Join Joe McNally and Tamara Lackey for a Workshop in Costa Rica

Gorgeous beaches, waterfalls, cloud forests, tropical rain forests…Costa Rica provides some of the most unique biodiversity in the entire world. Impossible to choose one location! Join Nikon Ambassadors Joe McNally and Tamara Lackey to uncover all this amazing country has to offer. Costa Rica! The Coast to the Clouds Workshop will be held October 18-27, 2023. 

This 10-day, 9-night workshop begins in San Jose, Costa Rica with a variety of photographic opportunities including wildlife photography, bird photography, and portrait photography. 

Workshop attendees will enjoy private transportation, guides and exclusive lodging (without any other guests) so we can remain a cohesive group and benefit from dedicated resources to gain the most of our time behind the camera or in the classroom.

The workshop begins in San Jose, Costa Rica, then travels southwest the next morning to the majestic waters of the Pacific coastline. Our beautiful, colorful hotel is nearby one of the many national parks where we will spend time hiking in the dense greenery and then jump onto a boat safari for a unique vantage point of diverse wildlife. We also take advantage of the hotel location which presents a riot of primary colors and use it as a backdrop for portraiture in a day that will seriously advance your lighting skills. The adventure continues as we travel north to the ever-serene and lush Cloud Forest. We spend the rest of the journey at a luxury eco lodge tucked into the hills where we have an exciting array of photographic opportunities including waterfalls, landscapes, birds, flowers, and portraiture in the villages. 

Experience ample field time as well as classroom instruction. Topics include portraiture, mixing flash and ambient lighting, camera expertise, post-production and editing, the shaping of personal projects, and discussion of the running of a successful photo business. And best of all, at both our beach and cloud forest locations, our group will occupy the entire hotel, giving the group an extraordinary opportunity to relax and develop community. 

Dedicated learning from these two widely acclaimed photographers in this beautiful country will not only improve your photography skills but enrich your soul.

Don't miss a unique opportunity to learn from two of the world's best photography instructors and explore a magical place with fellow photographers.

Workshop locations include one of San Jose's oldest neighborhoods, a Wildlife Photography Cruise on the Rio Tarcoles, a guided hike in the Carara National Park, cultural day in Sarchi, and experiencing the breathtaking Las Gemelas Waterfalls near Bajos del Toro.

This workshop is for intermediate and slightly more advanced photographers who have an understanding of the basics of their camera and. how aperture, shutter speed and ISO work. 

To register for this workshop, email: [email protected] and indicate how many people are registering and if a companion is also registering. This is a new workshop with lots of interest so make sure to register as soon as you can to reserve a spot!

Workshop Instructors Tamara Lackey & Joe McNally

Tamara Lackey is a renowned professional photographer, speaker, author and program host and Nikon Ambassador. Her authentic photography, from portraits to humanitarian photography, is featured in a myriad of major media outlets. She is the author of nine books on photography and has co-produced and hosted a series of global live broadcasts, a long-running web show and is the host of Chasing Frames, a television show focused on capturing experiences and adventures through photography, found on PBS.org. 

Joe McNally is an award-winning photographer, Nikon Ambassador, and is known worldwide as the quintessential “pro’s pro;” an extremely versatile, deeply experienced assignment photographer whose jobs have brought him to over 70 countries and counting. Joe is an exceptionally skilled technical photographer who pairs extraordinary camera know-how with a vivid imagination and an ongoing, vibrant creativity. Joe photographed the very first all-digital coverage for National Geographic, which was considered such a significant, watershed moment in the history of that venerable publication that the entire coverage has been incorporated into the archives of the U.S Library of Congress.