Costa Rica Wildlife Photography Workshops
NN
New Dates Added 2026
April 4th - 11th
(2 spaces available)
April 12th - 19th
(1 space available)
April 20th - 27th
(2 spaces available)
Intro Video Below…
About the Workshop
Explore Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula known for being the most biologically diverse place on earth, improve your wildlife photography skills, get some once in a lifetime shots and have fun whilst doing it.
The workshops are open to all experience levels. The main objective is to make sure you come away with some incredible photos and have squeezed every bit of performance out of your camera.
Some of the things we will cover is exposure modes, exposure compensation, back button focus, predicting animal patterns, back lit subjects, positioning, composition, auto focus settings, macro photography and more.
Plus with our nightly editing lessons you will learn how to take your shots from a great holiday snap to a professional looking photograph.
Each workshop has a maximum of 3-4 people. This is to make sure everyone has the opportunity to receive 1 on 1 tuition but also the time and space to get their perfect shot.
(It is possible for more participants for a private group booking)
We will be staying in a four bedroom house surrounded by wildlife just outside the small town of Puerto Jimenez. You can watch the house tour video below to get a better idea of the accommodation.
There are 3 rooms available:
(All rooms have AC)
Two double rooms that share a bathroom
(Single occupancy only)
One double room with a private bathroom
(Single or Double occupancy)
About Your Guide
Award winning photographer Charlie Page will be your workshop leader and photography guide for Costa Rica. You can find out more about Charlie here.
You will also have a variety of knowledgeable, local nature guides that work together with Charlie to create an incredible wildlife photography experience.
What Wildlife?
Some of the animals you can expect to see include...
Three toed sloths
Two toed sloths
Capuchin monkeys
Howler monkeys
Spider monkeys
Squirrel monkeys
Toucans
Macaws
Anteaters
Red eyed tree frogs
Poison dart frogs
Iguanas
Humming birds and much more...
Itinerary
Day 1
Arrival San Jose
This will be the day you arrive in Costa Rica. After arriving in the capital (San Jose ) you will check into a comfortable air conditioned room in a near by hotel.
You will be sent all the details of the hotel once you pay your deposit and the room is booked.
The other people on the trip will also be staying in the same hotel so you can meet up for something to eat in the evening before getting a restful night ready for pick up in the morning.
Day 2
Travel to Puerto Jimenez, Intro, Photo Walk
You will be picked up from your hotel early in the morning in a private, air conditioned car and head down to Puerto Jimenez.
The drive is around 6 hours so enjoy the beautiful scenery and relax. You will stop along the way for lunch and for a photography break at the "crocodile bridge".
Once you arrive we will explore the property and hopefully get the first wildlife photos of the trip before returning to have some dinner.
We will then go over some photo techniques and discuss the plan of action for the rest of the week before heading to bed ready for an early start.
Day 3
Wildlife Photography Safari
As for most of the days we will have an early start, breakfast will be ready at 5:30am and we will aim to leave around 6am. We will then head out with our driver and guide to visit various reliable spots for wildlife. It is likely we will see monkeys, lizards, crocodiles, macaws, toucans and more on this day.
After our morning photography session we will return home for some lunch. After eating and taking a short break to upload the mornings photos we will go out for a second shorter safari drive in the afternoon.
We will then return for some dinner and our evening editing session.
Day 4
River Cruise & Night Walk
On this day we will leave at 5:30am and grab some breakfast from the bakery before heading out for our river cruise.
The drive is just under 2 hours up to Sierpe, we will then have our river cruise where we will see a variety of incredible wildlife lining the banks. The diversity of species you can see on a river cruise is just breathtaking.
In my opinion it is one of the best ways to see wildlife in Costa Rica and i'm certain you will love it.
We will then return back to the house for a slightly later lunch, before our free time.
Finally we will have our dinner and then go for a night walk to do macro photography where we will look for frogs, lizards, snakes and insects. To maximise this experience I recommend bringing a flash
Day 5
Sloth Garden
If sloths are on your photography bucket list this is the day for you.
The sloth garden is a trail that has an excellent success rate in spotting sloths so hopefully we will get some great shots of these incredible creatures.
After the photography walk we will have some food at the garden before heading back to the house. We will then enjoy a short break before heading out again for an afternoon photography activity. Finally we will have dinner and do some photo editing.
Day 6
Free Day/Optional Excursions
This is your free day where you can take part in some extra activities or tours. A popular choice is to visit the world famous Corcovado National Park however, you can also use this time to go dolphin watching, fishing or just relax on the beach.
Alternatively you can chill out at the house and photograph whatever animals decide to come and visit that day. It is completely up to you how you spend your free day.
(Extra activities are not included in the workshop price)
Day 7
Wildlife Photography Safari
We will have another early start with breakfast being served at 5:30am before heading out with our driver and guide in search of more wildlife. This will be the day where we will try and tick off any remaining species you may not have photographed yet.
We will visit an area called Matapalo which is known for being a great place to photograph all four species of monkeys, toucans and much more as well as having some stunning beaches.
We will then come back for lunch before our free time and editing session.
Day 8
Morning Safari & Departure
This is unfortunately the last day of the workshop. This doesn't mean there isn't time to get some last photos in though.
We will leave the house at 6am for a short safari drive before heading back to the house for breakfast at 9am ready for your pick up at 11am.
You will then have a comfortable car journey back to the capital or wherever you are being dropped off along the way.
The House
Testimonials
To view testimonials and photos taken by guests on previous workshops visit the testimonials page
To view photos of previous workshops in action visit the workshop photos page
Or you can scroll through some of the google reviews below..
What's Included?
- Entrance Fees
- Photography & Editing Tuition
- Accommodation
- In land transport
- 3 meals a day
(Cooked at the house)
What's Not Included?
- Flights
- Tours Taken on Free Day
- Insurance
-Alcoholic Beverages
Prices
Double Room (Shared Bathroom): $3,950 (1 person)
Double Room (Private Bathroom): $4,500 (1 person)
Double Room (Private Bathroom): $6,500 (2 people)
All prices shown are in US dollars, it is possible to pay with other currencies including Canadian dollars, British Pounds and Euros.
This will be done via direct bank transfer and exchange rate will be taken as of day of payment. Please contact me if you would like to pay using this method.
Camera Equipment
Coming on a photography workshop with no equipment would be pretty pointless so this is what i suggest you bring...
- Mirrorless/DSLR Camera
- A long lens something like a 100-400 or 150-600
- Macro Lens
- Camera flash for the night walk
- Rain covers
(Usually not needed but good to have just in case)
- A laptop with lightroom installed
Other Essentials
-Light weight shorts/trousers
- Comfortable hiking shoes
- Bug spray
- Sun tan lotion
Do I Need a Tripod?
This is up to you, if you are used to using a tripod and comfortable setting it up quickly or want to shoot videos then I would suggest bringing one, if not then I wouldn't say its a necessity by any means. (A monopod can be good alternative to take the weight of the lens while still giving you maneuverability.
Do I Need Cash?
Although most things are included in the price I would still recommend bringing some cash incase you want to eat out one night, buy a souvenir or have a beer at the bar.
Is It Safe?
Yes the area we are visiting is very safe and the people are extremely friendly there is no need to worry at all. The house is completely lockable as are all the rooms we also have CCTV at all entrances.
Do I Need Insurance?
Yes you will need medical insurance to take part in this workshop. I would also highly recommend insuring your equipment as well, just in case.
Is There A lot of Walking?
In short no, we will have a personal driver every day, on our safari days we will drive to reliable spots for wildlife where will then get out and shoot. The river cruise we will be on the boat all morning and the sloth garden also has minimal walking.
We will definitely not be trekking through the rainforest for hours with all our equipment. This means we can save our energy for getting great shots.