25,000 photos, and the world's only known derelict Mercedes Gullwing
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| Piotr Degler Jablonski with the 2014 calendar. |
Q:
Tell us how someone with a Polish name and Spanish upbringing finds
himself an automotive photographer working out of Turin, Italy.
A:
I was born in Poland and have some German heritage as well. Both of
my parents are musicians, and when I was two we moved to Spain. I
grew up there and studied at the German School. My interests have
always been cars and photography. At age 19 I moved to Italy to
study car design and I then worked for several years as car designer.
In the meantime I also worked as a car photographer for different car
companies and magazines worldwide. Today photography is my full-time
life.
Q:
How did the Delger Calendar come about? Was the Pirelli Calendar an
influence?
A:
The initial project was a book featuring 100 unique cars, but I
thought a calendar in the meantime could be quicker to create.
Obviously Pirelli is a great calendar, but focused essentially on
women's beauty. If you think about a car calendar, nothing very
strong comes to your mind. There are a lot of car companies producing
their own calendars, but those can look nearly the same year after
year.
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| Keepsake: Numbered Collector's Edition. |
I wanted to create something different, a calendar that
every year explores a new and exclusive automotive theme. Even if you
are not familiar with the theme, you will discover something new. The
goal as well was to offer something very special — that's why you
can choose between the Standard (without frame) , Exclusive (black
anodized aluminum frame) and Collector's Edition (rusted aluminum
frame and numbered plate).
Q:
Why Cuba as the 2015 theme?
A:
The 2014 theme was "Concept Cars by Bertone"; 12 prototypes
designed by the famous Italian coachbuilder, photographed in the dark
in different studios around the world. For 2015 it was nice to find a
completely different theme, even changing the style of photography
from studio work to reportage.
I always wanted to visit Cuba, as I am a big fan of 1950s American cars. I thought this contrast from last year's edition would work well, and I also thought it was the right moment to do it.
I always wanted to visit Cuba, as I am a big fan of 1950s American cars. I thought this contrast from last year's edition would work well, and I also thought it was the right moment to do it.
Q:
How long were you in Cuba, and how many images did you take?
A:
I spent one month on the island looking for the most interesting
cars. I wanted to show not only the American classics but also what
can be hidden from tourists' eyes. Visiting Cuba from Viñales to
Santiago de Cuba, every day in a new location, was an experience I
will never forget.
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| For April, a Chevrolet convertible. |
In
total I took about 25,000 images. It was not easy to summarize all of
this project with only 12 snapshots. On the one hand, photographs
showing the human side, the people, the environment, cars maintained
with inventiveness and necessity for decades ... on the other,
obsolescent cars showing what they once were and dreaming of what
they could be again.
Q:
There's an honest, even vernacular sense to your Cuba images. How
important was it to avoid overly staged scenes and after-the-fact
manipulation?
A:
I am accustomed to offering a commercial look for my clients. Most of
them seek a brochure-like image for their latest commercial campaign,
so there's usually a lot of postproduction work required. I try to
get the right balance avoiding over-postproduction – a very
diffused look nowadays.
"Carros
de Cuba" was a chance to show the purity of photography. You
don't need to sell anything, just show the reality as it is. For me
it is a documentary work, I wanted to show how Cuba and its cars
appear in 2014. Natural and improvised photographs, no forced
elements placed in the frame for the occasion, everything happening
by chance, natural colours, unretouched photographs ...
Q:
What was your biggest surprise about Cuba and its cars?
A:
My first surprise when I arrived at the airport at night was seeing
the large number of classic cars on the road. I really didn't expect
to still see so many of them. I felt like a little boy on Christmas
Day! Every day was a big surprise in Cuba.
Q.
Tell us about photographing Cuba's famously derelict Mercedes
Gullwing Coupe.
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| Moonlit Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. |
A:
I've heard about the Gullwing before starting the project. I thought
it would be great to show it in the calendar, as you can't find a
unrestored Gullwing anymore! It took nearly four weeks to find it;
nobody really knew about the car. After travelling the whole island
from west to east and asking everybody I met on my way, I finally
found it just a couple of days before I was to leave. I first saw it
during the day, sleeping under a banana tree, rusted, almost gone ...
I thought, "It deserves to be photographed by night, it would
look nice for the December month." So that's what I did.
Q.
When will you return to Cuba?
A:
I hope soon. I encourage every car enthusiast to go to Cuba.
Photos © Piotr Degler Jablonski. Used by permission.
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