Emerald Glass Frog by Greg Basco

"While shooting with a friend, I decided to try out his Nikon gear, which was challenging for a Canon shooter like me but also fun. I took this image of an emerald glass frog on a skeletonized leaf (it's been eaten by caterpillars) at night in a Costa Rican cloud forest."

Equipment Used: Nikon D700, Nikon 105 mm macro lens, Nikon SU-800 flash transmitter, Nikon SB-800 diffused and off-camera, f16, 1/100, ISO 100.

Sometimes the conditions nature gives us simply don't lend themselves to producing the image we have in mind. A classic tight portrait of a bird calls for soft even light and a smooth background with complementary colors. In the rainforest, however, dappled light filtering through the forest and deep shaded backgrounds can be more common. Many photographers dislike this situation but handled properly it can result in dramatic images that hint at a subject's rainforest habitat. For this great green macaw portrait I went with the flow. By exposing properly for the bird, the shaded background fell off to black. Some out of focus sunlight leaves gave a bit of depth to the background, and a shallow aperture kept the viewer's eye squarely on the macaw's eye. A touch of fill-flash opened up the shadows on the bird without killing them entirely. Note that this kind of dappled light works best when the light falls on your subject's eye, be it a macaw, a monkey, or a poison frog.
Pictured: Great Green Macaw/Costa Rica/Canon 5D/Canon 300 mm f2.8/1/1600/ISO 100/fill-flash at -3/handheld

1. How did you get started in nature photography?
While in grad school in the US, I worked full-time at the Missouri Botanical Garden as public exhibits coordinator. One of my duties was to source rainforest photographs for a large exhibit space attached to the Climatron®, the geodesic dome that is home to the Garden's sizable tropical plant collection. I became interested in the types of… Continue reading »

I love to take nature photographs that fall a bit outside the box. Our cameras (and our brains!) offer us so many ways to take creative images in the field, and the forests of Costa Rica offer a multitude of subjects and conditions that make getting creative a fun challenge. That's why the Art of Biodiversity trip that I lead every year is always a highlight for me.

This small group trip goes to some of my favorite locations with the goal of helping participants to capture images that stand out from the crowd. We work on things such as slow shutter speeds, off-camera flash, selective depth of field, landscape compositions, animals in habitat, and creative exposures. I'm doing this trip in December next year to take advantage of some great bird activity and also the interesting light that can occur as the rainy season transitions into the dry season. The mix of low clouds and sun can lead to some great natural light possibilities.

Our photo subjects will include aracaris, tanagers, hummingbirds, poison frogs, tree frogs, basilisk lizards, rainforest mammals, and beautiful landscapes. And the best part is that we have short driving times between locations as well as beautiful lodges with great food and free wireless Internet everywhere we go!

Learn more about this trip on Greg's website.

Don't let winter weather prevent you from taking your best shots.

Some of the best images can be captured during the winter months, so don't let the cold stop you. For the best photography experience, wear clothing that will keep you comfortable and safe. Continue reading »

In the colder North American climates, such as found in southern Quebec and Vermont, Mother Nature puts up an incredible display of colors in September and October. For many of us landscape photographers, this 2-3 week period of fiery fall colors is the most productive, exciting and stimulating time of the year. This makes the arrival of November all the more difficult… Continue reading »

In early 2005 I was fortunate to be able to take a "trip of a lifetime" with my wife by spending some time on the South Island of New Zealand. We had always wanted to travel to that part of the world, with further research revealing that New Zealand would be just the right destination for us with its wildlife photo opportunities. Should you also be considering such a trip, I hope this… Continue reading »

This exciting adventure takes place on St. Paul Island, nestled among Alaska's Pribilofs in the Bering Sea. St. Paul is home to hundreds of thousands of nesting seabirds, and provides excellent opportunities to photograph its many resident bird and mammal species, which include comical puffins and auklets, shorebirds such as Ruddy Turnstone and Rock Sandpiper, and Artic breeders like Lapland Longspur, Snow Bunting, and St. Paul's very own race of Grey-crowned Rosy Finch. Artic fox and wild reindeer are also possibilities! Led by Greg Downing and Alan Murphy, workshop participants will be treated to expert instruction and individualized attention sure to help them make the most of St. Paul's unique wildlife photo opportunities. Only 6 spaces remain. For more information, please visit our workshops page for a detailed description and itinerary and photos from St. Paul.

New Zealand is a nature photographer's dream, with not just a host of spectacular birds and animals, but some of the most incredible scenery in the world. There are not many places where you can find yourself shooting pelagic seabirds from a boat one day, then scenic snow-capped mountains the next. In New Zealand, you can do both at once! Learn more »

Join Greg Downing for 3 days of action-packed photography. Each year over 240 nesting pairs of Osprey, many at eye level, have been counted on Blue Cypress Lake. We have reserved the most coveted dates and arranged a 3-hour exclusive boat tour each morning. This will provide close access at the peak of action. Osprey actively nesting, chick brooding and feeding, fishing and flying in and out of nests (at close range) are all virtually guaranteed. Greg will share the secrets of slowing down and taking control of an active situation and will share with you the secrets to capturing these magnificent birds in all their glory. Learn more »

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