whose worlds collided and shrank the universe.