I just returned from two weeks in Costa Rica. We had incredible workshops, fantastic groups and amazing photography. We photographed monkeys, sloths, anteaters, dolphins, and endless birds. Photographing in the jungle has some challenges, the biggest of which wasn’t finding the subjects, it was photographing them on the right background. Backgrounds make or break an image.
The biggest challenge in the jungle is photographing up towards the canopy and having bright hot spots against your subject. Just moving a foot one direction or another was the difference between a good image and a great one. This image at top is a good example. I wanted to photograph a monkey family, but they were constantly on high contrast backgrounds. But then this mom and baby stopped on a branch just for a second. The background was even green, and shooting at F4 rendered it a pleasing soft green color. This worked great with a family monkey portrait.
Backgrounds can also contribute to the graphic quality and editorial flavor on an image. This roadside hawk perched in a beautiful Corteza Amarilla, a yellow flowering tree which was in full bloom during our stay. They yellow adds some tension and framing in the shot, but the hawk’s expression takes the cake.
If you can’t change your background, consider embracing it. As I always say on workshops, there is no bad light, we as photographers just have to use the light we get in a creative way. These dolphin were swimming in the Golfo Dulce against a bleached white sky. I decided to go high key with a fine art approach, and further overexposed the image to create this shot.
Don’t forget to watch your background the next time you are lining up a subject. Backgrounds can make or break your shot. If you are interested in photographing in Costa Rica, we still have a few spots left for 2025, come join us!