Michael Chinnici is a New York-based documentary photographer, creative director, designer, and author. He has traveled the world photographing people, street, architecture, landscapes, motorsports, aerial, and fashion. He enjoys the challenges that various photographic disciplines present. Michael is the Founder and CEO of Photo Workshop Adventures, a premier photo tour company offering over 150 photo-centric cultural adventures in over 50 countries. He loves sharing his photography experiences and is a frequent speaker at events where he discusses his "Evoking Emotion" and "The Art of Seeing" approaches to photography. Michael is the author of the beautifully curated, large-format photo storytelling book titled Vanishing Cuba. This limited edition 348 page book includes a stunning collection of over 300 photographs and stories from Michael's 24 trips to Cuba. The collection depicts the changes Cuba is facing as it emerges from more than 60 years of isolation and decay. Michael's trips to Cuba have yielded tens of thousands of photographs, thought-provoking and emotional stories, and created lifelong friendships. Vanishing Cuba is about capturing the 'Soul of Cuba', and Michael's love affair with Cuba and the Cuban people comes through in this compelling and beautifully produced book, handcrafted in Italy. The book is available in a "Silver Edition," "Deluxe Edition," and the collector series "Reserve Edition"--limited to just 300 copies. Currently, Michael is pursuing several ongoing personal projects, including a Vanishing India photo book to be produced in 2023. Michael was introduced to photography by his father at the tender age of 11. Using his dad's WWII-era Argus C3 and a basement darkroom, he began his lifelong love affair with photography. Although Michael spent the early years of his career in marketing and design (heading up his own New York City Ad Agency), he founded New York's first digital photography studio "Icon Digital" in 1995. He is the father of two girls and two boys, one of whom is a cinematographer. When Michael isn't on assignment, in the studio, or on a global adventure, he can be found traveling the world searching for unique photo opportunities, exceptional hotels, and amazing restaurants. As a documentary and travel photographer, I enjoy the best of both worlds. I love documenting and learning about different cultures, all while traveling the globe. I am in search of authenticity, beauty, and emotion. I try to blend all three of these to create images that truly "Evoke Emotion." I capture authenticity by blending into the environment and assimilating with those around me. Make others feel comfortable in my presence. Get people around me to let their guard down. Invite myself into their space without them even realizing it. It's sort of like breaking the ice on a first date, except this date might only last a few seconds or minutes, or however long it takes to get that great shot. I look for beauty, even if, on the surface, it doesn't appear beautiful. Beauty is everywhere. You just have to find it. I use natural light to enhance beauty. Light and shadow work together to create drama. Creating images that evoke emotion is always my goal. There is no recipe, no secret formula. Once I've managed to find authenticity and beauty, I can create emotion. It's important to create an image that evokes a deeper meaning beyond the obvious visual.

Every now and then, a photo book is completely astounding.

The images are technically brilliant and insightfully composed. The subject is engaging. But that doesn't begin to talk about the power or the effect of the collection....

.....Vanishing Cuba calls itself a curated photo storytelling collection, and the paired storytelling is at the heart of what makes this book wonderful. Sections of the book each begin with their own preface, a small essay or narrative written by Chinnici, and every image has not just a caption but a small story to go with it....

....Chinnici's photography is not only technically brilliant, but his sense of what matters is acute and profound. Every image is a metaphor. Every image is an evocation. There's something about the soul in all of them. The colors, while not overblown at all, are exuberant. And a great many photos in this book are black and white. Color celebrates life. Black and white celebrates timelessness. Both are important Cuban themes.....

.....Vanishing Cuba is an extraordinary book. Physically, it's a beautiful book, too. The layout, the design, everything from the size of the book to the weight of the paper to the care given to typeface and image placement is extraordinary. I can see why there is an early page bearing the signature of everybody involved with its making. They have reason to be proud of this book.

Vanishing Cuba is a surprise. To re-envision the idea that a collection of images is primarily an act of storytelling is thrilling. And, as is true at the end of any good story, when I am done with this book I feel both enlightened and grateful.

-- W. Scott Olson, Frames Magazine

--W. Scott Olson "Frames Magazine"

Publisher: Red Octopus Publishing

Pub date: 2022-03-30

Length: 348 pages