LOCAL GUIDE | CUBA

Lisandra Alvarez is a photographer from Havana. Her goal behind the lens is to capture elements of emotion that exist in everyday life, whether behind closed doors or on the streets of Centro Habana. In particular, she gravitates towards scenes of domesticity and family relationships and the worlds of single mothers and young girls, trying to convey a deeper understanding of often complex situations. She received second place for Leica Women Street Foto Project and Women Street Photographers, NY (2024). She works in both analog (35 mm and 120) and digital.

TRIP LEADER

Cat Coppenrath is a photographer & social worker living in Oakland, CA. For Cat, photography is a deeply relational endeavor and an opportunity to bear witness. Cat’s personal photography practice has focused on curious, creative collaborations using freedom of expression and embodiment to explore our relationship to ourselves and each other. Cat also owns a small photography business, Rainbow Road Studios, and photographs human relationships in all of its forms. Cat has lived in both the US and Mexico and traveled to 22 countries, including Cuba. Cat is rooted in the belief that healing happens in community and that creativity can be a powerful container for growth, tenderness, and transformation.

LOCAL GUIDE | PUGLIA

Giada Zonno is a model and entrepreneur from Bari, Italy. Passionate about art in all its forms, she holds a degree in Fashion Disciplines and Design. In addition to her career in fashion, she is also active in the entrepreneurial sector. She is the founder of Olio Spaziale, a company specializing in the production and distribution of extra virgin olive oil.

An avid traveler, Giada believes that solo journeys are a powerful way to explore both the world and one’s inner self, fostering personal growth and a deeper appreciation for beauty in all its forms. Giada has been working with Women Photo Tours since 2023.

ASSISTANT TRIP LEADER

Maika Lindsay is a portrait photographer born in West Los Angeles to Japanese and American parents. As a result of her family's background, her home life has expanded to include Tokyo and Hong Kong. This exposure to cultures and traveling has instilled in her a deep respect for the diverse world around us, and given her the ability to travel fearlessly and adapt wherever she goes. When not in the studio or on location, Maika can be found in or around the water, planning her next adventure and exploring the California coastline or the Mojave with her rescue pitbull, Mochi.

ASSISTANT TRIP LEADER

Mafer Hernández is a Guatemalan artist based in Antigua Guatemala. She creates visual experiences on color, light, space and movement using photography, installations, books, natural dyes, botanical pigments, and sculptural elements. Mafer holds a BFA in photography and printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute (2018). Her work has been presented at La Fototeca and Mesón Panza Verde in Guatemala, and Root Division and Arion Press in San Francisco, California. Her work is included in the de Young Museum Collection and the Latin American Collection of the Stanford University Libraries. Mafer is the founder of GRACIA a cultural exchange project and artist residency program based in Antigua Guatemala. In the past three years she has hosted artists in residence from across the world and has facilitated community-based art workshops in various cultural institutions and independent spaces in Guatemala and Spain.