Raul A. Reyes writes about the stunning aerial photographs of Cuba by Marius Jovaisa, who recently released his large-format book, Unseen Cuba. Although most of the article seems to dwell on how “logistics in Cuba are so terrible,” struggles with the Cuban bureaucracy, endless waiting, all the red tape and having to provide detailed flight plans—as if he wouldn’t have to file daily, detailed flight plans with officials in just about any country in which he would want to fly very low to take photos—there are quite a few beautiful photos and interest insights. Here are just a few excerpts; see full article below:

Jovaisa is the first and only photographer granted access by the Cuban government to take aerial pictures of the communist island, from the valleys of Pinar del Río in the west to the ancient city of Baracoa in the east. In the forward to “Unseen Cuba,” he calls it a look at Cuba “through the eyes of the angels.”

Jovaisa, 44, is a publisher, photographer, and entrepreneur who grew up in Lithuania. He is the author of several photo books, including “Unseen Lithuania” (2008), “Heavenly Belize” (2010), and “Magic Cancun and Riviera Maya” (2011).

“After my other books, I was looking to expand my horizons further and engage in something bigger than before,” he said. “As an artist, you want to reach higher and higher, to discover something hasn’t been done before.” [. . .]

Though he has traveled to all corners of Cuba, Jovaisa’s favorite places include Baracoa and the former Spanish colonial settlement of Trinidad. He also enjoyed the natural beauty of Viñyales [sic], which has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Center. [. . .]

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/unseen-cuba-photographers-stunning-aerial-views-island-n349276