Today was pretty much a travel day as we had a six hour drive or so back to Havana.  However, we still had an opportunity to photograph before breakfast and heading back.  It was time to have more fun with some panning techniques, only this time I was panning people instead of cars for the most part.  We headed out to a colourful corner and waited for action.  

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20140201_cuba_0158-Edit-Edit This photo was taken walking through one of the squares in Trinidad.  The buildings surrounding the main square in Trinidad date from the 18th and 19th centuries when trade in sugar and the slave trade brought great riches to the area.  Many of the buildings surrounding the plazas belonged to the wealthy landowners of the city.  Once the sugar trade diminished and the slave trade ended in the mid 19th century little building work occurred until the 1950s.  As a result of this restoration, many of the historic buildings and streets were preserved, especially the grand colonial structures.  Most of these buildings are now museums.  

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20140201_cuba_0265-Edit I entered this image title "Almost Dancing" in my camera clubs' creative competition.  It scored 24.5 out of 30.  The judges liked it and thought it had an interesting art quality.  They felt that the painterly quality is exciting- honestly their words.  The negative comments were that they weren't sure about the pole being in the photograph and they would have liked more space for the feet in the picture.  For sure I agree that it would have been better had there been more space for the feet.  Next time!

20140201_cuba_0255-Edit-3 This is a second image I entered in the competition (out of four).  I called in People in Motion.  it scored a total of 22 with the judges giving it 6.5, 8.5 and 7.  It was interesting how the judges had very different feelings about it but I find this to be true  in many cases.   There really wasn't a comment on how to improve the photo except perhaps remove the rectangle in the upper left corner which  could be considered distracting.  I didn't actually mind it.  

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This photo only received a score of 19.5 so clearly not well received.  The judges didn't like the bright area on the right which they found was a distraction and taking away from the more important area on the left and middle.  

20140201_cuba_0251-Edit-3 I think the judges might have been correct- that by removing the white area to the right makes this image stronger.  Also, the pole is no longer in the middle.

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By now it was time to head back to the hotel for breakfast and to pack up for our return trip to Havana.  I was sure sorry that it was time to leave.