COSTA RICA FOCUS

DAILY ITINERARY BY DESTINATION:

Day 1. Central Pacific. A mangrove boat tour for 4 hours. Let’s kick it off with crocodiles, birds, iguanas and much more. A 4-hour boat tour along Tarcoles River and Guacalillo’s mangroves. Nearly 430 species of bird species are found within the premises of Tarcoles River along with the largest population of American Crocodiles in Central America, large iguanas, howler and white-faced capuchin Monkeys are also present along the mangrove forest.

• Mangrove Boat Tour
• Lunch
• Night Macro Photography

Day 2. San Vito, Southern Costa Rica. Early morning bird photography at Pacifico Lodge followed by breakfast and continued for 3 ½ hours to the Golfito area to enjoy the marvels of Piedras Blancas National Park. Birds, frogs, snakes and thousands of bugs await.

• 5:30 am bird walk
• 9 to 1 garden exploration
• 2:30 to 5:30 pm rainforest hike (bug hunting)
• 6:00 pm Workshop Overviewing results
• Night Macro Photography (frog & snake hunting)

Day 3. San Vito, Southern Costa Rica Exploring Piedras Blancas National park a little known corner of southern Costa Rica; a true marvel to be discovered. The hotel gardens are extraordinary for hummingbirds on natural flowers, trogons perch at the forest edges, wrens, rails, and toucans everywhere. At night a new world would be born. Nothing more exciting than walking along the ravines filled with amphibians and reptiles. The bug cosmos are still the biggest surprises to capture. Rare looking insects, large spiders, colorful beetles are amongst few of the thousands of life forms hidden at night.

• 5:30 am bird walk
• 9 to 1 garden exploration
• 2:30 to 5:30 pm rainforest hike (bug hunting)
• 6:00 pm Workshop Overviewing results
• Night Macro Photography (frog & snake hunting)

Day 4. San Vito, Southern Costa Rica.Golfito Early bird photography, breakfast and drive to Las Cruces Biological Station.

• 5:30 am bird walk
• 9:00 am departure to San Vito
• 13:30 flora macro photography
• 18:00 Dinner
• 19:00 Workshop Overviewing results
• 20:00 – 22:00 – Macro Photography

Day 5. San Vito, Southern Costa Rica. San Vito. Golfito Early bird photography until 11:00 am. Yet the journey must continue at the incredible botanical garden and its surroundings.

• 5:30 am bird walk
• 13:30 flora macro photography
• 18:00 Dinner
• 19:00 – 22:00 Macro Photography

Day 6. San Gerardo de Dota. Early breakfast and departure to Talamanca Highlands. Quetzal paradise and hummingbird heaven.

• Upon arrival to San Gerardo birds are everywhere: hummingbirds, tanagers, parakeets, warblers, woodpeckers, and so much more.
• Garden and forest edges exploration.

Day 7. San Gerardo de Dota. Early bird photography in search of Quetzal. A place to seek the most beautiful bird in the hemisphere. The Resplendent Quetzal with its incredible tail feathers shining red chest and funky crest it’s a must picture if you come to Costa Rica. After dinner, we will venture into the darkness of the ancient oak forest, a place never explored by macro photographers. A true photographic adventure with an edge of discovery.

• Garden and forest edges exploration
• Nocturnal Macro Photography

Day 8. Ujarras Valley. Early-bird walk and departure after breakfast to the most evergreen national park in the country. Tapanti is a place where rainforest has true meaning. Lush, evergreen, mossy tree trunks and orchids dripping from every single branch. What we call the PHD for birders and photographers. A destination to expect the unexpected.

• Early-bird walk 5:30 am
• Landscape photography (coffee farms)
• Nature, wildlife and macro photography

Day 9. Ujarras Valley. A full day at Tapanti National Park. Exploring landscape, macro and general wildlife photography.

• River and waterfalls photography
• Sunrise photography
• Macro
• Bird and other wildlife photography
• Workshop

Day 10. Pejibaye’s Rainforest. Exploration followed by breakfast and drive to the last rainforest frontier. Pejibaye’s rainforest is known by a small group of people, mostly bird photographers yet it’s unbelievable biodiversity is practically a hidden treasure.

• Bird Photography
• Workshop (before dinner)
• Macro Photography day and night

Day 11. Pejibaye’s Rainforest. Early rising for landscape photography. All-day at the lodge grounds, gardens and forest.

• Bird Photography
• Macro Photography day and night
• Constellation Photography

Day 12. Braulio Carrillo Rainforest. Sunrise photography followed by breakfast and departure to the jungles of Caribbean Lowlands.

• Rainforest landscape photography
• Macro Photography day and night (in search of life)

Day 13. Braulio Carrillo Rainforest. Early landscape photography was followed by bird photography until lunch.

• Sunrise photography
• Bird Photography
• Rainforest canopy photography
• Macro Photography
• Constellation photography

Day 14. International flight day.

NOTES

This journeys trip will focus on:

• Lighting both natural and artificial
• Focal styles and focal points
• Composition
• Recommended Aperture/DOF
• Metering/Exposure
• Landscape photography explained
• Post-processing
• Macro photography
• Capturing jaguars killing sea turtles
• Conference with local conservationist organization