2009 Lots Of Photography From Costa Rica

[Robert Watcher]

Well - Anne and I are at it again. We're heading back down to Costa Rica - although this time only for a one month period as we have another couple going with us. We are leaving 2 weeks from yesterday (wednesday) on February 4'th 2009.

So it will be high intensity to capture thousands upon thousands of images showing the people and scenery of this beautiful country - just as it is and as they are carrying on their daily lives. Knowing the country this time (because of our extended 2 month excursion last year), makes it far easier to know exactly where we want to go and what we want to do.

As well as shooting in the streets of San Jose and Alajuela, we will be travelling to a few small towns on both the Pacific and Atlantic side of the country. The culture is quite different on each coast from what we have heard.


You will be able to keep up on Anne's Journal and my daily posting of images and video as you did last year at:

AsIfWeKnow.com


Also as I did last year, I will be posting theme, story and interest images on this forum thread on a regular basis. I am even contemplating doing a live online video broadcast from down there where I will answer questions about this style of shooting, by responding to a chat. I have to work out the details of that yet.

Anyway - we are excited to get down there (even with the recent devastating earthquake) - - - and I'm excited to get back on this forum posting my images about the experience for you all to enjoy. Keep following here.

Here is the 2008 thread:
http://www.openphotographyforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5019&highlight=costa+rica



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[Asher Kelman]

Rob,

This is wonderful news! We wish both anne and you a great adventure. Having your pictures here is a treat!

I love your blog. Gives my great ideas; off the beaten track places to visit.

Asher

 

[Robert Watcher]

Rob,

This is wonderful news! We wish both anne and you a great adventure. Having your pictures here is a treat!

I love your blog. Gives my great ideas; off the beaten track places to visit.

Asher

Thank you Asher. Our Journal was a big hot last year with our friends, people following it on trip and vacation forums, people we met in Costa Rica, and with photographers who know me and photography forums like this one. We didn't know if we would bother with another journal this year, but in the last few months have received several emails and comments from those were found out we were going back - letting us know that we "have to do it". So we are and a month ago I built the website for this year that would also provide access to last years. It does put pressure on us to perform and keep the journal just as interesting this year, if not better than last year. We hope it is just as much a treat this in 2009. Thanks for allowing us to use the Open Photography Forum to tell our little stories.

 

[Robert Watcher]

Canvas in the sky

Well our Costa Rica exploraton has begun again this year. Anne and I and our friends Bruce and Nadine, arrived in Alajuela Wednesday evening at 10:30PM - - - to very windy conditions. Unfortunately the internet has been down at the place we are staying, and so Anne and I are a little restricted as to how much and when we are able to post my work and Anne's journal. Hopefully everything will be sorted out before long.

We have been very busy over the last couple of days and already several projects have been completed and photographed (both still and video) - and everything just has to be compiled and uploaded to our Travel Virgins website at www.asifweknow.com. Again it appears that I will have success capturing the people of Costa Rica in all their splendor. I have a good start with excellent captures of the locals including the owner of a coffee processing operation where the passion just oozes out of him and his runs his product through his fingers. I will post here, as soon as Anne has written up her journal posts about those experiences.

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While last year, we flew from Detroit to Dallas, without the ability to see the ground - - - this year provided spectacular views. IT WAS MY CANVAS IN THE SKY. These were taken from about 36,000 feet in the air

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[Robert Watcher]

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[Robert Watcher]

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[Robert Watcher]

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11 ) Flying out of Dallas - - - I loved the wing expanse and its tip, and the magical lights

12 ) Started my "people photography" in the Dallas airport:

 

[Robert Watcher]

Some Pretty Shots:

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15 ) Up in the Cloud Forest - cold and a steady spray of rain

 

[Robert Watcher]

People pics from Thursday drive through the mountainside - - - I simply pointed my camera toward them and nodded my head, implying that it is OK to take their picture.

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17 ) I peeked through a window and saw this fellow preparing food - opened the door implied I wanted to take his picture - and when he looked at me, gestured to keep working and not look at me

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[Robert Watcher]

19 ) these security guards have been shot at, have shot intruders and robbers, and have been held hostage - while doing their thankless job in these areas of the world

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[Robert Watcher]

22 ) These 2 fellows approached me while I was taking a vista shot of the "Central Valley" from high atop a clearing part way up Poas Mountain. I gestured to them and they obligued. I pointed for them to look out over the valley:

23 ) Good looking fellow - had to get a nice portrait of him. Hopefully I bump into them again so I can provide them with a print:

24 ) A bartender at an Inn up in the mountainside:

 

[Robert Watcher]

Passionate about his work

While there are several commercial coffee processing operations around the country of Costa Rica that provide tours and have canned presentations and hired spokespeople providing the details of the coffee bean production process . . .

. . . Anne and I were very fortunate to have been taken to a more hands on operation where the owner Hurberth exuded passion as he handled and played with the coffee beans as he explained thoroughly each step in the washing, drying, and packaging process - along with tidbits about the various qualities of beans that he had sitting around in wheel barrows, hoppers and on the floor.

We were greeted at the door with a wonderful smile:

Conservation of resources is important as he explains how the waters from this soaking process are recycled and not expelled into the river system as was the process in times past:

Beans on the floor ready to be scraped into the large bags for storage:

 

[Robert Watcher]

Of course the thing that intrigued me most was Herburths hands and the beans constantly running through his fingers as he explained as best he could in his broken English, all of the details we needed to understand:

Something else that entrigued me was that this man is quite well off financially and owns much of the coffee growing hillside for miles, along with many of the businesses in Sabanilla just up the road a bit from this processing plant hidden in the Cloud Forest on the side of Poas Mountain. The work that he does could all be easily hired out. He is also known to many in the area to be a very gracious and humble man who helps people out when trouble strikes them.

Just before leaving, I showed him a few shots on the back of my Olympus E-3 - - - and he replied "That Camera Takes Good Pictures"

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This is Anne's take on the visit:

www.asifweknow.com/index.php?crnt=1&entry=9

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[Robert Watcher]

Earthquakes Visible Presence

While we aren't able to access the remote areas affected by the January 2009 earthquake, where roads and mountainsides are missing - - - we were able to witness the remnants while on the mountainside roads above the epicenter of the earthquake, that had a significant impact on the lives of those who lived in this area of Costa Rica hardest hit.

Neither Anne of I have ever witnessed the "dreaded" opening up of the ground that can happen with an earthquake - - - and may never again. I had to stop and take a few shots of this phenomenon. Many large cracks were filled so that card could continue their path. Many like these ones we found high up on the mountainside, were gaping wide open as much as a foot or so wide and several feet deep. Where the crevice ran along the side of the road in the soil, it was evident that only a little more shaking could have sheared the side off of this mountain as it did others. For miles we could see local homes and farmland still in rubble or disrepair.

This is a short video clip that I quickly grabbed (there are no road shoulders to pull off on and cars were flying by). I was able to stick the camera right down in the wide cracks:

Remants of Earthquake Video

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Profile Character Study:

 

[Robert Watcher]

Construction Worker on 3'rd floor stops working for a photo:

Market Vendors running their small shop:

This man was sitting reading his newspaper and having a smoke at a local soda. His demeanor and compelling eyes, caught my attention:

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Robert,

As your pictures cover such a lot of ground, I am just selecting a few that are a little more unusual, although your large body of work and intents are impressive.

First this picture of a man sitting by a column is beneath what amounts to a Marilyn Monroe shrine of photographs and posters. He sits as if he's an enthroned king of that little corner of the place. The massive column would give Freud a chuckle, no doubt. So this picture does stand out among the rest. It aslo works well in B&W. Color would take away from the texture created by the myriad of small photos on the ceiling.

This girl is interesting.

​

I wish you could say more about her. You have taken the effort to selectively focus on her and that works well. She does not need to be so tightly cropped. Did you take any more of her? Sometimes you may have spent more time with an individual then it's good you relate that as you have done so well with the coffee story above.

In this case, we know nothing of her except perhaps that she is a worker of some sort. Perhaps she's a waitress who served you or worked where you stayed the night. Anyway, in this portrait there's some vital humanity that's caught in the picture. I wish we knew more, than that obviously she's a sympathetic person. She's warm to you and has not had a optimism and trust ground down by stress and misfortune. Unless of course that as sometimes happens, what we take as a warm attitude is the required hospitality code, a condition of the job. One sees this on cruises; smiles 24 hours a day, it seems. However, catch a waitress just before exiting the kitchen, then, only then there may be the face of a different person, suffering from extenuating work circumstances. A moment later, in the public area, the "true self" face is masked by the unflappable carefree hospitality smile! So here, what's the story. I'd like to think this is real as it's so refreshing.

Thanks again for sharing and be safe, both you and Annie!

Asher

 

[Robert Watcher]

A few street scenes. A fun set of images generally always comes out of my snaps taken while walking down busy streets with my camera (in this case Olympus E-3 and 12-60 f2.8 lens) at my hip or waist. In most cases I hold the camera as inconspicuously as possible with my hand wrapped around the front of the body and my thumb on the shutter. It seems to work well for me:

Olympus E-3 : 12mm : f6.3@1/200'th : 100ISO

Olympus E-3 : 12mm : f7.1@1/200'th : 100ISO

Olympus E-3 : 12mm : f5.6@1/125'th : 100ISO

 

[Robert Watcher]

I wish you could say more about her. You have taken the effort to selectively focus on her and that works well. She does not need to be so tightly cropped. Did you take any more of her? Sometimes you may have spent more time with an individual then it's good you relate that as you have done so well with the coffee story above.

In this case, we know nothing of her except perhaps that she is a worker of some sort. Perhaps she's a waitress who served you or worked where you stayed the night. Anyway, in this portrait there's some vital humanity that's caught in the picture. I wish we knew more, than that obviously she's a sympathetic person. She's warm to you and has not had a optimism and trust ground down by stress and misfortune. Unless of course that as sometimes happens, what we take as a warm attitude is the required hospitality code, a condition of the job. One sees this on cruises; smiles 24 hours a day, it seems. However, catch a waitress just before exiting the kitchen, then, only then there may be the face of a different person, suffering from extenuating work circumstances. A moment later, in the public area, the "true self" face is masked by the unflappable carefree hospitality smile! So here, what's the story. I'd like to think this is real as it's so refreshing.

Thank you for the comments Asher.

Unfortunately I never have time to get to know these people - Anne and I have a hectic schedule traveling around the country - - - and I am simply photographing what is before me. Sometimes I am able to develop a story and other times the story or personality has to be read into my images (as you have done with the fellow in his Monroe Shrine).

Anne and I were taken up into the mountainous regions by a person we know where we are staying, who had wanted to show us this beautiful villa that he had worked on years ago. He had some business to do with the owners and thought that the scenery would be good for me for some pictures (he is a dedicated follower of our www.asifweknow.com journal).

I took several shots in that setting and then went in to the office where I saw this girl working taking reservations for the rooms. I asked if I could take a picture (actually pointed the camera and implied I wanted to take a picture) of her working - - - and then after doing so, said that I should take a nice portrait of her. That is the one I posted here to show the friendly and sincere face of locals.

Here is one of the working shots I took of her. Because of the very low light in the room, I was shooting at high ISO's wide open. The portrait I posted above is at 2500 ISO wide open at f4. This one with 24mm equiv wide angle is 1000 ISO at f3.6:

 

[Robert Watcher]

I have never seen a Nobel Peace Prize in the flesh before - so that made this interesting. But why I posted it was as much about the value of Live View and the Articulating Screen on my Olympus E-3. It would have been impossible to get this view without it. The document was encased in an acrylic box that was about 5 feet high - requiring that I either settle for the same angle with glare as when viewing it with my eyes, or reaching over the top to shoot straight down on it (which was my preferred method). I articulated the screen to the proper position and held the camera high over my head and over the box foe this shot:

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Anne and I popped into a Soda for a slice of pizza. By now, I have learned a new Spanish phrase to ask to take a picture - instead of pointing my camera at the subject and nodding me head. I have to see if it worked, and so approached the counter and said "Puedo tomar una foto" - - - and surprisingly this fellow responded favorably. I found the black and white print on the wall interesting and included it in the frame. Because the place where the pizzas being made was packed with people, I could not find out if it was a shot of him or relatives or just a picture he liked - - - but it works well in the frame although it does bear a resemblance and may be him and a son:

Olympus E-3 : 24mm : f3.4 @ 1/40'th : 2000 ISO

While sitting at a table eating our Pizza, the waiter served a humungous 24" pizza to these 2 fellows sitting next to us. They started into eating it, laughing uncontrollably - - - we did too. I couldn't resist capturing the moment, although it was a little more staged as a result of them being aware of what I was doing after asking their permission:

Olympus E-3 : 12mm : f2.8 @ 1/30'th : 640 ISO

 

[Asher Kelman]

Robert,

This is truly wonderful! I too had never seen a Nobel Prize certificate! What's the story?

Yes, live view saved the day! Did you have another viewing screen on a cord or this is the Olympus viewer?

Olympus E-3 : 24mm : f3.4 @ 1/40'th : 2000 ISO

This is a special picture. I too like the photograph on the wall. I'd cheat a little and flip the direction so at least one of the "relatives" in the picture is looking at him! Also consider vignetting the bottom left and right corners.

Asher

 

[Robert Watcher]

The Nobel Prize Story - http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1987/arias-bio.html

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Fine processing and manipulation of my hi-light images will be done when I get home. I have limited processing abilities on the road with me - and limited time to process the thousands of images I will shooting during my time in Costa Rica.

I am currently behind about 4 days in sorting out and editing photos and video, as it is - and have been getting up at 4:30AM every morning to get through as much as I can before Anne and I head off for our daily activities between 6:30 AM and 7:30 AM. At that time in the morning, I also have to reply to several email requests each day for photography requests - am dealing with and booking wedding and portrait jobs - am handling and billing my many web hosting clients - look after my many information websites - - - and post posts similar to this on about 15 photography and professional photography forums. I have a heavy work load down here - - - and that is "a Story In Itself". (lol - I'm not complaining, but love it!)

Thank you for your comments Asher - - - much appreciated

 

[Robert Watcher]

THE POWER OF A PRINT

Last year, while wondering through the streets of Alajuela, I came across a fellow in a wheelchair, working on motorcycles in a small garage in amongst retail stores and homes on a side street. It was evident that he was dealing with customers at that time and so I kept track of the location and checked back a few times to see if I would be able to get a shot of him working.

It never happened. 2 or 3 times I went there and the place was closed. Then one day near the end of our stay, I passed by and he and a couple of friends were sitting chatting. I just walked by as I did not want to disturb them - - - but then realized that may be my only chance to photograph him, so turned around and approached and asked if I could take a picture of them (again, I implied - as they did not speak English and I did not speak Spanish).

I only saw them and interacted with them for one brief minute - and then on the day that I left Costa Rica, I went by the shop to drop off the small 4x6 print that I had printed for him to keep. He wasn't there and so I left it with the fellow looking after the shop.

. . . . well today was the day that I returned. I didn't know what to expect, but was shocked when they recognized me walking up the street approaching the garage. Friendly smiles and welcome by all - and then when I stated that I took a "foto" of them last year, they said "Yes Yes, it is right there" (pointing to the black and white oil covered print glued to the wall). I was extremely proud and thanked them profusely for valuing the small print of a stanger so much that they would display it in full view even a year later.

The ice was broke and I asked if I could take pictures of him working on a motorcycle. That has been "one of my main goals since last year for when I returned". I said to keep his "ojos" (eyes) on the cycle and not me. He and the others complied. I left so satisfied.

Here are a few of the shots. After I took the pictures of them working, I left - only to return realizing that i had to have a shot of my picture from last year on their wall to complete the story. So here it is:

and here is the picture as I posted it on our Journal last year:

 

[Robert Watcher]

And here are 3 of the several shots that I took today to complete the story of this impared man and his motorcycle repair shop:

Olympus E-510 : 12-60mm @ 12mm : f5.6 @ 1/125'th : 800 ISO

Olympus E-510 : 12-60mm @ 24mm : f5.6 @ 1/200'th : 800 ISO

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His young intern in behind working inside the shop
Olympus E-510 : 12-60mm @ 32mm : f5.6 @ 1/40'th : 800 ISO

 

[Robert Watcher]

Anne and I have just returned from 3 days on the Southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. It is really amazing - the same cooperative people with beautiful smiling faces and the appearance of sincerity.

While I love scenery and nature, my real love is capturing people - both as story images and also as closer up portraits displaying their beautiful looks and personalities. My standard way of shooting is to take some shots of the people in their environment - and then have them pose for a portrait. I end up with tins of variety this way.

This morning while walking the streets of the costal town of Quepos, this business owner walked out on to the street to impress us with his food. I asked if I could take a picture and after agreeing he motioned to the sign above the door of his establishment. I showed him the results on the camera screen and then he introduced me to his wife. I think that his pride shows through as he cradles his wife and looks at her admiringly:

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A stunning view as this man journeyed along the beach on his horse:

 

[Robert Watcher]

I absolutely love photographing children - connect with them very well in a short period of time - and the resulting images are always compelling with their innocence and sincerity.

These 3 children were at the bus station - sitting on the benches with their parents, waiting for their bus to arrive. I was patient befor asking if I could take a foto - - - with the little girl in yellow, I had to wait until her mother was done breast feeding her before asking. While initially I wasn't going to take a picture of the last girl, she was sitting beside me and was persistent in getting my attention so that I would not leave her out.

Initially I was going to crop out the little boy on the right side - however I am intrigued by the way he is looking at the girl observing what is going on:

What a great free spirit - - - I hope she has fond memories of this moment when older:

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I just cannot imagine having this kind of success taking pictures of children in public, in my home country. I have been approached and questioned by security staff at fairs and other public venues when photographing my grandchildren from a distance. It is such a shame and at the same time frustrating, as a photographer who loves to take candid images of real people in their every day environment. Hence I will continue to journey to Costa Rica to satisfy my passion for this style of photography and response from the subjects.

 

[Robert Watcher]

THE ONLY THING MISSING IS THAT I WASN'T THE OFFICIAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER


Maybe next year !

While enjoying paradise on the Southern Pacific beaches of COSTA RICA, I came across 2 weddings taking place in the same area as the sun dropped below the horizon. I was eating when I noticed the first wedding and so grabbed my camera to get a couple of long shots. The second bride and groom passed by me in my car as I was getting ready to head home. In the 3 rapid fire shots that I took, she was obviously aware of me and was posing for my camera. Until I saw the final shots back home, I thought that they were the same wedding.


Olympus E-3 : 554 mm focal length : f5.6 @ 1/80'th : 1000 ISO

Olympus E-3 : 140 mm focal length : f4 @ 1/160'th : 1000 ISO

Olympus E-3 : 148 mm focal length : f4 @ 1/160'th : 1000 ISO

 

[Robert Watcher]

THE EYES HAVE IT

Parrot Eye

Moth Wing

Painted Wall

 

[Robert Watcher]

A shot that I just love to the look of . . .

. . . my wife Anne (multitasking as usual with bags of groceries and binoculars in hand), and the 2 friends that came down with us this year - - - - standing on the busy streets around the Central Park in Alajuela looking at a huge flock of Parrots up in the park trees.

 

[Robert Watcher]

OLD TIME OX CART MANUFACTURER

One project that Anne and I hoped that we would get around to this year, was to head up into the mountain town of Sarchi and hopefully find out where the manufacture took place of Costa Rica's claim to fame - - - it's Ox Cart.

Anne's internet research last night, turned up to main manufacturers:

1 ) Joaquin Chaverri Cart Factory - which is much older but caters to more modern manufacturing technique - - - it is in South Sarchi

2 ) Taller Eloy Alfaro workshop in North Sarchi. This one while slightly newer, was of much more appeal to me because it uses old school techniques including water wheel driven saws, planes, routers, etc.

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We have just returned from the 3 hour hair pin trip up in to the mountains and 2 1/2 hour trip home by Bus. We were told that it would be hard to find the place - and so hoped that locals would help us out. A man on the streets in Sarchi, directed us to exact location letting us know that it is a "old house"

It was a great experience as we were free to walk around the workers capturing images of all of the old equipment and methods. I shot some 135 images of all details. Here are just a few:

Here is the workshop ("old home")

Cardboard patterns and brushes with heavy use

 

[Robert Watcher]

Cutting through these trees, put quite a load on the water wheel driven belts - and the saw blade would regularly come to a halt

A little water on the leather belts for some grip, would seem to help out

The second floor where assembly of the carts takes place - - - was a scary experience with it's thin floor boards with large gaps allowing us to see the goings on below. Here is a work bench on that floor