If you’re looking for something beyond the usual photography tour, this is the trip for you! Immerse yourself in the beautiful Arenal area and leave with a sense of the REAL Costa Rica. You’ll spend six days learning about the people, culture and wildlife of Costa Rica while you pursue your passion for photography. Develop your artistic vision through the lens, and hone your craft through photography and digital darkroom instruction. You’ll also have the chance to compete for prizes in the Leaves&Lizards Through-the-Lens Challenge.
The Leaves & Lizards Volcano Cabin Retreat will serve as your home base for this unique, all-inclusive photography adventure. Leaves & Lizards’ commitment to the community and the environment made them the obvious choice to host this event. Their cabins have a comfortable, rustic feel, while offering modern conveniences like Wi-Fi internet access. Each one is specifically designed to offer you the best possible views of the Arenal Volcano. Your meals at the Lava Lizard restaurant feature all locally produced ingredients , including dairy products from their own cow. Kitchen scraps go to feed the chickens and pigs which in turn produce eggs and meat for us to eat; a perfect circle of sustainability.
In addition to photography instructors Rob Knight and Rick Sammon, local guide Enrique Molena is on staff to act as our naturalist guide and liaison with the community in Monterrey and La Fortuna. Enrique was born and raised in Monterrey, and he has been a professional guide in this area for fifteen years. His knowledge of Costa Rica’s flora and fauna will amaze you!
Your $2000 tuition includes:
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As a student in the Arenal Eco Adventure 
Photo Workshop in Monterrey, Costa Rica, you will have an opportunity to build an impressivewildlife photography portfolio, and enter your new wildlife photos in the DphotoA/ Leaves & Lizards Through-the-Lens Challenge.
Thanks to Oscar at L&L, we have a list of the birds and other animals that you might see on the L&L property. Each animal has a point value based on how likely you are to see it. The more rare an animal is, the higher it’s point value. The student who has the most points at the end of the week will receive a prize package including a 30”x40” gallery wrap canvas print from Artistic Photo Canvas, and a gift certificate from Outdoor Photo Gear. Winning photos will also be featured on the Leaves & Lizards website and the DphotoA website.
Enrique and Oscar will be teaching you about the local animals throughout the week, and giving you tips on where you can find the more rare animals on the list. The L&L property has lots of trails between the cabins and it should be easy to check off several exotic species by simply taking a walk. You can enter photos you take anywhere during the workshop, and our trip to Proyecto ASIS Wildlife Rescue Center will surely give you a good head start.
Didn’t bring your 400mm lens with you? No problem. As long as the photo is clear and the animal in the photo is identifiable it will count toward your point total. Of course, you should make the best images you can, but don’t be intimidated if other students have equipment you don’t have. The point of the contest is to learn about Costa Rican wildlife and most of all have fun making pictures!
Register for the Arenal Eco Adventure Photo Workshop today to be entered in the Through-the-Lens Challenge. The Through-the-Lens Challenge is brought to you by Artistic Photo Canvas and Outdoor Photo Gear.
Tuition for the Arenal Eco Adventure is $2000. Additional photographers (or guests) sharing the same cabin are $1500. This includes lodging, food and excursions. The double cabins are set up like a double hotel room with two beds and a shared bathroom.
The Arenal Eco Adventure workshop is suitable for photographers of all skill levels. The small class size insures that beginners can get the time they need with an instructor, and experienced photographers will have unique shooting opportunities and the chance to fine-tune their work.
A DSLR camera is recommended, as well as a laptop computer with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Other recommended software includes Adobe Photoshop, Photomatix Pro, Nik Silver Effects Pro and Nik Color Effects Pro. Past students have done well in our workshops with Apple Aperture as well, but please note that the workflow demos will be performed using Lightroom.
You can save 15% off of Photomatix Pro by using the discount code “RobKnight15” at www.hdrsoft.com.
The workshop price does not include airfare to Costa Rica or transportation to Monterrey (near Arenal/La Fortuna). It is quick and easy (and cheap!) to get to the Arenal/ La Fortuna airport from San Jose or Liberia via regional airlines such as Nature Air or Sansa. We can arrange transportation to Leaves and Lizards from the airport in La Fortuna.
If you would like to rent a car, it is a beautiful, 3.5 hour drive to La Fortuna from San Jose, and about 4 hours from Liberia. There will be a presentation Sunday night, so please plan to arrive Sunday afternoon. Students will check in Sunday, September 12 and check out Saturday, September 18.
We strongly recommend you purchase comprehensive travel insurance in case of emergencies.
Ask about group discounts for your students or camera club.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ricksammon, Michael Driscoll. Michael Driscoll said: “@ricksammon: Arenal Eco Adventure Photo Workshop http://t.co/WQyF2Gc” I went and it was awesome. [...]