Friday, June 21, 2013
Relocating
After a few years of using Blogger's great service I have decided to transition to my own self-hosted site. You can now find me here:
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Costa Rica Travelog | Trees a Crowd
Already showed some foliage - ziplined through it, shot monkeys in it. A few more to close off the flora and fauna section of our trip. Of course Costa Rica has trees, and lots of 'em. Incredibly we there during a "drought" - with the rainy season approaching it will really green up.
So these aren't so much about green trees but rather interesting trees. Not a nature guy, but these just looked cool. Across from our hotel in Tamarindo was this road leading off towards work areas and a municipal park. And overhanging said road was this great stand of trees creating a natural arch.
The mid-morning sun had long since ramped up the intensity and so dappled through and lit everything above. Pretty damn cozy.
We were in the Guanacaste province during our trip. And indigenous to this region is the Guanacaste tree. Don't know which came first, but these trees spread out like a mushroom clowd. I do have some photos of these trees full on (you can see how big they are in the shot from the bus looking down the river in this previous post). Opted to silhouette it against the vibrant dusk sky.
Returning from a morning shoot along the beach at Playa Tamarindo I came across this grizzled old thing hanging over the sand. Those aging details are what I wanted to show here hence the black and white treatment. Likewise for the one following which was just off the beach in Playa Conchal. Massive, gnarly texture.
Our final morning of the trip found me out early along Playa Conchal. Monkeys were howling and sand mites were biting, but otherwise quiet. Turned out to be an uneventful dawn but I did like the way this forked tree framed the land beyond. It would be one of the last shots I would take before departing.
One set left to wrap up the series. I look back at these fondly, thinking of the warmth that seems to be evading us here on the prairies as summer is yet to begin.
So these aren't so much about green trees but rather interesting trees. Not a nature guy, but these just looked cool. Across from our hotel in Tamarindo was this road leading off towards work areas and a municipal park. And overhanging said road was this great stand of trees creating a natural arch.
The mid-morning sun had long since ramped up the intensity and so dappled through and lit everything above. Pretty damn cozy.
We were in the Guanacaste province during our trip. And indigenous to this region is the Guanacaste tree. Don't know which came first, but these trees spread out like a mushroom clowd. I do have some photos of these trees full on (you can see how big they are in the shot from the bus looking down the river in this previous post). Opted to silhouette it against the vibrant dusk sky.
Returning from a morning shoot along the beach at Playa Tamarindo I came across this grizzled old thing hanging over the sand. Those aging details are what I wanted to show here hence the black and white treatment. Likewise for the one following which was just off the beach in Playa Conchal. Massive, gnarly texture.
Our final morning of the trip found me out early along Playa Conchal. Monkeys were howling and sand mites were biting, but otherwise quiet. Turned out to be an uneventful dawn but I did like the way this forked tree framed the land beyond. It would be one of the last shots I would take before departing.
One set left to wrap up the series. I look back at these fondly, thinking of the warmth that seems to be evading us here on the prairies as summer is yet to begin.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Costa Rica Travelog | These Guys Are a Howl
Costa Rica, albeit the tiny portion we saw, is teeming with life. Here we see a dog wandering around. There we have geckos and iguanas and these mini-anteater-looking-things called Coati and funky looking squirrels and crazed racoons and birds birds birds and crabs in our hotel room...
But one of the bigger attractions, apparently, is the Howler monkey. So named because they make A Lot of Freaking Noise. Like an old dog with emphysema. And a bullhorn. First morning we heard them baying ("Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is that?!!") and then throughout the rest of the trip. Eerie as hell when you're walking out to the beach for an early morning shoot.
They dangled and jumped and played around in the trees blanketing our first hotel, attracting quite an audience...
And following our run through the zip line course I had a chance to head back up to the launch platform and watch them at eye level and much closer. This fellow lounged around, casually looked my way, then stuck his tongue out. Fired away on motor drive and pieced these from the burst into a triptych that makes a nice spread in our photo book.
We learned that these dudes have been known to hitch a ride on passers by through the zip course. No such luck with our group.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Costa Rica Travelog | You Don't Know Zip
I think it's pretty common for people to think of lush tree canopies when Costa Rica is mentioned. And where there are tall trees, there's an opportunity to zip line like a bat out of hell straight through 'em.
So we find ourselves at such a location during our trip (pre-planned as this was one of the available excursions). I have done this before in Quebec although that had more of an obstacle course feel to it. This version was just about getting from A to B as fast as possible, through tunneled out sections of the canopy.
After gearing up with the Most Uncomfortable Harness Imaginable, gloves, and thin plastic "helmets" (whose sole purpose was to act as a barrier against burning a new hairline into your scalp while whizzing under the zip cable) we made our way up into the canopy. A staircase circled around a massive tree to a platform above.
At this point it's safe to say those with a fear of heights need not apply.
There was never any question of safety as we progressed through the dozen or so courses. A guide was with us at each platform and at no point were we ever untethered from the safety cables. These guys were great, not only starting the runs but receiving us at the end of each.
Not really much time to take pictures between runs. And there is no chance I'd be risking my camera while on the line itself. But when the opportunity arose I unfurled the D700 and snapped a frame or two from our vantage points. Trees like this hulking specimen were common throughout the runs and we smoked by them pretty tight and at speed.
One of our party found out the hard way that there was only one way down... the last run. While there was a nice set of stairs ascending to the first platform, none followed. Each course got progressively faster and longer. The final run had us screaming into the station at a solid clip. You feel that on the line, and definitely observing from a stationary perspective on the ground.
That last shot makes it into my collection of personal favorites. Took a few cracks to get it - panning is always a bit of a crap shoot - but worth the kink in the neck.
So we find ourselves at such a location during our trip (pre-planned as this was one of the available excursions). I have done this before in Quebec although that had more of an obstacle course feel to it. This version was just about getting from A to B as fast as possible, through tunneled out sections of the canopy.
After gearing up with the Most Uncomfortable Harness Imaginable, gloves, and thin plastic "helmets" (whose sole purpose was to act as a barrier against burning a new hairline into your scalp while whizzing under the zip cable) we made our way up into the canopy. A staircase circled around a massive tree to a platform above.
At this point it's safe to say those with a fear of heights need not apply.
There was never any question of safety as we progressed through the dozen or so courses. A guide was with us at each platform and at no point were we ever untethered from the safety cables. These guys were great, not only starting the runs but receiving us at the end of each.
Not really much time to take pictures between runs. And there is no chance I'd be risking my camera while on the line itself. But when the opportunity arose I unfurled the D700 and snapped a frame or two from our vantage points. Trees like this hulking specimen were common throughout the runs and we smoked by them pretty tight and at speed.
One of our party found out the hard way that there was only one way down... the last run. While there was a nice set of stairs ascending to the first platform, none followed. Each course got progressively faster and longer. The final run had us screaming into the station at a solid clip. You feel that on the line, and definitely observing from a stationary perspective on the ground.
That last shot makes it into my collection of personal favorites. Took a few cracks to get it - panning is always a bit of a crap shoot - but worth the kink in the neck.
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