Costa Rica

I’d always heard that Costa Rica was a wonderful place to visit – and everyone was right. We saw so much, and yet we saw so little. We experienced friendly people who are very proud of their Country.

I’d never done much in the way of bird photography, let alone rain forest photography.  For better or worse, I didn’t take the time to do a lot of research, and came back humbled in some respects.  Lessons learned and thoughts on the experience will be a blog post – if I can help someone to make their memories better, it’s the least I can do.

We had a fantastic guide for our group whose knowledge and enthusiasm for his Country and the birds was infectious. I have a new interest and perspective in bird photography as a result of this trip.

Click here to view the gallery.

Fly me to the moon.  Scarlet Macaws, Jaco, CR
Fly me to the moon. Scarlet Macaws, Jaco, CR

 

A limb is a pillow. White-faced Capuchin Monkey. Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica


As many of these images are crops from full zoom images, they’re not going to make huge prints. I envision these images in small prints in a group on a wall – hence, they’ve all be cropped to square format.

Blue iguana. Manuel Antonio National Park, CR

With the exception of a few images from an iPhone 7+, all images used a Tamron 18-400mm all-in-one zoom. The driving force behind this lens was to not be in a rain forest or on a boat changing lenses, or to be caught with the wrong lens on the camera. I purchased my 18-400 from Powell Camera after extensive research and deliberation (the lens and the process will be the subject of another blog post).

Dentist’s delight? American crocodile. Tarcoles River, Tarcoles, Costa Rica.


Identifying the birds and captioning the images took quite a while (bits of time over two-plus months to be exact). I used the following resources to assist: Bird Guide provided for our great excursion on the Tarcoles River by Jungle Crocodile Safari, Costa Rica Birding Tours, All About Birds, and Audobon. Where I wasn’t sure about the identification, there’s a question mark in the caption. Comments and corrections are welcome.

Wood stork in flight. Tarcoles River. Tarcoles, Costa Rica.



Contact Misty Travel if you’re intersted in a Costa Rica experience of your own.

Enjoy!

Get lost in Tunnel View

No, that’s not a typo – I really mean that this is an invitation to get lost in Tunnel View.

Actually, the name of the print is “Tunnel View two ways”.  Yes, I name some prints!  Some are worthy – and this one definitely is.

Tunnel View is the name of a viewing area at the west end of the Yosemite Valley on the road to/from the south entrance.  It draws its’ name from the adjacent tunnel.  If you enter Yosemite National Park from the south – this is the first view of the Valley you get when you pop out of the tunnel.  Maybe not the most original name, but Tunnel View is certainly now an iconic name.

This image and its’ print are a little different…

Tunnel View Panorama Composite

First, this isn’t just one image at Tunnel View – it’s actually five images stitched together to give a detailed panorama.  The original raw file is over 90 megabytes!

Second, it’s the same image in black and white and color in one print.

I have this at home, and to be honest with you, from time to time, I find myself just staring at it.  And looking up.  And looking down.  And looking up.  And looking down.  You get the point.  I get lost in Tunnel View.

There’s just something about being able to look at the same thing in color and black and white at the same time, and being able to compare and contrast the detail and the imagery, and to wrestle with the eternal question – is it better in color or black and white?

Sometimes, getting lost in Tunnel View is a way to find some peace and solace in a hectic day.  And, sometimes, getting lost in Tunnel View is just a way to admire and ponder nature’s glory.

I invite you to get lost in Tunnel View this holiday season, and every day, by making Tunnel View your own in some way from Laughing Frog Images.  You can find Tunnel View two ways here in the Yosemite National Park Gallery on Laughing Frog Images.

You can also make someone “get lost” this holiday season by getting them Tunnel View two ways as a gift!

Either way, enjoy!