>>> WHEN YOU PICTURE CUBA, YOU MAY PICTURE THE VINTAGE CARS AND WEATHER-BEATEN BUILDINGS.

BUT TO PHOTOGRAPHER ALEX GARCIA, THAT WOULD NOT BE THE FULL PICTURE.

A CHICAGO NATIVE, GARCIA HAS BEEN TRAVELING TO AND DOCUMENTING CUBA FOR 30 YEARS.

HE HAS BEEN LEADING PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS AND WORKING AS A PHOTOJOURNALIST.

NOW, HIS WORK IS BEING FEATURED IN A SOLO SHOW AT THE RECENTLY-OPENED CHICAGO CENTER FOR PHOTOJOURNALISM.

TONIGHT, NICK BLUMBERG PAID HIM A VISIT.

>> Reporter: ALEX GARCIA FIRST VISITED HIS FAMILY IN CUBA IN 1995.

>> I WAS REALLY COMPELLED TO GO THERE FOR THE FIRST TIME TO SEE THEM.

IT WAS RIGHT AFTER THE CRISIS WHERE PEOPLE WERE BASICALLY JUMPING INTO THE OCEAN.

>> Reporter: THOUSANDS OF CUBANS ON RAFTS AND BOATS WERE FLEEING TO THE UNITED STATES.

DESPITE BEING SPURRED BY THAT CRISIS AND THE FRAUGHT POLITICAL HISTORY BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES, GARCIA SAYS HE IS PRETTY NONPARTISAN.

>> I THINK THE ONLY TIME PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT IT IS IN A POLITICAL CONTEXT.

THE MORE WE GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AS PEOPLE, THE MORE WE GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AS NEIGHBORS.

I THINK THERE WILL BE A GREATER INTERSECTION OF UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION.

>> Reporter: AFTER HIS FIRST TRIP IN 1995, GARCIA RETURN AS AN EXCHANGE STUDENT AND EVENTUALLY WORKED AS A PHOTOJOURNALIST WHEN THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE OPEN A HAVANA BUREAU.

>> THE PICTURES HAVE MORE THAN NEWS ANGLE.

BECAUSE OF THAT, I HAD MORE BLACK AND WHITE TYPE OF CONTENT.

OVER TIME, IT WAS MORE COLORFUL.

AND IT WAS MORE APPRECIATIVE OF THE CULTURE.

>> Reporter: GARCIA 'S PICTURES ALLOWED THE HUMANITY OF HIS SUBJECTS TO SHINE, FREE OF PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS.

IT HAS CELEBRATORY MOMENTS AS BIG AS A FIREWORKS SHOW.

IT DOES NOT SHY AWAY FROM THE HARSH CONDITIONS, LIKE A MOTHER AND SON WHO WERE LEFT WITH LITTLE MORE THAN EACH OTHER.

>> PHOTOJOURNALISM IS AT ITS BEST WHEN IT TELLS STORIES THAT ALLOW PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND COMPLEX ISSUES IN A WAY THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE UNDERSTOOD.

>> IT REQUIRES A LOT OF GUTS AND TENACITY.

THERE IS VERY LITTLE SUPPORT FOR PHOTOJOURNALISTS TODAY.

>> Reporter: DENISE KIND IS A LONGTIME STREET PHOTOGRAPHER AND EDUCATOR.

SHE OPENED CHICAGO CENTER FOR PHOTOJOURNALISM IN AN UPTOWN STOREFRONT.

>> IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO BRING THIS BACKGROUND TO THE STREET LEVEL, JUST LIKE THE BODEGA, THE BUTCHER, THE BEAUTICIANS, AND THE COFFEE SHOPS.

>> Reporter: THE ETHICS OF PHOTOJOURNALISM WERE TAUGHT BY KIND AND SHE IS ALSO PLANNING AN AFTERSCHOOL SERIES FOR STUDENTS.

IT IS A WAY TO MAKE THESE IMPORTANT IMAGES LAST.

>> THE OLD SAYING, YOUR PHOTO WAS IN THE NEWSPAPER AND THE NEXT DAY IT IS IN THE KITTY LITTER BOX, RIGHT?

I AM MERELY CONCENTRATING ON LONG-TERM PROJECTS THAT PHOTOJOURNALIST HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME.

>> Reporter: ALEX GARCIA'S DECADES OF PHOTOGRAPHS FIT THAT BILL.

HE HAS OPENED A VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY AND HE RUNS WORKSHOPS IN CUBA, TAKING GROUPS ON PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS.

>> WE STAY IN PEOPLE'S HOMES, WE EAT IN RESTAURANTS RUN BY PRIVATE CITIZENS.

IT IS REALLY JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET CLOSE TO THE WARMTH AND THE OPENNESS OF THE CUBAN PEOPLE.

>> Reporter: FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT: LATINO VOICES, I'M NICK BLUMBERG.