A wonderful trip reverberates, as our group continues to stay in touch, comparing notes and pictures. After three cancellations, and two and a half years of waiting for the world to open again, just a bit, the Amazon did not disappoint.
Birds in trees! And not ones that look like the finches who attend our backyard feeder. Piranha in the water! Fingers in the boat! Don’t climb that tree, an enormous lizard awaits! Me being the city kid, unused to unvarnished wilderness and possessed of an overactive imagination, occasionally thought we were maybe in one of those movies where not everybody comes back. “Its keen sense of smell alerted the giant anaconda to the presence of tourists. The last bunch through these parts were tasty, indeed. Soundlessly, the great, slithering beast slid beneath the murky waters, assured of a meal. With all those long lenses, none of his prospective prey could run very fast at all.”
Photogs in the jungle!
My wife in a boat! Adorned with her bug bracelet!
For me, this extreme environment, suffused with radical levels of moisture and humidity, and deep dips of shadows lurking amidst intense highlights, was really an excellent field test of the Nikon Z 9, especially coupling it with the Nikkor 100-400mm f4.6/5.6 lens. The speed of the camera, the eye assist AF accuracy (a major help to me, noted wildlife photog that I am) and the lightness of the build of that lens, supremely sharp, were put to excellent use out there in the lagoons and the dense jungle. The technology is astonishing.
And, of course, I had to take out a flash now and then. Quick series below….
A quick pop of light from a raw, slightly warmed SB-5000 applied above, for the portrait of our intrepid guide, Jairo. Available jungle light progressed to a bit of a fill flash, from camera left, to a one frame demo of how flash duration will freeze your subject even as you spin the camera, hand held at 1/10th of a second to blur the natural light. The principles of light apply, even in the rainforest. Thank you to Jairo and all of the jungle guides of the beautiful La Selva Jungle Lodge where we stayed. An oasis in the middle of the dense, green beauty of the jungle, teeming with life and color.
Again, all hail our talented group! We have been staying in touch and sharing images, and the quality of the pictures are off the charts. Just lovely. Collectively we strayed far afield from our usual comfort zones, and the results were worth it. As was the amazing grace and patience of all, zooming on computers for two plus years, waiting for a go date. Worth it beyond measure, in experience, pictures and friendships.
More tk….
Joe, thanks for your colorful sharing of such a wonderful experience. It amazes me that you can write almost as well as you shoot. This is not said in jest, as your mastery as a photographer. is well documented and I have tremendous respect. While I’m doling out accolades, I have to share that I was one of the lucky few people that shared time in the jungle, being entertained by your wit, good humor and nonstop mentorship. You never missed an opportunity to share your well earned and valuable experiences, and you continue to do so in this blog. THANKS for your openness, and for making everything about capturing the light such a pleasure to experience..
Hey Carlos…many thanks for the kind words. They mean a lot, especially coming from a friend who is as multi-talented as you are! It was fun out there in the wild, sharing pictures, stories and adventures. And we’ll do it again! Stay well, my best to Judy…..Joe
Exciting! Thanks for sharing these images and your words. Looking forward to seeing more from this trip!