About eduardo cuervo reyes
I was born in Havana in 1977, and was fortunate to grow up in what could be called an intellectually nurturing environment. In our house, you could find the unexpected: a telescope, several microscopes, light filters, prisms, chemicals, photographic equipment, science books, musical instruments, and boxes filled with countless electronic components; all that besides standard equipment, and mechanical + carpentry tools that most family own.
As much as I enjoyed playing baseball with my grandpa, or chasing him with my improvised bow and arrow, I also spent countless hours experimenting with all those things I had available at home. At the age of eight, I was able to disassemble my bicycle to the bits, service it and rebuild it.
My mother used to say (to the others surprise) that children should be given complete logical explanations. I think she was right. I did not lose the curiosity and playfulness of a child, and developed a passion and the patience for understanding how things work.
We owned several film cameras, which I loved to play with. Phenomena involving light always fascinated me. But by the end of the 80's in the isolated Cuba, finding films and developing material became impossible. I was also oblivious of the DSLR revolution. During my teens, I became an avid cyclist, and developed a taste for the outdoors.
Press fast-forward, and I find myself in 2005 with a master degree in Physics, pursuing my doctoral degree at the ETH Zurich. I started skiing, hiking, and discovered the sport of mountain-biking. The Alps became my playground. I got into assembling bicycles, and experimenting with different suspension systems.
I met many like-minded people that became my new friends. We regularly went touring, exploring, and spent weekends in the mountains, which unexpectedly lit the fire of my passion for photography. We were out there in nature riding our bikes, under the magic light of the sunsets, when I realised that I wanted to have the means to capture those moments; I wanted to have the tools and knowledge to create photos that would document my memories.
After some research, I was considering a couple of tried and true cameras; the Nikon D850 and the Canon 5D; but they seemed too big for an amateur and outdoors enthusiast. I needed something lighter to carry while mountain-biking. It was 2018, and Sony released the A7III; arguably, the camera that showed to the world the potential of mirror-less technology. It checked all the boxes, and so I bought my first ever full frame digital camera (and a couple of lenses).
As it happens with anything that I get passionate about, I went full beans. I started getting out often with the camera, reading about photography, watching tutorials, learning to process my images, updating equipment, travelling …
To date, I own a few more lenses, multiple tripods, several filter sets (some of which I have regretted buying), uncountable camera bags, photography-friendly sport backpacks, cameras for deep-sky astrophotography, and a couple of telescopes (one of which is an 11" optical beauty). Astrophotography became an important part of the hobby for me. After all, it seems quite logic; it is a field of photography that overlaps significantly with experimental astronomy and astrophysics.
I feel more than lucky that my partner supports me, and accompany me in all cycling and photography adventures. We plan our holidays taking moon- and star-cycles into account. She drives me at night to dark places, and sometimes feels motivated to grab one of my cameras to take a shot, which I take as excuse to buy more gear. She must be also credited for any photo of me that may appear in this page and elsewhere.
Photography is not my job. I currently work for an electrification company; as member of the theory + simulations group in their research centre.
Being an amateur may have disadvantages, but it also has its advantages. I go out with my camera because I love it. I enjoy being in nature, and I have no pressure to deliver, other than my own ambition to become a better photographer. That does not mean that I am not open to projects and collaborations. If you have an idea, you can contact me here.
I am always in the search of ``that’’ beautiful light, of special moments; and I prefer a simple subject in good light to a great subject with poor lighting. I like images that bring the observer in, giving a sense of depth. I may not succeed transmitting that 3D feeling very often; but it is one of my goals.
Photography for me has become part of the interaction with nature. In a way, it increases my awareness, and it is often an extra motivation to go out.
I hope that you enjoy the photographs I chose to display here. These might not be my best; but rather those that mean something to me. Perhaps you can relate to some, and find stories in them.
If you are (or plan to be) out during the day, I wish you clear horizons and high clouds. And if you go out to enjoy the night sky, I wish you good luck and clear skies.