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Costa Rica

with Justin Black, Daniel Beltra
December 2 - 8, 2012 Advanced
Limited to 10 Participants. From $4,998  
Closed
0
  • Overview
  • Instructors
  • Gallery
  • Pricing
  • Highlights
  • Accommodations
  • Travel

Overview

Exotic Birds – Poison Dart Frogs –  Monkeys – Waterfalls – Wild Pacific Beach

All of this and more is to be found in one of the most biologically exciting places on Earth – Coast Rica’s remote Osa Peninsula – and we’d like to share the best of it with you. Envision original primary rainforest rising up a low ridge from a pristine and entirely undeveloped Pacific beach, stretching as far as the eye can see. Native toucans, scarlet macaws, and four species of New World monkeys cruise through the trees, while dramatic waterfalls roar in the jungle. Numerous species of visually striking frogs inhabit the area, including three species of colorful poison dart frogs, red-eyed tree frogs, masked tree frogs, and massive cane toads in their native habitat. Hundreds of exotic bird species abound. In addition to the toucans and macaws, long-tail hermit hummingbirds, trogons, blue-capped manakins, crested caracaras, ibis, various raptors and myriad other species are readily photographed. The forest itself is stunning, with old-growth trees full of character and beautiful graphic compositions just waiting to be discovered.

Instructors Daniel Beltrá and Justin Black will share their creative approaches to photographing rainforest fauna and flora, as well as the dramatic landscape. Hands-on in the field, we will cover long-lens and macro wildlife techniques, control of composition and light, fill-flash, control of focal plane and perspective with tilt-shift lenses, panoramic stitching, and other techniques that can be used to great effect in this amazing place.

CLICK HERE to read Justin Black’s article “Frogs of the Osa” in Outdoor Photographer magazine

Click “read more…” below right for more information and the photo gallery…

Our basecamp, El Remanso eco-lodge, is a uniquely rich and accessible environment to witness and explore the incredible flora and fauna of Central America’s rainforests.  The owners are personal friends of the instructors, and the staff make guests feel like family. It’s a peaceful resort where it’s easy to let go of the hassles of travel logistics and fully immerse yourself in exploring and photographing the beach and waterfalls, monkeys and frogs, gorgeous old-growth trees and various species of land crabs.  Ziplines lead to platforms in the jungle canopy that can offer an ideal shooting perspective.

The staff at El Remanso take great care of us – providing three fresh tropical fruits, a delicious mix of international and local Tico cuisine, not to mention the margaritas – all on an inviting and spacious covered dining deck perched at the top of a canyon, at eye-level with the forest canopy.  Indeed, we’ll bring our long lenses to breakfast to photograph monkeys, macaws and toucans feeding in the trees.  The opportunities to explore don’t stop with the setting sun. A stroll with a naturalist guide around El Remanso just after dark reveals all manner of nocturnal species.

ITINERARY

Day 1 – (December 2) – Travel from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez and El Remanso

Arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica – *please see note below regarding scheduling international flights. At 2pm, join fellow participants at SANSA domestic airline terminal adjacent to the main international airport terminal. You will be greeted there by an El Remanso representative who will facilitate your check-in for the private charter flight on a SANSA Cessna Grand Caravan to Puerto Jimenez. The flight itself is incredibly scenic, and a great opportunity to do some aerial photography. Daniel Beltrá, Justin Black, and El Remanso staff will pick up the group at the Puerto Jimenez airstrip for the 45-minute drive to El Remano. Welcome orientation, time to get settled, and cocktails and dinner.

Days 2 through 6 – (December 3-7) – El Remanso and surroundings

This is the workshop itself. We will spend a full five days helping workshop participants make the most of the endless photographic opportunities to be found on El Remanso’s 185 acres, as well as at locations nearby. Most instruction will be carried out through hands-on demonstrations and discussion in the field. In the evenings, we will gather to download, edit, go over digital workflow techniques, and constructively critique participant images to  sessions to ensure that everyone has ample opportunity to learn from the personal visions of participants and instructors alike.

Day 7 – (December 8) – Return to San Jose to catch international flights

After breakfast, we will say goodbye to El Remanso and transfer to Puerto Jimenez to catch our charter flight back to San Jose (landing at SJO at 11:00am) so participants can catch international flights that afternoon.

• Price based on double occupancy: $4,998/person (Single supplement: $497)

• Two-person package cost for one workshop participant and non-participant guest: $7098.00 (double-occupancy; please contact us to arrange this package at info@visionarywild or 202-558-9596)

Included in the program:

  • Photographic instruction throughout by Daniel Beltrá and Justin Black
  • In-country group charter flights: San Jose – Puerto Jimenez – San Jose
  • Group ground transfers: Puerto Jimenez – El Remanso – Puerto Jimenez
  • Six nights lodging, all meals, and beverages (including beer, wine, cocktails with dinner) at El Remanso
  • Group local transportation
  • Naturalist guides
  • Group gratuities
* IMPORTANT NOTE: Scheduling International Flights
Participants flying into San Jose’s modern international airport on December 2nd will need to arrive no later than 1:00pm in order to ensure adequate time to clear customs and catch our charter flight to Puerto Jimenez from the SANSA airlines terminal directly adjacent to the international airport terminal (a walk of about 100 meters). Depending on the limitations of international flight schedules from your point of origin, some participants may prefer to (or may need to) fly into San Jose at least a day prior to the December 2nd charter flight from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez, and may need to spend the night in San Jose following return from Puerto Jimenez. If you need to stay in San Jose prior to or following our group itinerary, we highly recommend Hotel Bougainvillea – http://www.hb.co.cr/ – a very comfortable, quiet, and reasonable hotel with excellent amenities and English-speaking staff. The immaculately kept tropical gardens there are well worth a photo session on their own. A reliable English-speaking taxi service affiliated with El Remanso can be arranged to meet you at the airport in San Jose and transport you to Hotel Bougainvillea and back to the SANSA airlines terminal on Dec 2nd, to arrive by 2pm.

Instructors

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    • Justin Black

    • JUSTIN BLACK is a photographer, writer, editor, expedition leader, photo workshops instructor, a Fellow of the International League of Conservation Writers (ILCW), a former executive director of the International ...
    • Daniel Beltra

    • My work allows me to bear witness to the challenges our environment faces and help celebrate its triumphs. Born in Madrid, Spain, Daniel Beltrá is a photographer based in ...

Gallery

Pricing

Single Occupancy $5,495

Deposit $2,747.50
Full $5,495
Register

Double Occupancy $4,998

Deposit $2,499
Full $4,998
Register

Highlights

  • Explore this private rainforest preserve, featuring primary old-growth forest, waterfalls, and wild Pacific beach
  • Exotic native birds, frogs, New World primates, and other tropical wildlife
  • Two photo instructors and experienced local naturalist guides ensure excellent participant support and an incredibly rich learning experience.
  • Small group size and low ratio of participants to instructors.
  • Superb and ecologically responsible and sustainable accommodations at El Remanso Lodge.
  • Package includes single-occupancy lodging, all meals, beverages, daily naturalist guiding, round-trip in-country air charter from San Jose, Costa Rica to Puerto Jimenez, 4WD ground transfers from Puerto Jimenez to El Remanso, group ground transportation to field sessions off the El Remanso conservancy, and all group gratuities.

Accommodations

A part of the Osa Peninsula National Refuge, El Remanso is owner-operated by gracious and enthusiastic hosts Daniel Gehring and Adriana Domenech Momeñe. The small-scale character of the lodge enables a highly personalized service, and they are proud that most of their guests are enthusiastically referred to El Remanso by friends and family who have stayed there themselves.

The property includes an extensive trail system, which lets you discover the magic of a primary rainforest and observe the abundant wildlife surrounding the lodge. Within an easy fifteen-minute walk from the lodge, one can explore secluded waterfalls, take a stroll on a deserted beach with tide pools and a lagoon, or look for colorful poison dart frogs next to creeks deep in rainforest canyons. Or, simply relax on the wooden deck of the restaurant while watching monkeys swing through the surrounding trees!

El Remanso has been a pioneer in sustainable practices in the Osa Peninsula since its creation in 1999. The lodge was one of the first in Costa Rica to provide its electricity exclusively by its own micro-hydro system. 90% of all waste is recycled or composted, waste waters are treated on site, and the lodge participates in local reforestation programs on the Osa Peninsula. El Remanso also has close ties with the community and provides work for more than 25 local staff all year around.

Thanks to all these efforts, in 2011 the Costa Rican Tourism Board awarded the lodge with the highest rating of the Certification For Sustainable Tourism (CST – level 5) in the lodge’s first certification process.

Travel

airplane icon
Included are round-trip SANSA charter flight from San Jose (SJO) Costa Rica to Puerto Jimenez;
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4WD ground transfers from Puerto Jimenez to El Remanso and ground transportation during field sessions off the El Remanso property.
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Walks to field locations on the El Remanso property are relatively short and easy. The most strenuous walk is the 15 to 20 minute uphill hike from the beach to the lodge on a well maintained trail. Some outings will include wading in shallow creeks, traversing rough terrain, and the occasional easy scramble over a fallen log or rock formation.
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Early December is the beginning of the dry season on the Osa Peninsula, but occasional rain showers are likely (it is a coastal rain forest, after all). Temperatures typically range between 90ºF and 68ºF with high humidity.

Costa Rica

with Justin Black, Daniel Beltra
December 2 - 8, 2012 Advanced
Limited to 10 Participants. From $4,998  
Closed
0

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E-mail: info@visionarywild.com | Tel: 1-202-558-9596 (9am to 5pm, EST)
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