This entry was posted on Sunday, February 7th, 2010

If you ever wanted to take a photography workshop then the time is now and this is the tour for you.  Costa Rica boasts the most biodiversity per area of any country in the world. The photographic opportunities are endless and lend themselves to the perfect Advanced Digital Photography Workshop/Adventure.  Led by my good friend and fantastic photographer Greg Basco of Foto Verde Tours, this new tour is designed to help you take your digital photography skills to the next level.

Advanced techniques such as multiple flash, advanced metering techniques, long exposures, dynamic compositions, and digital workflow techniques to optimize your images for final output are just some of the areas Greg will focus on.  The time is now!! Join us on May 15 2010 for a fantastic Costa Rica photo experience you will never forget!!  This will be my third consecutive  tour with Greg and Foto Verde…they must be doing something right!!

For pricing and additional information visit  Foto Verde Tours.

Foto Verde Signup Photo Tour Form

ITINERARY

Day 1              San José/Hotel Bougainvillea

Arrival to Costa Rica. Meet our representative at the Juan Santamaría International Airport and transfer to your Hotel Bougainvillea near the capital city of San José, where Foto Verde Tours’ Greg Basco or Mónica Quesada will be waiting for you. The Hotel Bougainvillea is surrounded by a beautiful tropical garden filled with great subjects for macro photography, including orchids, bromeliads, and passionflowers. There is free wireless Internet throughout the property.

Overnight at Hotel Bougainvillea (no meals included)

Day 2             Central Valley/Hotel Bougainvillea

After an early breakfast, we get to work. We will spend the entire day today in the classroom and out in the beautiful hotel gardens to introduce the techniques on which we will be working throughout our trip.

Hotel Bougainvillea overnight (B, L, D)

Day 3            Pacific Tropical Dry Forest/Ensenada Lodge

After an early breakfast, we travel toward the tropical dry forest on Costa Rica’s Gulf of Nicoya and our destination, Ensenada Lodge. We’ll arrive for lunch, with time to check in and relax while roaming the grounds in search of the abundant turquoise-browed motmots, white-throated magpie jays, and howler monkeys. We also will look for spectacular backlit images of the gulls and terns flying over the Gulf. At sunset, we have a tractor ride to a lookout point for panoramic photos of the sunset over the Gulf of Nicoya. A leisurely dinner is followed by a cold beverage and a review of our photography so far.

Hotel Bougainvillea (B), Ensenada Lodge overnight (L, D)

Day 4            Pacific Tropical Dry Forest/Ensenada Lodge

We spend the early morning at the nearby salt ponds where numerous aquatic birds, including roseate spoonbills and black-necked stilts, congregate. We’ll enjoy a late breakfast and then head to the nearby Hacienda Solimar to spend the rest of the day shooting at the wetlands, where our photographic prey includes wood storks, limpkins, bare-throated tiger-herons, boat-billed herons, and anhingas. We will make a special effort to photograph black-bellied whistling ducks and other waterfowl flying in sunset light. We head back to La Ensenada for a late dinner and then a free evening to rest after this busy day.

Hacienda Solimar (L), Ensenada Lodge overnight (B, D)

Day 5             Northwest Rainforest/Arenal Observatory Lodge

After an early breakfast, we have time to spend more time with the gulls and terns at the beach for dramatic in-flight images. Late morning, we pack up and travel to the Arenal Volcano area. Arenal is the country’s most active volcano, with continuous emissions of lava and incandescent pyroclastic flows since the beginning of the present active cycle in 1968. On clear nights, the views of incandescent avalanches are breathtaking! We arrive to the Arenal Observatory Lodge in late afternoon and, after check-in, photograph the sunset over Lake Arenal and the Arenal Volcano with stars and pyroclastic flows. The Arenal Observatory Lodge affords some of the area’s best photographic views of the famous Arenal volcano and offers fantastic sunset views over Lake Arenal and the surrounding hills. We will work again this evening on long exposures for photographing the active Arenal volcano at night.

Ensenada Lodge (B), lunch en route, Arenal Observatory Lodge overnight (D)

Day 6            Northwest Rainforest/Arenal Observatory Lodge

We dedicate the morning to photographing Montezuma oropendolas, Passerini’s tanager, green honeycreepers, red-legged honeycreepers, and emerald tanagers at the lodge feeders, which your Foto Verde photographer will have set up with attractive perches. Just before lunch, we depart for the Snake Zoo in nearby El Castillo. The Snake Zoo is run by Greg Basco’s friend Victor Quesada, and Victor and his staff will help us to photograph numerous color forms of the amazing eyelash vipers, parrot snakes, vine snakes, and even tree frogs in Victor’s collection. Indeed, Victor has a special collection of animals that he makes available only to Foto Verde Tours clients. We will photograph all of these animals on natural stages that we will set up on site. This is a great opportunity to photograph a number of species that are very difficult to find in the wild. We will enjoy a delicious home-cooked lunch as well as refreshments and coffee throughout the day at Victor’s We return to the Arenal Observatory Lodge in late afternoon to photograph the sunset and the Arenal Volcano.

Arenal Observatory Lodge overnight (B, D), El Castillo Snake Zoo (L)

Day 7            Atlantic Slope Cloud Forest/Bosque de Paz

After breakfast, we travel to the cloud forests of the northern Central Volcanic Mountain Range and our lodge, Bosque de Paz. Bosque de Paz Ecolodge is located in one of the most biodiverse areas of the country, nestled in a picturesque valley at approximately 4,500 feet above sea level between the Poas Volcano and Juan Castro Blanco National Parks. With its rushing mountain streams, cool air, and orchid and moss-festooned trees, the area is akin to a tropical Colorado. En route, we stop for lunch at the Toro waterfall, which is 110 meters high and offers beautiful photographic opportunities of the waterfall itself and the surrounding cloud forest. This is also a great place to photograph some unusual hummingbird species, such as the green thorntail, coppery-headed emerald, and white-bellied mountain gem. There are also some spectacular tropical foliage shots here of palms and ferns on the cliffs surrounding the waterfall. We enjoy a delicious typical lunch at the waterfall. We arrive at Bosque de Paz in late afternoon. Afterward, we can unpack and do a bit of photography around the lodge’s fruit feeders. In late afternoon, we can usually obtain great portraits of the turkey-like black guan and the large forest rodent, the agouti. And hummingbirds, including the violet sabrewing and green-crowned brilliant, abound at the lodge feeders. We enjoy a relaxing dinner this evening at the lodge.

Arenal Observatory Lodge (B), Catarata del Toro (L), Bosque de Paz overnight (D)

Day 8             Atlantic Slope Cloud Forest/Bosque de Paz

After breakfast, we set in immediately to begin photographing hummingbirds at our multi-flash setups right on the lodge grounds. Target species are the violet sabrewing (Costa Rica’s largest species), the purple-throated mountain gem, and the green-crowned brilliant. We will spend all day concentrating on our hummingbird photography. After dinner, we have a drink and an informal discussion on the multiple flash techniques we’ve been using throughout the day.

Bosque de Paz overnight (B, L, D)

Day 9            Central Valley/Hotel Bougainvillea

After breakfast, we pack up and leave for San José and the Hotel Bougainvillea, which has excellent, free wireless Internet throughout the grounds, including in the rooms. We will stop for a typical Costa Rican lunch en route in the town of Sarchi, with options for a bit of souvenir shopping and coffee purchasing as well as photography of artisans making the region’s famed oxcarts. After arriving at the Hotel Bougainvillea, we have a bit of time to relax before dinner

Bosque de Paz (B), lunch en route, Hotel Bougainvillea overnight (D)

Day 10           Central Valley, Hotel Bougainvillea/JBP Espon PrintMakers

After an early breakfast, we set in to work on post-processing. After an introduction to digital workflow by your Foto Verde photographer, we begin helping each participant with processing their favorite image from the trip in preparation for printing in the afternoon. After lunch, we head over to the best printmakers in the country, our friends at JBP Printing. Upon arrival we enjoy a talk from master printer Michael Ocampo on optimizing images for printing. We then work with JBP’s printmakers to produce a professional quality 10×15” print of each participant’s favorite image. This day will be a great learning experience and also will yield a beautiful image ready for framing when you return home! After arriving back at the Hotel Bougainvillea, we have a bit of time to relax and then enjoy a farewell dinner at the hotel.

Hotel Bougainvillea overnight (B, L, D)

Day 11           San José/Airport

Private transfer to the Juan Santamaría International Airport for your flights home.

Hotel Bougainvillea (B)

Foto Verde  Signup Photo Tour Form

THE ITINERARY ABOVE INCLUDES

.    Lodging as specified
.    Meals as specified
.    Transportation as specified w/private driver in spacious air-conditioned bus
.    Professional bilingual photo/naturalist guide
.    Multiple-flash setups for hummingbird photography
.    10×15″ print on premium luster paper
.    Entrances and fees for all described activities
.    Taxes for all specified services
.    Biodegradable plastic water bottle for each participant

THE ITINERARY ABOVE DOES NOT INCLUDE

.    Airfare
.    Airport departure tax  ($26)
.    Alcoholic Drinks
.    Gratuities
.    Non-meal time snacks
.    Non-meal time soft drinks and bottled water
.    Souvenirs

SUGGESTED PHOTO EQUIPMENT LIST

.    DSLR type camera body
.    Telephoto zoom or fixed lens that reaches to at least 300 mm
.    Macro lens or closeup diopters or extension tubes for marco shooting
.    Wide-angle lens (zoom or fixed)
.    Circular polarizing filter for wide-angle lens
.    Graduated neutral density filter for wide-angle lens
.    Tripod sturdy enought to support your gear with confidence
.    Cable or wireless shutter release for your camera body (necessary for exposures longer than 30 seconds)
.    External hotshoe flash by your camera maker or third party that allows for full TTL functionality
.    Off-camera cord for your flash
.    Laptop computer and card reader for image backup and processing

Foto Verde  Signup Photo Tour Form

For pricing and additional information visit  Foto Verde Tours.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 24th, 2009

It wasn’t the frogs croaking or the crickets chirping or even the strange night sounds that abound throughout the rainforest. It wasn’t the songs of tropical birds in the early morning and not even the call of a toucan that could be heard in the distance. There was simply nothing like that first bite of fresh pineapple that told me I was back in Costa Rica. A little over a year had passed and I was about to begin my second journey photographing the wonders of Costa Rica with my good friend and incredible photographer Greg Basco of  Foto Verde Tours.

Indeed…a second tour. When I mentioned to friends that I would be returning to Costa Rica for another photographic excursion they were somewhat baffled. “But you have already been there!?” they said. “Costa Rica is so alive!” I explained. There was still so much to explore…so much to see and experience in Costa Rica that I could not even imagine traveling anywhere else despite my desire to explore more of our planet. I simply love it there.

Our search for macaws, monkeys and quetzals began with a brief detour to the lovely Villa Lapas on the Pacific Coast to explore a tropical rainforest near the Carara National Park. Quite different from the Central Valley from were we departed, the heat and humidity struck like a brick wall as we exited our air conditioned mini bus piloted by our driver, naturalist and a pretty darn good photographer himself, Jose. We were greeted by a ctenosaur, more commonly known as the black iguana, who gracefully extended the courtesy of allowing us to photograph him before retreating to the comfort and privacy of shade. We capped off the evening with a fine dinner and a session with the famed red-eyed tree frog. To my amazement, Jose would disappear for a brief moment and return with our first specimen. From my previous journey through Costa Rica , I could recall the difficulty in finding these amazingly photogenic creatures and was awed by Jose’s skill in finding one in such a short time. When this little guy did not want to be photographed any longer, Jose simply left once again for a short moment and returned with our next specimen. “Jose, The Frog Master… Master of the Jungle ” I told myself in amazement once again.

   

The next morning I couldn’t help but hum the theme song to “Gilligan’s Island” as we boarded a small river boat for a “three hour tour”. With Greg as our “professor”, we travelled the Tarcoles River where we observed and photographed American crocodiles, snowy egrets, green herons, yellow headed cara cara, osprey, and even a kingfisher and a mot mot on the river bank. The snowy egrets were fearless towards the crocodiles and I patiently waited for nature to take it’s course. One egret casually moved within feet of a crocodiles wide open jaws and…well…lucky for the egret, I don’t think the crocodile was very hungry! It stealthily disappeared back into the dark river where I’m sure it planned it’s attack for it’s next meal. Our return to land brought us to a relaxing afternoon photographing a turquoise browed mot mot that seemed to relish the sounds of our shutters clicking and the lightning storm of flashes brought on by our better beamers. The elusive scarlet macaws however were to high in the sky to photograph as they passed overhead on their way home from their daytime feeding grounds.

Later that evening, the great Jose, “Frog Master” had simply become the “Great Jose, Mere Mortal” as I stumbled upon the pond where literally hundreds of frogs had gathered. Ok, maybe not hundreds, but there were a lot! It was the beginning of the wet season and unbeknownst to me, the beginning of the breeding season. It was comparable to fishing in a bathtub…there were frogs everywhere! Even the dropping of my flashlight into the pond did not deter me from having a lot of fun photographing these little “Kermit’s”. Lucky for me, my flashlight was somewhat waterproof and not hard to find as I followed the light path and reached into the pond to retrieve it. The next morning, we headed off further down the Pacific Coast to the wild jungle rainforests and beaches of the Golfito area near the Panama border. It was there, at Tiskita Lodge, where Jose would regain his status as “Master of the Rainforests” as we began our quest for squirrel, white faced and howler monkeys.

Tiskita Lodge is nestled amongst pristine tropical rainforests and beaches where our mornings were greeted by the sounds of howler monkeys and the smell of a variety of flowering plants and fruit trees near our cabin. My first thoughts of photographing monkeys was that hopefully they would pass by for good photographic opportunities. Jose’s head would pop up and say: “The monkeys are coming.” And so they did. The “Great Jose, Master of the Jungles” had once again regained his status! All kidding aside, Jose was an awesome naturalist and guide and I quickly learned that where Jose went, great photo opportunities arose. So I stayed close and to my delight, the monkeys not only passed by, but we spent hours upon hours following the troop of squirrel monkeys that frequented the area. It was absolutely amazing! We stopped to observe and photograph as the monkeys swung from tree to tree crossing the path we were on. I also watched the “master photographer” at work. As the monkeys flew from tree to tree, Greg was photographing them in mid air as they “flew” across our path. Perfect focus…perfect exposure…perfect timing…a perfect image…simply amazing! Similarly, the next day, the pursuit of the squirrel monkeys led us to another path to which they would once again swing from tree to tree to cross our path. I proceeded down the path to get a better angle and take advantage of the morning light when I spotted the young monkey attempting his leap. Just over head, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of him loosing his grip on the branch he had swung to. I cringed at the thought of how this little guy was going to react upon landing on my head. Luckily, he landed several feet next to me and I have never seen a monkey move so fast. With two leaps and with the speed of a lightning bolt, he was back with his troop amongst the trees. It was awesome! A note to Greg: For your next trip…hard hats optional? The jungles at Tiskita lodge were the hottest and the most humid environment I have ever experienced. Would I stay there again? In a heartbeat!

      

Our next journey up to the cool 8,000 foot misty Pacific slope cloud forest took us to the best area in the country to photograph the resplendent male quetzal and a variety of hummingbird species. Savegre Lodge was a welcome change from the heat and humidity of Tiskita as a jacket and long pants were necessary at times. We would rise at 5:30 a.m. and patiently wait for the male quetzal to come and perch on his favourite tree until 7:30a.m. He would grace us with his presence every morning but never in the ideal spot to capture a great shot. Finally on the last morning of our stay, he perched on our tree for a brief moment. Enough for us to fire off half a dozen or so frames before he headed off into the mountains. He perched and sat much like a king overlooking his kingdom. With a touch of arrogance but mostly confidence, his presence portrayed beauty and grace that only an emperor or great majesty can carry. He was gorgeous and he new it. He flew off with his magnificent tail waving behind him leaving me with an incredible feeling of fortune and satisfaction that I was able to witness this beautiful quetzal.

   

 The hummingbirds of Costa Rica were one of my favourites of this journey. Greg’s system of multiple flashes not only aided in capturing fantastic images but also portrayed the birds as they are in nature. I must give Greg full credit for the hummingbird images as without his knowledge and expertise, they would not have been possible.  There is something so mystical about these birds that keep me wanting to learn more about them. My brother in law says they are like fairies… “you hear about them but never see them.” Hummingbirds hover in mid air, can actually fly backwards and their wings beat 12-90 beats per second depending on the species. Their aerial acrobatics are incredible and for their size, they can be extremely aggressive and territorial. Capturing images of the magnificent and green-violet eared hummingbirds at Savegre was awesome, however, photographing the rufus-tailed and violet sabrewings with Greg was the highlight of my trip. A special thanks to Greg and his family for making my stay in Costa Rica so wonderful. Also a big thanks to Jose for keeping us safe and being an incredible naturalist and guide!

   

A return in 2010 with  Foto Verde Tours?  Without a doubt! Great friends, great people, great food and great adventures…what more could one ask for? See you in the jungles!!

Until next time…

F