South Pacific Costa Rica Photo Workshop
JOIN THIS ALL-INCLUSIVE, SMALL-GROUP PHOTOGRAPHY ADVENTURE THROUGH COSTA RICA'S MOST PHOTOGENIC REGIONS - LED BY A LOCAL EXPERT AND PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER
The all-inclusive South Pacific Costa Rica photography workshop is your passport to a tropical paradise brimming with stunning scenery. Explore the breathtaking southern provinces of Puntarenas and San Jose, where you will capture spectacular rainforest waterfalls, vibrant jungle rivers and streams, mesmerizing beach sunsets, colorful rural landscapes, and exotic wildlife. You will receive personalized, professional photography and post processing instruction, learn about Costa Rica from a professional nature guide, rest well in award-winning boutique hotels, savor gourmet cuisine each day, and travel in comfortable, private transportation.
WORKSHOP DATES, PRICES & REGISTRATION
Registration & Final Payment Deadline: November 1, 2025
Photo Tour Price: $5,875.00 (Online Payment) / $5,725.00 (Cashier's Check)
Photo tour price is based on double occupancy and includes professional photography and post processing instruction, professional nature guide, location expertise, all lodging and meals in Costa Rica during the tour, all ground transportation in Costa Rica during the tour including to and from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), snacks and water, and all park entrance fees. Photo tour price does NOT include airfare to and from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), airport departure tax (currently $29.00 and may be included in the price of your airfare), travel insurance, gratuities to instructor and guide, alcoholic beverages, and laundry service.
Single Supplement: $750.00 (Online Payment) / $725.00 (Cashier's Check)
Single supplement applies to tour participants that are traveling alone and prefer their own hotel rooms rather than sharing rooms with another guest or when sharing rooms is not available.
Deposit / Payments
$1,000.00 non-refundable deposit is due with registration. Remaining balance is due on the Registration & Final Payment deadline listed above.
Availability
2 Person Minimum / 6 Person Maximum. After the registration deadline, if only one person has registered, that person can do the tour as a private workshop for an additional $2,500.00, reschedule to a different workshop within 365 days, or cancel the workshop with a full refund of payments, minus the deposit.
Cancellations & Refunds
Deposits are non-refundable. For refunds of payments, we require that a cancellation request in writing be received before 11:59pm Pacific Time on the Registration & Final Payment date. If we receive your written cancellation request before the Registration & Final Payment deadline and can refill your space, we will refund all payments, minus any discounts given to refill your space. If we cannot refill your space, we will refund 50% of all payments. No refunds are given, nor cancellations allowed after the Registration & Final Payment Deadline date. No partial refunds are given for unused services. There is a $50.00 charge for all returned payments. Please see our complete Liability & Cancellation Policy.
ITINERARY
Day 1 - Arrive in Costa Rica
A representative from ColorTexturePhotoTours will meet you at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) and transfer you to our first luxurious hotel. Once all workshop participants have arrived at the hotel, we will have a delicious welcome dinner at one of the best restaurants in San Jose, and discuss all things Costa Rica.
Day 2 - Tarcoles / Cascada Elysiana / Playa Dominicalito
After breakfast, we will travel by private transfer towards Dominical. On the way, we will stop at the famous Tarcoles bridge and photograph huge American crocodiles in the river below. Afterwards, we will continue to Dominical for lunch, then travel to lovely Cascada Elysiana. After shooting, we will travel to Playa Dominicalito for a spectacular sunset, then check into our award-winning hotel and have another great dinner.
Day 3 - Rancho Rana Roja
After breakfast, post processing instruction and image reviews, we will travel by private transfer to Rancho Rana Roja. Upon arrival, we will have a delicious typical Costa Rican lunch, then explore and photograph the gorgeous property. Rancho Rana Roja is home to two beautiful cascades, a jungle river, colorful poison dart frogs, and a variety of tropical flowers. After shooting all afternoon, we will return to our hotel, and enjoy another savory dinner.
Day 4 - Catarata San Gabriel / Talamanca Reserve
After an early breakfast, we will depart by private transfer to San Gabriel and photograph a truly unique waterfall that spans the width of the jungle river leading to it. After shooting away the morning, we will travel to Talamanca Reserve, have a delicious typical Costa Rican lunch, and spend the afternoon shooting lush jungle streams. Afterwards, we will return to our hotel and have another delicious dinner.
Day 5 - Eco Chontales
After breakfast, post processing, and image reviews, we will travel by private transfer to Eco Chontales. Along the way, we will stop for another delicious lunch before shooting the towering 180-foot-tall waterfall and magnificent Costa Rica countryside. We'll spend the afternoon shooting, return to our hotel and get cleaned up, then enjoy another wonderful dinner.
Day 6 - Nauyaca Falls / Playa Ventanas
After an early breakfast, we will travel by private transfer to Nauyaca Falls and photograph one of the best waterfalls in Costa Rica. We will spend the morning shooting, then have an excellent lunch on location. Afterwards, we will return to our hotel for post processing and image reviews before heading to Playa Ventanas for another colorful sunset. After shooting, we'll return to the hotel for our final dinner. For more information about Nauyaca Falls, read this blog post.
Day 7 - Depart Costa Rica
After breakfast, we will travel by private transfer to San Jose and drop you off at your hotel.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned shooter, you’ll receive personalized, professional instruction to elevate your photography skills. The only requirement is a basic understanding of your DSLR or mirrorless camera. You'll dive into...
• Exposure Techniques
• Mastering Filters
• Creative Composition Techniques
• Intentional Camera Movement (ICM)
• High Dynamic Range (HDR) Processing
• One-on-One Post Processing Sessions
• Image Reviews
Awesome Amenities
• Luxurious, Award-Winning, Boutique Hotels
• Delicious Gourmet Cuisine
• Comfortable Private Transportation
• Small Group of Photography Enthusiasts
• Fun-Filled Creative Atmosphere
Fitness Level - Moderate
Participants should be able to walk unassisted for two miles (roundtrip) on uneven and potentially muddy trails with moderate inclines, and navigate a variety of terrains including pavement, gravel, dirt, and sand, with large rocks, tree roots, and stairs. Heat and humidity will be high in all locations, and daily excursions can be more challenging during inclement weather.
Locations
• San Jose, Tarcoles, Dominical, Barú, Peréz Zeledón, Talamanca Mountains, Uvita
Expert Instructor and Nature Guide
Your instructor and guide bring unmatched local and photography experience. Together, they will immerse you in Costa Rica's rich biodiversity, ecosystems, flora and fauna, and fascinating history.
Scott Setterberg
• 35 Years of Nature Photography Experience
• Lived in Costa Rica for the Last 10 Years
• Knows Locations Extremely Well
• Professional Nature Guide
• Licensed with Costa Rica Institute of Tourism
• 18 Years of Experience
TESTIMONIAL
"I recently spent a week on a private landscape photography trip in Costa Rica with Scott and his local guide Jason. This was my second photo tour with Scott and it was even better than the first. Frankly, I don't know why more photographers don't go to Costa Rica for landscape photography as it is a country with many different climatic zones and many different types of unspoiled forests, lakes, streams and waterfalls. Scott's trips are in fact the only ones I know of that treat Costa Rica as a destination primarily for landscape rather than wildlife photography. Since Scott lives in Costa Rica six months out of the year and has many local contacts, he is very familiar with the areas and can get you to both well-known as well as off-the-beaten-track locations and he packs a lot of shooting into each day. Since I was working mostly in infrared, I spent a lot of time looking for scenes that would photograph well in IR and Scott and Jason were very patient and bent over backwards to make my days productive. They were also great traveling companions and we had a lot of fun traveling between locations. Some locations were a little physically demanding, so it does help to be in reasonably good shape but they were definitely worth the effort." ~ Jonathan S. | Massachusetts
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