Finally!!!!

Today I made the shot that has always eluded me!  The Red Eyed Tree frog from Costa Rica!  Nope I’m not in Costa Rica, not going to be either….  So here is the story.  I’ve see this shot made many times, and always wished I could make it, but I have many friends that have gone and spent a week in Costa Rica, and came home without it, and in fairness a few that did get it!  But they hiked through rain forests, were eaten alive by insects, slept in beds surrounded by mosquito netting, no thanks!!!!!  I saw in the program for the Florida Birding and Photo Fest, where I’m teaching and speaking, that Mike Mathews was teaching a class on reptile photography, so I went this morning! To make a long story short, Mike was fantastic, really knew his stuff, the class was small, and I got to shoot a lot of wonderful subjects!

Turns out Mike is fellow believer, and we both have a common friend in Adam Jones, a wonderful photographer from Louisville!  I told Mike I would love to offer my His Light customers the opportunity to do a workshop like this and he said he does them every winter in Florida!  Plans are to set something up for next February or early March.  I imagine it would be a week long event that would include 3 days of reptile shooting and then Florida birds to include eagles, native Florida birds, and burrowing owls!  More details to follow when we announce our 2015 season in June.  If you would be interested in this kind of a shoot please fire me an email.  His events always sell out and we would have to limit it to a dozen attendees!  Here are some of my winners from today!!!!  I’m excited to do this with one of our groups!!!

Red Eyed Tree frog (Costa Rica)

Male Veiled Chameleon  (United Arab Emirates)

Face to face with a Bearded Dragon (Australia)

A juvenile Emerald Boa (South America)

A ball Python (Central & Western Africa)

Left to right, Austin Gehen & Wayne Louvers photograph the Python!

Pueblan Milksnake (Mexico)

An Orange Spotted Gargoyle Gecko (Grande Terre Island)

Mike was a great guy, an expert on these animals, and terrific reptile wrangler!  I can’t wait to team up with him for a wonderful wildlife event over in Naples, Florida next year!

Blessings,

the pilgrim

*Photo Note:  All images made with the Fuji X-T1 and the 55-200 OIS zoom, ISO 3200 and 6400, and with the Nikon 5T Diopter.   Tripod mounted camera.  No flash.