James Sparshatt Portrait Photography

Flamenco dancers use facial expressions, hand movements and gestures to convey emotions. Their dress is dramatic and enhances these movements often with the sweep and swirl of the flamenco shawl...

Puro is Cuban slang for a cigar… alegria is Spanish for happiness… for Graciela both always seemed essential to her being. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generati...

Los Tangueros An intimate tango dance in the early hours of the morning James Sparshatt captures this intimate moment of dance, exuding an aura of timeless romance. The couple are...

The bearded one… in Old Havana. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as young adults. They have a strength of...

Flamenco is an expression of life’s emotions… of love, anger, sorrow and joy. Of passion and all the things that it drives us to. Andalusian flamenco was born in the Gitano or Gyps...

Jacquelina was photographed in the early hours in a milonga tango club in Buenos Aires. James Sparshatt’s photographs of music and dance capture the emotion and intensity of people ...

Dagoberto began playing his guitar in the Casa de la Trova in Holguin, Cuba, in 1944. Sixty years later in 2004 I had the pleasure to sit with him in the same bar on a day to celebra...

Te veo… I see you. Matanzas 2005. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as young adults. They have a strength ...

A man of gentlemany demeanour, content with his cigar. A sentinel watching the world pass amidst the endless sugar cane country of central Cuba. The Spirit of the Revolution serie...

A girl at one with the rhythm of her guitar in Holguín, Cuba. James Sparshatt’s photographs of music and dance capture the emotion and intensity of people lost in the rhythm of the...

The gentleman… a man of calm dignity and endessly kind eyes in Old Havana in 2016. A gentleman of Old Havana. A man of calm demeanour, and the kindest of eyes. This compelling bla...

A moment of calm amongst busy patterns and fabrics. Resting before it all comes to life. The Carnaval of Olinda, on the north east coast of Brazil, is a week of high energy and exub...

In the early hours in the Triana district of Seville, a flamenco palmera loses herself to the rhythm. As the tacones beat the floor, the vocalist calls out a lament and the palmera ...

A palmera summons the Duende through the force of her percussive clapping. In harmony with the tacones of the flamenco dancer and the harsh lament of the vocalist. James Sparshatt’...

The bearded one… in Old Havana. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as young adults. They have a strength of...

The old country girl from the Escambray mountains. I was hiking in the mountains, close to Trinidad, when I met the family. They invited me in and we chatted about our different live...

El revolucionario – a gentleman of Old Havana. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as young adults. They hav...

A lady of pure joy… dancing in the Plaza de la Revolucion on May 1st. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as...

El Paso is an evocative black-and-white photograph that captures the dynamic motion of dancers, focusing on their feet elegantly entwined. The photograph features a blurred effect th...

Andalucian flamenco is emotionally raw, plaintive and passionate. These three images capture the raw energy and inner turmoil of the music. A palmera summons the Duende through the...

Southern Belle 2023 Dancers in Reds bar in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in the early hours. The juke joint as a place to dance, rough around the edges, a place where anything goes, whe...

Las Memorias… sitting on a rocking chair in Viñales watching the sunset and thinking of life. The wife of a tobacco farmer, a strong woman of generosity and humour lost in thought while enjoying a hand-rolled Puro and a glass of rum. Cuba 2019 James Sparshatt‘s black and white portraits are a search for a connection with a world of emotions. His photographs from the streets of Havana, the milongas of Buenos Aires, the jazz clubs of New Orleans and bars of Andalucia capture the spirit of music in populations wher it is the very lifeblood and expression of life. Matt print direct on to aluminium Edition of 12 Dark wood tray...

A set of three framed silver gelatin prints by James Sparshatt. These black and white portraits of cigar smokers in Havana, Cuba, were taken at the turn of the 21st Century. Each...

Graciela was for many years an institution in Old Havana. Always dressed beautifully, a cigar clamped between her teeth, a grin at the ready. A witness to the Cuban revolution and 50...

A tobacco farmer from the Viñales valley in Cuba. In 1959 residents of Cuba were faced with a stark choice: stay on their island home and live as a “revolutionary” or leave. Some believed wholeheartedly in the new beginning, some were willing to be carried along and some abandoned everything they had and chose exile. The Buena Vista social club...

It was almost 3am and we were still waiting for the band to start to play. I stood on the open air stage buffeted by the winds as the group and their roadies struggled to set up. Th...

A moment of joy on the dance floor at the Festival Acadiens et Creoles in 2019 in Lafayette, Louisiana. A joyous connection! Lafayette Louisiana, USA 2019 James Sparshatt‘s black and white portraits are a search for a connection with a world of emotions. His photographs from the streets of Havana, the milongas of Buenos Aires, the jazz clubs of New Orleans and bars of Andalucia capture the spirit of music in populations wher it is the very lifeblood and expression of life. Matt print direct on to aluminium Edition of 12 Dark wood tray...

A black and white photograph of a Bluesman lost in the rhythm of his electric guitar on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee by James Sparshatt Beale Street is a mecca for lovers of t...

Sonhos silenciosas 2023 Silent dreams. A young performer during the Night of the Silent Drums. The Carnaval of Olinda, on the north east coast of Brazil, is a week of high energy and exuberance. Dancers and musicians perform in Blocos that progress slowly through the streets of the beautiful colonial era town. Olinda Pernambuco Brazil James Sparshatt‘s black and white portraits are a search for a connection with a world of emotions. His photographs from the streets of Havana, the milongas of Buenos Aires, the jazz clubs of New Orleans and bars of Andalucia capture the spirit of music in populations wher it is the very lifeblood and expression of life. Matt print direct on to aluminium Edition of 12 Dark wood tray...

Puro is Cuban slang for a cigar… alegria is Spanish for happiness… for Graciela both always seemed essential to her being. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generati...

A lady of pure joy… dancing in the Plaza de la Revolucion on May 1st. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as...

A photograph of Mario locked in a harmonious embrace with his trumpet… a moment of magic in a jazz club in New Orleans. James Sparshatt’s photographs of music and dance capture the ...

Saudade Lost in the moment. Saudade is an emotional state of profound longing for a beloved yet absent something or someone. The Carnaval of Olinda, on the north east coast of Bra...

A tobacco farmer from the Viñales valley. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as young adults. They have a s...

Every Sunday afro-Cubans gather in the Callejon de Hammel to play the drums and sing the harsh vocals of rumba. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cuban...

Every Sunday afro-Cubans gather in the Callejon de Hammel to play the drums and sing the harsh vocals of rumba. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cuban...

Every Sunday afro-Cubans gather in the Callejon de Hammel to play the drums and sing the harsh vocals of rumba. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cuban...

A tobacco farmer from the Viñales valley. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as young adults. They have a s...

Last Man Standing Creating his own dancefloor. As much a part of the show as he is the audience. The Carnaval of Olinda, on the north east coast of Braz...

A lady of pure joy… dancing in the Plaza de la Revolucion on May 1st. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as...

A man of gentlemany demeanour, content with his cigar. A sentinel watching the world pass amidst the endless sugar cane country of central Cuba. The Spirit of the Revolution serie...

The Viñales valley in western Cuba is a place of stunning beauty where perhaps the finest tobacco leaves in the world are grown. The tobacco farmers live hard but proud lives. The S...

A Babalao or priest of the Santeria religion The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 1959 as young adults. They have ...

It was Christmas day and we were heading to Santa Maria beach in a hired Cuban school bus about 40 minutes from Centro Havana. The girls of Rumba Morena beg...

On a musical and pleasure seeking pilgrimage… during Las Romerias de Mayo festival in Holguín. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dr...

On a musical and pleasure seeking pilgrimage… during Las Romerias de Mayo festival in Holguín. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dr...

A lady of pure joy… dancing in the Plaza de la Revolucion on May 1st 2001. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cubans that saw the dramatic changes of 19...

A moment of pure joy in Holguín, Cuba, during las Romerias de Mayo festival. James Sparshatt’s photographs of music and dance capture the emotion and intensity of people lost in the...

El Paso is an evocative black-and-white photograph that captures the dynamic motion of dancers, focusing on their feet elegantly entwined. The photograph features a blurred effect th...

Te veo… I see you. Matanzas 2005. Sparshatt's black-and-white portrait captures the essence of a weathered, elderly man, his face a tapestry of deep wrinkles that tell stories of a...

Puro is Cuban slang for a cigar… alegria is Spanish for happiness… for Graciela both always seemed essential to her being. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generati...

Sparshatt Dalzell is a collaboration between photographer James Sparshatt and painter Rachael Dalzell. Puro... Alegría #III - a portrait of Graciela an icon of old Havana. The po...

Watermelon Slim in reds 2023 A black and white photograph of the gritty blues musician Watermelon Slim in Reds bar in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Watermelon Slim’s heartfelt and catha...

A moment of joy on the dancefloor at the Festival Acadiens et Creoles in 2019 in Lafayette, Louisiana. A joyous connection! Lafayette Louisiana, USA 2019 James Sparshatt‘s black a...

A confiança 2023 Amidst the joyful exuberance of Brazilian carnival a moment of calm reflection and an image of youthful hope for the future. The Carna...

Waiting for the drums The anticipation of the next beat, the next dance, when everything comes alive. The Carnaval of Olinda, on the north east coast of Brazil...

Every Sunday afro-Cubans gather in the Callejon de Hammel to play the drums and sing the harsh vocals of rumba. The Spirit of the Revolution series documents the generation of Cuban...

The Viñales valley in western Cuba is a place of stunning beauty where perhaps the finest tobacco leaves in the world are grown. The tobacco farmers live hard but proud lives. The S...

A man of gentlemany demeanour, content with his cigar. A sentinel watching the world pass amidst the endless sugar cane country of central Cuba. The Spirit of the Revolution serie...

A photograph of Mario locked in a harmonious embrace with his trumpet… a moment of magic in a jazz club in New Orleans. James Sparshatt’s photographs of music and dance capture the ...