Between Tel Aviv and Cuba

Felix Lupa was born in 1972 in the Ukraine, then still the Soviet Union. In 1978 he and his parents emigrated to Israel, where a new and quite different life began for them. He told us about his views on photography, his acquaintance with the streets and why he loves his Leica.

My Photography.
In my photography I look for those moments that inspire me and challenge me intellectually or emotionally according to my way of seeing reality out of my inner world. I usually try to photograph the routine but in an unusual way. Nothing is absolute to me, everything can be changed and adapted to my personal perception of reality.

‏In general, I am drawn naturally to human scenes that I or viewers can identify with. Emotion is my motive, I try to build cinematic scenes that are in my subconscious, as they are really different from what the eye sees at first sight. It takes a lot of imagination, peace of mind and endless patience to make things work out without any intervention on my part. The personal interpretation of each photograph I always leave to the viewer.

Me and my camera.
With the help of my LEICA M6 I managed to gain access into the lives of many people wherever I went. I gained experience in a number of fields of photography, but soon enough I realized that I must focus on the field in which I was best, namely documenting people, their lives and their environment. Nowadays I devote all my free time to "street photography"and to its advancement in Israel. In recent years I have been busy teaching street photography students in various schools in Israel, and leading photography workshops around the world.

Why Leica?
My story with Leica began about 15 years ago, I purchased my first Leica camera (LEICA M6) which I used for street photography and all my long-term projects that lasted several years and were published in many magazines and exhibitions in Israel and around the world. The choice of the Leica camera was the most natural for me because it allows me easy access and a perfect space for action according to my needs such as small size, total silence, responsive speed and amazing optics.

Why street photography?
I understand that street photography is the widest genre because it is not defined by laws or borders or styles. Street photography mainly deals with how you see reality and not what you see. Therefore, this is where each photographer expresses his private identity only from his original point of view on the street.

Why Cuba?
‏My relationship with Cuba started about 20 years ago, I came to Cuba as a fashion photographer and I went out as a street photographer. You could say that Cuba played a crucial role in influencing me, which changed my whole point of view of photography and gave me a new direction in life. Since I fell in love with Cuba at first glance I go back there to photograph several times a year for projects and photography workshops.
 
These photographs in the LFI Gallery caught the attention of the editors.