Costa Rica Photography Workshops
The Rain Forest of Costa Rica with Jeff Cable
If you would like to travel to the beautiful rain forest of Costa Rica, and have a lot of fun in the process, you need to join me for this exciting photo tour. We travel to Central America for 8 nights to photograph some of the most colorful and exciting animals. We will get you up close to the birds, monkeys, tree frgos and give you a true taste of the Costa Rican culture on the unspoiled Osa Peninsula. If you have seen any of my photography presentations, you know that I always make it fun to learn. It does not matter if you are new to photography or a trained professional, we will accommodate you to make sure you are getting amazing photos and having a great time. Come and join us for an amazing experience, not only through the lens, but through your eyes as well.
Day 1: San Jose, CR
We will all meet in San Jose (no, not the one in California), and spend the night at the DoubleTree Hotel near the airport. This gives us a chance to all meet for the first time, and a chance to relax by the pool and have a nice dinner before the adventure begins.
Day 2: Flight to Crocodile Bay / Half-Day of Photography
We will all head to the airport in the morning and fly to the resort. The small planes fly you over the rain forest and give you amazing views. You will want to have your camera in hand for this aerial excursion. We will then get situated at Crocodile Bay, have a nice lunch, and then go out and shoot around the property.
After dinner we will meet in the conference room where I will teach my workflow and some editing techniques.
Day 3: Full day of Photographing Wildlife
On the third day, we will all go out for a full day of photography, looking for the 4 species of monkeys that live in the area, sloths, as well as all the other wildlife in the area. Much like my safaris in Africa, you just never know what interesting animals we will encounter as our guides drive the 4-wheels vehicles through the forest. FYI – Must of the time we are photographing near the vehicle. If mobility is an issue for you, this should not be a problem on this tour.
Day 4: Tree Frogs and a walk in the rain forest
When designing this photo tour, I wanted to have a good combination of photographing animals in the wild, and also having a chance to get great shots in a more controlled environment. On this day, we will head into the hills to visit a snake wrangler who will have tree frogs and other reptiles for us to photograph. He will capture frogs for us to shoot with macro lenses. We will also walk through the rain forest and see what he can discover for us there.
After dinner we will meet in the conference room where I can review your images and give you suggestions for future improvements.
Day 5: Open Day
This day is left open so that you can relax by the pool, or you may want to take off to ride horses on the beach, go zip-lining or go fishing. We have two open days on the trip for relaxation and this also allows us some leeway in the schedule in case one of our other days gets rained out.
I will be available for one-on-one lessons / critiques.
Day 6: Full day of Photographing Wildlife
Today we will all go out for a full day of photography, again looking for the 4 species of monkeys, sloths, and other wildlife in the area.
Day 7: Animal Sanctuary and Botanical Gardens
Today is another day of photographing in a more controlled environment. We will be taking boats across the bay (smooth waters – don’t worry) to visit an animal sanctuary. You will be greeted by some monkeys on the beach and have ample chances to photograph these animals in the trees. These monkeys are not caged, but they are used to humans and will let you photograph them up close and personal.
After visiting the sanctuary, we will hop back on the boat and take a short ride over to a botanical garden. But this is unlike any botanical garden that you have visited in the past. This location is full of incredibly beautiful foliage, insects, birds and more. And it happens to be a private residence, with the owners home right in the middle of the property.
After dinner we will meet in the conference room, if you want, where I can review your images and give you suggestions for future improvements.
Day 8: Open Day
This day is left open so that you can relax by the pool, or you may want to take off to ride horses on the beach, go zip-lining or go fishing. We have two open days on the trip for relaxation and this also allows us some leeway in the schedule in case one of our other days gets rained out.
I will be available for one-on-one lessons / critiques.
Day 9: Chocolate plantation / Butterfly House
Our last full day on the Osa Peninsula, we will visit a small working chocolate plantation. You will have a chance to see the cocoa trees and grind your own chocolate by hand.
After our sweet visit to the chocolate farm, we will head to a brand new butterfly house. This is an enclosed area with a plethora of different species of butterflies. Think of a large netted building, the size of a home, full of these beautiful insects. This is another great chance to get macro shots of Costa Rica’s magnificent flying insects.
Day 10: Return home
You will fly from the Osa Peninsula back to San Jose, CR with tons of new and amazing photos to share with friends and family. You will also be taking home a whole lot of new photography tips and tricks.
Trip Dates
- Nov 28-Dec 07, 2023 – SOLD OUT
- June 05- 13, 2024 – OPEN
- Nov 06-14, 2024 – OPEN
* Each trip will be limited to just 12 guests. I want to make sure to have ample time teaching everyone!
Weather
It is called the rain forest for a reason. If you look at the weather forecast for the region, you will likely see forecast of rain for every day that we will be there. But don’t worry, the rains usually come in toward the end of each day, and you will enjoy it. I do suggest that you bring a rain cover for your camera, but to be honest, I have never used one. I usually grab a towel from the hotel room and hang that over my camera, if needed.
It will be warm and humid, but I have chosen times when it is not in the height of the Costa Rican summer.
Equipment Suggestions
Costa Rica offers plentiful photographic opportunities and you will want to have the right photography gear with you to capture the best photos in this location. Here is the gear I recommend:
* Two camera bodies (one as a backup)
* A long zoom lens (to get you to a minimum of 300mm)
* A mid-range zoom lens (in the 24-150mm range)
* A tripod
* A good camera bag
* A laptop computer for downloading and editing