W12/15
e got up @ 5:30 this morning and took some final photos of the tropical birds from the porch, had breakfast, then loaded up into the van toward our next location; Catarata Del Toro, to photograph the waterfall and some hummingbirds. We spent all day in the gardens using multiple multi-flash stations to photograph hummingbirds in flight under natural conditions. What a difference flash makes with hummingbirds! I’ve learned a very nice technique and hope to replicate it at home with the ruby-throated hummingbirds.
Once we all had filled our cards, we drove to the Tapirus Lodge where we would stay a few nights.
12/16
The biggest issue here and at our last destination has been humidity. We haven’t felt dry for 5 days, which usually is no big deal. However, the humidity has been causing problems for Alan’s camera. Fortunately Jeff had a ProBreeze wireless rechargable mini-dehumidifier. This gizmo is usually used for small spaces; bedrooms, closets, etc. But we repurposed it with a large plastic bag that held the camera and the ProBreeze to help remedy the problem, and it worked. The only trouble is that we keep having to borrow it, which is annoying for Alan. But he was very nice and told us to just hang on to it until the end of the workshop.
Today we had breakfast at our hotel and then took a short drive to Cope Arte. We met a local naturalist and personal friend of Hector’s, Jose Perez (famously known as Cope). The entire day was spent with Cope shooting a wide assortment of wildlife. Throughout the day we followed Cope to shoot what he had found in the lands surrounding his properties. After lunch, he found a young male sloth, and we all enjoyed some time photographing him. We returned at sunset to our hotel for dinner and a well earned rest.
We are both learning new things about photography techniques, and we are getting some spectacular images!