In 2006, after 14 years photographing and teaching in Cuba, Ernesto Bazan was forced to leave the country. Since then the award-winning Italian photographer has been collecting his huge cache of images from Cuba into a book, BazanCuba, which he published himself in 2008, through the publishing company he founded, BazanPhotos Publishing. He funded the book with donations from his students from his frequent workshops, who also helped with the editing. He’s now distributing it himself and making a documentary about the whole process. I talked with Ernesto when he was in San Francisco recently about the power of collaboration and the lessons he learned by producing a book from start to finish.