Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · 1d

Promo Session at House of Comedy

A shoot with @davidharrislive--stand-up comedian, Emmy winner, and all-around pro--at @houseofcomedymn inside the Mall of America.

We set up both live and off-stage portraits with crafted light to create a unified look for his promotional work.

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · 3d

Between Fights

Between matches at a rural cockfight, Michael, the local guide who secured access to this hidden world, rolls dice on a worn rug as others watch, pesos in hand, tension and trust hanging in the air.

“Inside the Ring” → thomasmccartneyphotography.start.page

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · 5d

🚀 Blog Post: Inside the Ring: My Night at a Cuban Cockfight

It didn’t start quietly.
Heading toward the arena, my fixer told me to pull over.
He and our local guide disappeared into the dark. When they returned, he whispered, “He got a gun.”

🔗 thomasmccartneyphotography.start.page

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · 8d

NEW BLOG POST — “Two Cubas: One Survives, the Other Exploits”
A barber, a shoemaker, a seamstress—and a regime hoarding billions offshore.

Cuba Series→ thomasmccartneyphotography.start.page

#CubaUnfiltered #VisualEmpathy #EverydayCuba #Photojournalism #DocumentaryPhotography #Leica

5

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · 10d

“The River”: A Rebrand in Motion

Rooftop wind, whiskey, and a poker game gone sideways. That was the day the David Yellen Band rebranded as The River--and everything clicked.

#BandPhotography #TheRiver #Minneapolis

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · 12d

No setup. No staging. Just Cuba. These are the portraits I keep coming back to.

-Grandmother and Child, Havana
-Portrait on a Havana Stoop
-Cigar Sale on the Sidewalk, Havana

thomasmccartneyphotography.start.page

#EverydayCuba #StreetPortraits #VisualEmpathy #CubaUnfiltered
#Leica

3

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · 15d

🩰 Honored to photograph the new 2025–26 company members of @twincitiesballetmn in a vibrant, collaborative session. Tethered monitors, team energy, and pure joy in the studio. Shoots like this are why I love commercial work.

#Ballet #DancePhotography #StudioSession #Minneapolis

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · 17d

Cuba’s New Hustle
Scarcity meets creativity — a shoe designer, a seamstress-turned-owner, and a hallway barber making it work.
🔗 thomasmccartneyphotography.start.page

.
#Cuba #StreetPhotography #VisualStorytelling #Leica
#CubanEntrepreneurs #LifeUnfiltered #PhotoDocumentary #EverydayCuba

3

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · 19d

A new kind of hustle in Cuba.
Private business is back — and thriving.
Craftsmanship, pride, and grit. One boot at a time.

#CubaSeries · #DocumentaryPhotography · #StreetWork · #Leica · #Cuba · #Entrepreneurship

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · 22d

Just off the Malecón in Havana.
Ice cream, side-eyes, a little swagger.
Laughing, flirting, flexing, and yeah, maybe showing off a cigarette or two.

This is what fun looks like when the street is your stage.

#CubaSeries #Havana #StreetPhotography #DocumentaryPhotography #LifeAndPeople #Leica #Cuba

4

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · 24d

New long-form story: Ileana Yarza’s life spans Cuba’s revolutions, blackouts, and survival. A personal window into the island’s history and present.

In the Cuba series: thomasmccartneyphotography.start.page

Hashtags
#CubaSeries #Cuba #DocumentaryPhotography #LifeAndPeople #Leica

4

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · 26d

I just published a long-form story on Ileana Yarza: Revolutionary, economist, and witness to Cuba’s struggles from pre-revolution to today’s blackouts.

In the Cuba series: thomasmccartneyphotography.start.page

#Cuba #DocumentaryPhotography #Photojournalism
#CubanLife #HumanStories #Leica

3

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · Sep 18

@dangerousmanbrewing wasn’t just a brewery. It was NE Minneapolis at its best: Creative, local, unforgettable.

Got to know the founders.

Made this promotional portrait in their brewhouse.

Loved the beer.

#DangerousManBrewing #CraftBeer #NEMinneapolis #Leica #BeerPhotography #CommunityMatters

4

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · Sep 16

Boxing in Old Havana.
I climbed into the ring at Rafael Trejo Gym and danced with the boxers. One looked at me and said, “You’re crazy.”
Fair.

thomasmccartneyphotography.start.page

#CubaSeries #Havana #BoxingCuba #Leica #StreetPhotography

6

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · Sep 13

School was closed again in Havana — this time, a virus.
No online option. So Dori sat on the floor and taught her boys herself.

They make it work.

Full Story: thomasmccartneyphotography.start.page

#CubaSeries #Havana #Resilience #ParentingInCuba #FamilyLife #Leica

4

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · Sep 11

Raul lives in Havana.

After cancer surgery, doctors missed the real cause: a tumor pressing against his spine.

Faith, family, and meds from the U.S. helped him recover.

#CubaSeries #Raul #FaithAndResilience #Havana #Healthcare #Leica #DocumentaryPhotography

1

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · Sep 9

In a makeshift gym in Havana, Raul trains with discipline most people will never understand.

He’s a cancer survivor.
He doesn’t use steroids.

“Every day is a battle.”

Story coming soon.

#Raul #CubaSeries #Havana #Resilience #Bodybuilding #Leica #CubaStories #Discipline

3

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · Sep 6

Trying to hold it all together.
Tattoos for cash. Camera sold for food.
The kids play between blackouts.
Just another Monday in Havana.

See the Cuba Series:
thomasmccartneyphotography.start.page

#Documentary #Family #LifeAndPeople #VisualStorytelling #DocumentaryPhotography #Parenting #Leica #Cuba

2

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · Sep 4

Illiana, a Cuban economist, stands beside Obama’s letter—one she hoped would signal change. Her story bridges revolution, hope, and quiet resilience.

New blog coming soon.

#CubaStories #Revolution #CubanWomen #VisualStorytelling #DocumentaryPhotography #HumanNarratives #Leica

1

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · Sep 2

Five generations in one field.
This family has cultivated tobacco on this land for over a century
.
👉 Read more in the Cuba series: thomasmccartneyphotography.start.page
.
.
.
.
.
#Cuba #DocumentaryPhotography #Resilience #FamilyHistory #VisualStorytelling #LifeAndPeople #FarmLife #Leica

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · Aug 31

Awesome timing!

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · Aug 31

So true

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · Aug 31

Great stuff!

1

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · Aug 31

Love the emotion...

1

Tom @thomasmccartney.com · Aug 30

A sick child rests in Havana. When clinics run out of medicine and schools fail to provide clean water, families are left to cope alone.

👉 Full story soon: Inside Cuba’s Broken Safety Net

#Cuba #Havana #Photojournalism #DocumentaryPhotography #EverydayCuba #Health

1