The Travel Agent
Our travel agent is based in Bali, and has organized our 2007 photo-expedition.

A Note On Our Hotel Accommodations:
We shall be staying in a small Balinese-owned hotel near the art center town of Ubud, amidst working rice-paddies. All rooms and cottages have private bathrooms.

WAIVER OF LIABILITY
I assume no responsibility for accidents or injury to individuals participating in the Bali: Island of Odalans Photo Expedition. You will be requested to read, accept and sign an agreement which releases me from any responsibility of liability in the event of any of the situations mentioned below.

I also assume no responsibility if a traveler is refused entry into a country for any reason. It is the traveler's sole responsibility to ensure all travel documents are valid and effective. A passport, valid for six months after the intended date of return is required in many cases for travel overseas. Some countries may require visas for US or non-US citizens. Please check with the corresponding consulates prior to leaving. This is the traveler's responsibility.

I cannot assume any liability whatsoever for injury, sickness, damage, death, loss, accident or delay to person or property due to an act of negligence of or default of any travel agent, hotel, carrier, restaurant, company, airline, or person rendering any of the services included in the Bali: Island of Odalans Photo Expedition, or by act of God, act of war or terrorism. Further, no responsibilities are accepted for any damage, changes or delays due to sickness, pilferage, labor disputes, machinery breakdown, quarantine, government restraints, weather or other causes beyond my personal control. No responsibility is accepted for any additional expense, omissions and schedule changes, forced stopovers, rerouting or acts of any governments or authority. I reserve the right to decline or accept any person as a member of any tour or to cancel or alter the tour without notice. It is also the responsibility of the traveler to keep informed on deposit and payment date requirements. It is highly recommended that all individuals obtain adequate travel insurance.

Bali is one of more than 17,000 islands in Indonesia, which is the fourth most populous nation in the world. The island, one of the world's loveliest, is a paradise for photographers, and remains a place where it's still possible to discover and witness authentic religious rituals that have not changed with the passing of time. The Balinese are some of the most hospitable people, and are happy to be photographed whenever asked.

The hub for this 2-week photo expedition/workshop is Ubud, which has been the island's center for traditional arts, dance and music. Away from the crowded touristic beach destinations of the island, Ubud is surrounded by scenic rice fields, small villages, art and craft communities, ancient temples, palaces, and rivers.

Our focus will be on the many religious festivals and ceremonies on the island. July and August are traditionally when most odalans (temple anniversaries) are held, and these are day and night long events. Festivals are truly elaborate events, while smaller neighborhood festivals are more accessible. We are to photograph these ceremonies and festivals and also photograph dance schools, local artists, artisans, dancers, soothsayers, fortune-tellers, traditional healers, wood carvers, puppet and mask makers, etc during our stay in Bali. On a more somber note, we will also come across cremations, or Ngaben, whch are considered purification rites to free the spirits of the deceased, and are hence viewed as joyous events. Subject to obtaining permission from the families, we will photograph (with discretion) at this typical and important Balinese ritual.

We will also photograph the many dances of Bali and their performers. Subject to their availability, we also intend to photograph dance students who will perform privately for the group.

The Travel Photographer's Photo~Expeditions are best described as a mixture of "documentary photojournalism, ethno-photography and travel photography" adventures. As with other previous expeditions, this two-week long photographic event and workshop will include both documentary-style (candid and on-the-run) photography, as well as posed photo sessions with various individuals we encounter.

Tewfic El-Sawy is The Travel Photographer, a freelance photographer who specializes in documenting endangered cultures and traditional life ways of Asia, Latin America and Africa, has been organizing and leading photo expeditions since 2000. He's passionate about documentary-travel photography and produces multimedia stories, merging still photography and ambient sound, as well as musical soundtracks. He has photographed in Bali many times over the past 5 years, and has well-established contacts on the island. More information is available at WHO IS THE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER?

The Bali: Island of Odalans Photo-Expedition is ideal for participants interested in documentary photography, ethno-photography and multimedia, and for those ready to create visual projects from their inventory of photographs, and learn how to control story length, intent, pace, use of music and ambient sound, narration, field recordings and interviews.

Important Notice: Bali: Island of Odalans Photo-Expedition is limited to 9 photographers on a "first registered first in" basis.