Matanzas Photographer Raúl Navarro Awarded in World Meteorological Organization Photography Contest

October 12, 2023

For a Cuban to obtain an "Honorable Mention" in the International Photography Contest of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has sufficient significance, but if he was also born in the Athens of Cuba, this becomes even greater for his countrymen.

A few days ago, the organization announced the winners of the "Meteorological Calendar 2024" contest. The 13 winning photographs, selected by a jury made up of meteorologists and photographers from the WMO, will be part of the digital calendar for the coming year.

They also selected a number of images in the "Honorable Mention" category that will also appear on the inside cover of the printed calendar.

"This year we have received many impressive photos from around the world. Our panel of experts chose the winning photographs based on technical and artistic merit, popularity on social media, geographic balance, and relevance," explained the specialized United Nations agency in an official statement.

One of those that obtained said mention shows an impressive cloud formation, the work of Matanzas photographer Raúl Navarro González.

The young man captured it on July 6th in Matanzas Bay, and it is a Cumulonimbus arcus cloud, one of the most sought after by storm chasers, for having a sinister appearance, in addition to having associated severe characteristics.

"I was at home," Raúl recounts. "I have an application on my phone that notifies me whenever lightning strikes. Where there's lightning, there's a storm, and the strongest clouds are the ones with discharges.

"When my phone alerted me, I told my wife I was going to capture the weather, I took my bicycle and went to photograph the moment.

"Before doing this type of photography, I must always have a place planned where my equipment and I can take shelter. Once at the site, I started shooting bursts with an intervalometer that my camera has, which allows me to capture moments that happen over an extended period of time and condense them into minutes.

"It's a video technique that allows you to capture continuous images. I started shooting at the storm, but in a short time it dissipated and I felt I had lost the opportunity. However, when I turned toward the Bay, there came that other one, super defined, and I decided on this last one. Two fishermen happened to arrive to transfer bait, and that's how these photos came about."

Meteorology was among the young man's professional dreams, a path that eluded him but which years later he managed to approach by adjusting the focus levels of his camera. Perhaps it is the destiny that always achieves its purpose.

"As a child I dreamed of being a meteorologist. I even wrote a letter to José Rubiera to find out how I could pursue that career, but it was studied in Havana and I gave up. I dedicated myself to computer science. Now that I know a bit about meteorology, about forecasts and clouds, well, I take photos."

With all the risks involved in obtaining snapshots of storms, Navarro's photographs reveal that other part of Matanzas that makes it a unique landscape in the world. With privileged geography, between rivers and with a beautiful bay, the Athens of Cuba turns out to be an ideal setting.

"The most complex thing when pursuing weather are the technological tools and the handling they require. I have to follow satellite images to see how storms are moving, and the other thing is having the will to expose yourself somewhat to those dangers; although one should always try to find a way to stay close to shelters.

"These contest photos, for example, I took near the coast guard post in Matanzas, because you have to protect the equipment and above all keep in mind that whenever you seek to take photos of this type, the storm will catch you."

—And those spectacular lightning photos? They've gone viral on social media! —I provoke him, in reference to other equally spectacular images of his.

Raúl Navarro smiles. "Ah, the lightning photos, well in the city there are many high points where you can take them, I think without representing danger to life. I've felt fear doing them, but the result is worth the sacrifice."

This artist learned photography empirically. He confesses that he inherited from his father the inclination toward cameras. "My dad is also an empirical photographer. I grew up watching him take photos of quinceañeras and children, but I was never interested.

"It was when I started at the University of Matanzas, in the Educational Technology Department, when it all began. There we had to create audiovisuals and software, etc. They bought a camera and my interest in photography started.

"The pandemic was a very good learning stage. During covid a Telegram group called Enfoque Cubano was created, where professionals from around the world participated. Every weekend each photographer had to send a photo to the group that had to meet certain technical parameters. It was time to evaluate the work, to give each other feedback. I took some virtual courses, I can say I learned everything during the pandemic stage."

The photographer thanks this award to his friend, meteorologist Henry Delgado Manzor. "He always sends me the calls for submissions and this year I decided to participate.

"This award is different because, although it's not monetary, representing a photographic catalog in a world organization is a tremendous achievement that allows me to position my work and make Cuba and Matanzas visible especially."

Raúl Navarro has been a photojournalist for the newspaper Girón since August 2022. His first work experience behind the lens in the media was covering the fire at the Matanzas Supertanker Base. His images of that tragedy traveled around the world.