Nature Photography at Selva Verde

SVL: Are there specific locations at the reserve that yield especially good shots?

GB: For bird photography, the fruit feeders can offer some great opportunities. Poison frogs can be photographed on the forest floor pretty much anywhere. And I always make sure to check out the meandering stream outside the conference room for caimans and river turtles. Aside from that, there are great flowers and insects everywhere, and toucans and monkeys can show up at any time.

SVL: How much is low lighting a factor in the rainforest?

GB: Even with the higher ISOs that modern DSLR cameras offer, this is precisely the challenge that most vexes photographers when they visit a tropical rainforest. Many photographers will be unfamiliar with flash photography, which is unfortunate because creative use of flash can open up a world of possibilities in rainforest photography. I see a lot of photographers who turn to flash as their main source of light. The pitfall is that, unless done properly, this approach will lead to photographs that just look flashed. Invariably, participants from my workshops say that the thing they most valued from the experience is their newfound ability to incorporate natural-looking flash into their nature photography.

SVL: How much memory do I need? How many back up batteries do you carry?

GB: This will be a function of your camera's file size but I would say you'll want to bring twice as much as you think you'll need. I always bring a laptop and an external hard drive along. This allows me to make two backups of images each evening. I always have at least one extra battery for each of my cameras, and I bring along a power strip. This allows me to plug in everything I need at night – laptop, cell phone, camera battery chargers, and flash battery chargers.

Selva Verde Lodge: You’ve been to Selva Verde numerous times. What keeps you coming back to take photos at Selva Verde?

Greg Basco: What I love about Selva Verde is that you can expect the unexpected. Every time I visit, whether for my own photography or while leading one of my photo workshop tours, I know that Selva Verde will offer a fantastic surprise photo opportunity.

SVL: What sort of equipment do you recommend bringing?

GB: This will depend to some extent on each photographer's specific focus, but a good all around kit would include a telephoto lens (300 mm or longer), a macro lens for the small wonders of the rainforest at Selva Verde, and a wide angle lens for landscapes. Digital camera bodies that offer good high ISO performance will be a particular boon. Add to this list a flash and a tripod, and you'll be set to do some great photography.

SVL: How do you recommend getting close up shots of wildlife?

GB: This is always one of the hardest things about photographing in the rainforest. A long lens will certainly help, especially for things like birds and monkeys. Nonetheless, simply knowing the habits of the animals and having a lot of patience will also go a long way in helping you to get up close and personal with your rainforest wildlife subjects.

SVL: What is your favorite subject at Selva Verde?

GB: Man, that's a tough question! I always like the poison frogs and the emerald basilisk lizard. But then there's the collared aracari and the tiger herons too. In the end, my favorite subject will probably be the next surprise I run into and am able to photograph at Selva Verde!

SVL: When is the best time of day for shooting wildlife at the lodge?

GB: Time of day actually isn't as important in the rainforest as in many areas that visitors will be used to. This is because there is very little of the sweet light that photographers from temperate areas seek in early morning and late afternoon. Nonetheless, if it's a clear day, you'll want to shoot early morning and late afternoon, avoiding the middle of the day because the bright sunlight makes for very harsh lighting in the forest. It may sound counterintuitive, but if you're lucky, you'll have cool rainy weather, which produces nice soft light and more wildlife activity.

SVL: What is the best time of year?

GB: This really depends on what you're aiming to photograph. For birds, the best months seem to be November through January. For frogs, I love mid-May, which is when the rainy season begins.

SVL: Is rain an issue? How do you plan for the weather, and what do you do when it's raining? Does the humidity affect your equipment?

GB: Rain is always an issue, but it's actually not as threatening to equipment as many people think. I always have various rain covers with me, which either will allow me to keep shooting in rain or to cover up my equipment quickly if caught in a deluge. I sprinkle my camera packs liberally with silica gel packets to help absorb moisture. If your gear gets really wet, then be sure to use the hairdryer in the room to dry things out.

One of the things I really like about Selva Verde is the presence of covered areas throughout the property. This allows you to keep shooting lots of different subjects, even when it's raining. In fact, some of the most evocative rainforest images can be captured during rainy weather.