Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in 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 we'll relax by the pool and have a nice dinner before the adventure begins.

I will also go over our plans for the week and talk about proposed camera settings, composition and what the expect for our time in the rain forest.

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. There is a lot of plant and animal life on the property to keep us busy for days!

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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 four species of monkeys that live in the area, along with sloths, birds, reptiles and 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 off-road vehicles through the forest.

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 getting 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 to 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.

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Day 5: Free Day

This day is left unscheduled 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 free 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 opportunities 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 I'll be available in the conference room to review your images and give you suggestions for future improvements.

Day 8: Free Day

This day is left unscheduled 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.

Day 9: Chocolate plantation / Butterfly House

On 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. 

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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 lots of new photography tips and tricks, as well as a bunch of new friends too.

Trip Dates

Here are the dates: 

August 13-22, 2018

* Each trip will be limited to just 10 guests. I want to make sure to have ample time teaching everyone!

You will want to book your flight to be in San Jose, CR on the afternoon of the first day of the trip. We will all meet at the Doubletree for dinner, get some sleep and then take the 1 hour flight to the rain forest the next morning.

For your return flight, you will want to book a flight home on the last day of the trip, after 1pm, allowing time for us to fly back to San Jose from the Osa Peninsula.

If you would like to arrive in Costa Rica early, or stay longer, that is an option as well. Just let me know and I will help you arrange that.

Cost

The cost for this trip is $4800 all inclusive from San Jose, CR and back. This price includes the flights to/from the resort, lodging (both in San Jose and Crocodile Bay), all food, non-alcoholic drinks, and wine with dinner. In other words, you need to get yourself to San Jose (usually about $500 round trip from within the US) and everything else is covered.

For people wanting their own room, there is a single supplement fee of $1000. For those who have spouses or friends who want to join, but who are not photographers, there is a $500 credit for them. Those "non photographers" are still invited to join us on all excursions.

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 specifically chosen tour dates not in the height of the Costa Rican summer.

Gear and Clothing 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 what 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

* An external hard drive for backing up your data

If you are reading this and thinking "I don't have two camera bodies or one of those lenses", don't worry. Canon has offered to supply any of my workshop attendees with loaner gear at no cost!!! All you have to do is let me know what gear you would like.

For clothing, I suggest clothing for warm weather. I usually bring the following:

* 3 pairs of shorts

* 2 pairs of warm weather safari pants

* 4 shirts (recommend the thin safari shirts which dry quickly)

* 2 pairs of shoes - including one pair of water shoes

* A good hat to keep you shaded

* Bathing suit if you want to swim

* A bag of detergent if you want to wash your own clothes (I do!) - Laundry service is available at the resort if that is the way you roll.

Schedule is subject to change

The itinerary listed here is the proposed agenda for the trip. Depending on the weather and other circumstances, the schedule is subject to change. But, of course, the goal is to have everyone come home with amazing photos and to learn as much as possible.

Click HERE to reserve a spot!

Testimonials from attendees on past Costa Rica photo tours

I participated in Jeff’s November 2017 expedition to Costa Rica. For several years I have been following Jeff’s social media posts and presentations at B&H, I like his presentation and teaching style so much that when the opportunity to go to Costa Rica with him arose I jumped on it. That decision turned out to be the best photography-related decision I’ve made in the last ten years. The images I returned home with are outstanding. I’ve posted to photo critique websites and have gotten rave reviews. Everyone I show the images to are in awe at the quality of the images and the exotic subject matter. Jeff’s instruction during the tour made all-the-difference in the quality of my captures. He paid close attention to each of us in the field and during non-shooting discussions and critiques.

The staff at Crocodile Bay Resort were outstanding. They treated us as if we were royalty. The menu for all three meals is extensive and the quality of the food is beyond expectations.  Our guides, Dennis and Diego, had an incredible eye for spotting wildlife. As photographers themselves, they knew which sightings would offer better photographic opportunity.  

In closing, the one tour feature that places Jeff’s Costa Rica tour far ahead of other Costa Rica photography tours is his arrangement with Canon Professional Services for tour members to obtain loaner camera bodies and lenses at no cost. I received on loan an EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS and EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS lens. These are the same lenses Jeff used, which made implementing Jeff’s shooting suggestions instructions work so well. David A. (Costa Rica 2017)

Our Costa Rica trip was great. Jeff and everyone else we met were friendly and helpful. The resort was great and we saw a LOT of animals including birds, monkeys, sloths and frogs. Jeff was super enthusiastic and a good teacher. He was constantly helping us take better photos and he really gave me some good post processing tips. I would be happy to travel with him again. We were a couple with a photographer and a non-photographer and both of us had a great time. Bob P. (Costa Rica 2017)

I'm not a photographer, but still like tagging along with my photographer husband on trips. It's a wonderful opportunity to see the world and experience the adventure that goes along with capturing the photos. Jeff's trip to Cost Rica did not disappoint. It was a unique opportunity to see so many different animals, birds and insects and take time to just observe them in their habitats. I thoroughly enjoyed all the field trips as well as hiking around the resort. Jeff was even gracious enough to give me a beginners photo lesson one afternoon, and I got a few nice shots.  Our guides were excellent, helping us not only find the wildlife but also learn about the animals, environment & locale. The resort was very comfortable; we were treated like we were part of their extended family.  Tracy P. (Costa Rica 2017)

I have wanted to see a rain forest for some time and this tour exceeded my expectations.  Jeff did a great job of selecting adventures spaced with some free time.  The accommodations were very good and the food was fantastic.  The entire staff was friendly and helpful.   Each adventure yielded many animals, most of which I had not seen before.  Admittedly, some of the photo opportunities were "assisted" by the guides, but I believe I would have found it difficult to spot an inch long frog on my own.   The guides were expert in spotting the animals, and I even learned some things.  “ If you see isolated leaves falling from the trees above, and it is not windy, it is likely an animal moving about.”   The photography was a bit hard at times with the subject high in the trees, moving about and just as you located and focused on them, they would rapidly move away.   Jeff was always there to assist in your photographic efforts. All in all, this was an excellent trip!  If you are interested in the rain forest and its animals, go with Jeff to Costa Rica  and say hello to Sweetie the monkey for me. Carol C. (Costa Rica 2017)