Pixiq

You may have seen elegant editorial photos of Cuba, highlighting colorful past, music, art and poetry. Glamorous show clubs and equally glamorous tropical paradise. Vintage American cars. But Cuba has been out of bounds for Americans for decades. No legal travel permitted. Fines and potential imprisonment.

Political tensions are easing, and it’s now legally possible to join limited educational exchange groups to Cuba. 

My friend Yvonne Butler is hosting a dream exchange May 5-12, and I’m so happy to be able to tell you about it while there are still a few places left for this once-in-a-lifetime educational travel exchange. In conjunction with a licensed, sanctioned travel service provider, this program is open to all who are interested in participating in a people-to-people cultural exchange, particularly photographers, artists and other artists/designers and their companions. While this trip is not intended as formal photographic instruction, Yvonne will be giving pointers and suggestions for scenes, timing and event capture.

Imagine mingling with the people of Old City Havana (Habana Vieja) and other parts of Havana, photograph, create art, and experience the culture and surroundings before the fast-food chains and others move in and the old-world culture fades away.  We will also have two special excursion road trips to nearby locations outside of Havana, to the UNESCO site, mountainous (Mogotes) Viñales and to Cienfuegos and Trinidad, for coastal, village, colorful architectural, landscape and outdoor experiences.

Here are some of the exciting events included:

• Visits to galleries, museums, cultural centers, and artifacts in easy walking distance of our stays; bus group transfers provided to specified destinations listed in the itinerary. 
• Opportunities for photographer meet-ups, artist meet-ups, as well as open photography shoots, suggested by us or discovered by you for time of day, light, activity or none, angles, views, uniqueness and more. There is something for everyone to enjoy, not just activities for artists.
• Evening social and photo-sharing gatherings.
• Exciting day trip to Veñales to see landscapes, mountains that are unique in world for Mogotes shape in the Karstic setting, multi-colored homes in the village, and the best tobacco growing in the world.
• Outstanding coastal road trip to Trinidad, with scenic stops along the way including Cienfuegos.

Yvonne has designed, planned and directed numerous prominent international and national travel programs and workshops for several decades and she is a fine art photographer and artist. She was the creator, developer and director of the Shutterbug Magazine Digital Photo Workshop series for four years that she launched in 2001, and she worked briefly as a producer of the American PHOTO Mentor Series.

Travel Dates: March 5 departure and return to Tampa on March 10, 2012. We will travel as a group from and to Tampa. Extensions and other departure cities are not available or possible. 

Program Open to:  Everyone is welcomed to join us. We encourage photographers, artists, and designers of any skill level to join us. Spouses/companions are welcome to attend. This is an adult-only (21 and over) cultural exchange. (No formal photography, art or other instruction, training or leadership will be provided.) This is a cultural group experience and we will travel together to and within Cuba as a licensed group. 

Minimum/Maximum Group Size Requirement:  10 minimum; 30 maximum. We fully expect to have a nice cozy group size of approximately 15-20 persons.

Travel Program Price: US$2,870.00 per person (flight, hotel accommodations based on double occupancy, specified meals, program, visa, licensing), due immediately with registration. 

To take the next step you’ll need the full itinerary, facts, registration form, inclusions and exclusions.

Get all the info by contacting Yvonne Butler immediately by email at Yvonne@yvonnebutler.com AND by telephone at 727.392.0210 to get your name on the Cuba Photographer Program list for May 5-12, 2012. To get a confirmed reserved space on the List, we will require Name, full address, email address, telephone number, mobile telephone number, number of persons traveling and their names, requested trip, registration form, passport copy, and deposit of $500.00 to hold the space. Balance is due prior to February 29, 2012 at latest.

Another of Yvonne's sites will give further info.

Here’s the exact legalese for this wonderful trip opportunity. Note this is an educational, people-to-people cultural exchange experience; no emphasis on adventure, tourism or tour is permitted.

Yvonne J Butler Photography in conjunction with Manatee to Manati Sister City Association which holds an educational license, will offer an eight-night/seven-day cultural exchange/educational program to Cuba from Tampa, Florida from May 5-12, 2012. This program is open to all persons who are interested in participating in a people-to-people cultural exchange, particularly photographers, artists, designers, and their companions.  The travel services will be provided by Scand-America International, Inc. that is licensed by the US Treasury department.