Boquete Photography Workshop

REVIEWS:

“Best tour ever. . . made our Honeymoon extra special”
“The workshop with David was beyond our expectations. We truly had a wonderful day with him. It all started weeks before our tour with David emailing us to get to know us and to see what we wanted out of the workshop.
We exchanged a few emails as he prepared us for the workshop and what the weather was going to be like. Also, he asked us about our camera and our experience in using it so he could help us. All his attention to detail in getting us ready was greatly appreciated. He picked us up at our hotel where he sat us down and went over a short lesson in photography along with showing us how to use the camera better.
We then set out on our hiking tours around Boquete, David really help us capture beautiful shots and showed us how to improve the shots as we went. He was a great teacher and we learned so much. The skills we learned, we will continue to use for a liftime. Besides the teaching being very professional, he has a great humorous side to him, we really enjoyed all the time we spent with him just talking as we drove to different locations and lunch with him.
Thank you, David, for a great day . . . Taking this workshop is a must if you are going to Panama!”
K Werner; Kentucky

“Awesome Photography Adventure”
“David was very professional, punctual, and organized. He made sure that we were well-informed of what to expect on our trip. He was very informative and personable by insuring that we were comfortable and expectations of the trip was met throughout this fun adventure.
I was impressed with the detailed information and history that David provided along the way as well as while in the Boquete mountain regions which kept things very interesting.
He was well-educated and knowledgable about photography in teaching us many things beyond what we thought we already knew. This experience has encouraged me to return to my passion for photography.
There was no rush, and no time wasted. I’m very pleased with the great images that I took which I will display and cherish. I highly recommend this workshop to anyone.”
Nicola; Arizona

“Boquete”
“David is very clear on expectations and preparation but is also willing to change gears to meet individual needs. He is very personable and fun to spend time with. As an experienced photographer, I was looking for a guide to take me to interesting spots and he did that. He is knowledgeable about technical aspects of photography and readily offered advice. While he met my personal needs which were more along the lines of finding hidden spots, he would be really helpful to photographers who are beginners or want/need technical advice. He Inspired my sister-in-law to get more into photography which was awesome”.
Susan; British Columbia

WORKSHOP INFORMATION:

What should I expect?

An incredible opportunity to capture some of the best scenery in all of Panama, learn a bit about how to be a better photographer, and enjoy some of the local culture – all wrapped in one. If you love capturing breathtaking nature shots, this is a workshop you do not want to miss!

This workshop is led by acclaimed photographer David Westfall, who has recently joined us from the United States. His reviews are exceptional, and he utilizes his over-40-years of experience to assist each client in the workshop. Utilizing his 17 years experience as a feature photographer for the Los Angeles Times, and his very successful 18 years of workshop coaching throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Now we have him here for you!

This workshop is a reasonable length tour with a small number of great instructive activities, and includes loads of really amazing photo opportunities. The walking is the way we like our salsa; relatively easy, and the pace is mild.

In Boquete, we have a meeting location where you can park safely and we provide all transportation for our activities in the Workshop, or if you are staying in the Bajo Boquete (downtown) area, we can probably pick you up at your lodgings.

The Boquete Photography Workshop starts with you being picked up either at your lodgings or at the Cloudforest Office about 40 minutes before sunrise. Pick-Up times may be a bit earlier if we are getting you from your Boquete lodgings. The early start is necessary for three important reasons:

• Most importantly, because the light is at it’s best this early in the morning
• It is very likely we can avoid most – if not all – of the rain at this time of morning
• Crowds in the areas we go are small to non-existent, which makes our time much easier and our photos much less likely to have unwelcome things in them

Once you have reserved your Boquete Photography Workshop, you will receive an email which includes three more very important steps to complete your Boquete Photography Workshop booking. One is a link where to retrieve your Boquete Photography Workshop Information eBooklet, which contains all the necessary meeting place information and a whole lot more.

Please keep in mind that the Boquete area is very tropical in nature, being so close to both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. We get a lot of rain. For 10 months of the year we get rain virtually every day, over 100 inches a year. We set our hours to avoid what we can of it, but there is a chance it will rain during your workshop. And honestly, some of the photos people take in the rain are the best photos people take during the entire workshop. Come prepared for rain, and enjoy learning to get good shots in whatever circumstances may present themselves.

Protocols are currently in place to protect our clients from COVID-19 spread. Please see our COVID-19 page for more information.

Equipment:

Required:

• A DSLR or high quality phone camera
• A full-sized tripod easily capable of supporting your camera while your heaviest lens is attached. If you are bringing a newer cell phone with a high quality camera built in, you will still need the full-sized tripod, and a mechanism for connecting your phone to the tripod you are bringing. Make sure they work together! Please feel free to contact us (well in advance of your workshop) for Amazon links for phone-holding tripod mechanisms we recommend
• A Neutral Density Filter (ND), either fixed density or adjustable (recommended) which will fit your lens with the largest filter size. Please also bring step-down rings that will allow you to use your ND Filter on your other lenses. If you bring fixed density filters, please bring two or more (they often come in sets of three) with one having a minimum density of ND10. Again, please also bring step-down rings that will allow you to use your ND Filter on your other lenses
• Good strong waterproof hiking boots are a must. Plus, you have to factor in water. Look at the ‘rain-boots’ entry under ‘Highly Recommended’ below

Highly Recommended:

• DSLR: Extra batteries. We would recommend you have at least 2 fully charged batteries in addition to a fully charged battery in your camera. Your guide carries 4 extra batteries!
• PHONE: External Battery Power Supply for your phone. Could well wear out your internal battery, and you want the extra power
• DSLR: An extra empty Memory Card which fits your camera
• PHONE: Be sure you lave LOTS of extra memory available on your phone – about twice what you think you may need
• DSLR: Because of terrain and other issues, it would be highly recommended you bring a long lens, capable of shooting up to 300mm, 200mm minimum. Most photo opportunities you will encounter on this workshop will not be adequately successful with a lens shorter than 200-300mm
• Your shoes are going to get wet. Everything is wet in Panama. At a minimum, good waterproof hiking boots are really important. Better yet, strong farm-like rain-boots that fit well with great tread and that go up to your knee would be best

Recommended:

• DSLR: There are numerous opportunities for some good wide-angle photos. Bringing a lens which is capable of around 20mm is a good idea
• DSLR: There will also be many opportunities for close up, or Macro photos. If you have access to a good macro lens, you will probably want to bring it
• A small collapsable umbrella
• A standard washcloth
• A standard towel (in a ziplock bag)

Once you have reserved your Boquete Photography Workshop, you will receive an email which includes three very important steps to complete your Boquete Photography Workshop booking. ALL THREE ARE REQUIRED before your booking is complete, and each serves making this workshop be as customized to you as possible. One is a link where to retrieve your Boquete Photography Workshop Information eBooklet which outlines what specifics you need to know about your particular workshop, more of what to expect, specifics on meeting locations, and what you need to bring. This tour involves some easy hiking. Bring good-sturdy waterproof footwear, and be prepared to carry with you all the equipment you may need while walking or hiking. As with any tour of this nature, please be sure you are prepared physically for the requirements of your particular workshop before committing. Please contact us if you need additional information.

Your Boquete Cloudforest Tours Photography Workshop Information eBooklet will also introduce you to your Coach/Guide. It also contains a lot of images from the workshop which can inspire you and give you creative photo ideas. You can download a WEBPAGE EDITION (Less detailed than the one you will have access to once you have booked this tour) of this booklet below. Once on-site, we will assist each participant in seeing photo opportunities, composition, and in setting your camera controls in such a way as to best capture quality photographs. Our efforts are to assist you to become comfortable enough in finding these photo opps and shooting them that you will ultimately feel more confident wherever you may be.

Guides, photographers, and/or staff, Itineraries, and vehicles are subject to change without notice by Cloudforest Tours. Every reasonable effort will be made to operate programs as planned, but alterations may still occur and deviate from published itineraries due to weather, potential danger, and conditions on the ground.

GALLERY:
Click on any image below to enlarge

Download your WEBPAGE – Boquete Photography Workshop Information eBrochure