OM System Only
COSTA RICA: OM System Macro Photography
TOUR FOCUS
PHOTOGRAPHY
SCHEDULED TOURS
TRIP LEADERS
TOUR COST
From: $7,450 (See details)
Cost is per person, double occupancy from San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)
GROUP SIZE
4-8 Participants
AVAILABILITY
September 2025: 1 Space Available
[Male traveler would like roommate]
PRIVATE TOUR OPTION
This tour is available as a private trip for any size group. The tour cost will vary with the number of people and any custom requests.
TESTIMONIALS
Highlights of COSTA RICA: OM System Macro Photography
Description of COSTA RICA: OM System Macro Photography
Join Lee Hoy, OM System Ambassador, for a wonderful opportunity to master macro photography using OM System gear, flash, and accessories. The Osa peninsula is home to an incredible diversity of insect, amphibian and reptile subjects! We will be joined on several occasions by one of the best entomologists in Central America and visit some reserves he has established to protect insect life. A combination of classroom and in field instruction will have you mastering your gear quickly. We will program custom modes for macro photography for flash and natural light macro photography. We will learn how to master autofocus and exposure for macro photography. Compositional techniques will be discussed and how to work fast moving subjects as well! Insects, reptiles, amphibians and the like will be our subjects for macro photography. In addition, we have a day set aside for birds, monkeys, and whales!
Our resort has beautiful grounds with American Crocodiles, birds, and incredible insects so we will even photograph on site! A pool with nearby bar/cafe will give us a chance to relax mid-day! If you want to advance your macro photography skills dramatically over the course of a week, this workshop is guaranteed to do this as it involves a tremendous amount of instruction!
Length of Tour
10-days/9-nights
Brief Itinerary
Day 1 – Fly to San Jose/Night in San Jose
Day 2 – Fly to Resort/Photography Classroom Time PM
Day 3 – Macro Photography in Tigre / Insectopia with Jim
Day 4 – La Tarde Macro Photography / Macro Photography with Jim
Day 5 – Macro/Bird/Monkey Photography AM / Whale Photography PM
Day 6 – Macro Photography on Biosur Property
Day 7 – Chocolate Farm Photography & Tour / Classroom Instruction
Day 8 – Macro Photography with Jim
Day 9 – Flight to San Jose and Stay Night in San Jose
Day 10 – Flights home
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 – Participants will Arrive in San Jose and Stay the Night in San Jose
Participants will want to arrive in the early afternoon or mid-afternoon for a transfer to a hotel in San Jose. Opening night dinner (Included in cost of trip) in San Jose for meet and greet.
Day 2 – Fly to Resort/Photography Classroom Session
We will fly as a group to our resort which is located very close to the runway! Upon arrival, we will transfer to the resort and get situated in our rooms. We will have photography classroom instruction and go over OM System macro settings including programming custom modes for flash and non-flash macro photography. We will discuss how to use flash and diffuse our flash light for outstanding macro images.
Day 3 – Macro Photography in Tigre / Insectopia with Jim
We will photograph at a property near the resort where amphibians, reptiles and insects will be our subjects! Photographing under cover using flash, external light and natural light will give us plenty of opportunities to practice what we learned in the classroom. The afternoon will find us photographing with the best entomologist in Central America! He will provide a variety of subjects and we will photograph on the resort grounds.
Day 4 – La Tarde Macro Photography / Macro Photography with Jim
We will photograph on a nearby property with plenty of chances to practice with flash, external lights, and natural light. The afternoon we will have with Jim to once again photograph on the resort grounds.
Day 5 – Macro/Bird/Monkey Photography AM / Whale Photography PM
In the morning we will take a boat ride across the bay to a private property where several species of monkeys, parrots, and macaws will give us up close photography opportunities. This will require a wet landing and should be considered when packing gear. We will also have some macro opportunities on this beautiful site. In the afternoon, a boat ride around the bay photographing whales and birds will be a great break from macro photography.
Day 6 – Macro Photography on Biosur Property
We will spend the day photographing on a Biosur Preserve set aside for the protection of insects and their diversity on the Osa Peninsula.
Day 7 – Chocolate Farm Photography & Tour / Classroom Instruction
We will get a tour of a chocolate farm and photograph macro subjects on site. The afternoon will involve more classroom discussion such as post processing, workflow, and photo critique.
Day 8 – Macro Photography with Jim
We will spend a full day doing macro photography with Jim providing a plethora of subjects.
Day 9 – Flight to San Jose and Stay Night in San Jose
We will fly back to San Jose from the resort and have a night in San Jose for a farewell dinner.
Day 10 – Flights home
Participants will fly home today
Cost
Cost is $7,450 per person, based upon double occupancy, from San Jose, Costa Rica (Airport code SJO.
This trip ends in same as arrival city (Airport code ).
The tour cost includes the following:
- All lodging from Day 1 to Day 9
- All meals from dinner on Day 1 to dinner on Day 9
- All tours and photo leaders/macro leaders/boat ride
- Internal Flight from San Jose to Osa Peninsul
The tour cost doesn’t include the following:
Single Supplement
If a single hotel room is preferred, or we are unable to find a suitable roommate for you, a single supplement fee of $1,740 will be assessed.
NOTE: For boat-based tours, see pricing options for single cabins. Single cabin cost includes the single hotel cost above.
Minimum Number
If fewer than the minimum number of required participants are registered, we may still be able to run the trip by adding a small-group supplement fee, per person, determined by the number of participants registered.
Deposit Requirements
A $1,500 deposit per person is required to hold each space on this tour. Deposit may be made online by clicking the "Book Your Trip Now" button and using any credit card. If you prefer, you may call us at 888-875-9453 to pay by phone. You may also mail us a check, however, remember that all space is held on a first come-first served basis as deposits are received.
How to Book
In order to hold your space, click the "Book Your Trip Now" button above and complete the deposit process, including payment of the deposit through our Paypal portal using ANY CREDIT CARD. Upon completion of deposit, please visit our secure, online CLIENT INFORMATION FORM to complete your registration.
Final Payment
For all land-based tours: full payment by check is due 120 days prior to the departure date.
For all boat-based adventure cruises of 7-days or longer: full payment by check is required 180 days prior to departure.
NOTE: If you prefer to use credit card for final payment, a 3% fee may be added to cover the credit card merchant fees we incur.
This trip includes staying at the beautiful Botaniki Resort on the Osa Peninsula. It features a beautiful pool, exquisite dining, and many other amazing features. We will stay two nights at a nice Hilton hotel in San Jose on arrival and departure back home.
Activity Level Rating: 1 (Note: 1 is easy and 5 is difficult)
This workshop is on level ground and may experience some of the rainy season. We will shoot macro extensively which can be demanding but there are plenty of chances to rest and take a break!
This workshop is for OM System only camera gear so the following recommendations are based off that:
Recommended Lenses & Accessories for Macro
Recommended Lenses for Birds, Mammals, and Sea Mammals
Purchasing Flights
Do not purchase your flights until the trip has been confirmed to go.
Detailed Trip Information
Upon notification that final payment is due (120 days prior to departure for land based tours / 180 days for boat based tours), you will receive a trip package of detailed information for your tour.
Any additional information about the trip, including lodgings, contacts, participants, meeting locations, etc., will sent about 2 weeks prior to the trip departure, or after final payment is received for late registrants.
Travel Insurance
As with all tours, we recommend purchasing Travel Insurance to help cover your investment, for covered reasons. Please see our section on Travel Insurance.
Passport & Visa
US Citizens may require a visa to enter certain foreign countries. See above for any required visa information.
Participants arriving to the USA from a foreign country may need to get a travel visa to enter the United States. Be sure to check the requirements for your country of origin.
Itinerary Changes
The trip itinerary is developed many months ahead of time. Occasionally, despite our best planning, changes may occur during the trip, or we may be forced to alter our plans. Changes may occur because of weather, road conditions, safety concerns or other circumstances. In these situations, it is the leader(s) responsibility to carefully consider and implement appropriate alternatives. Any additional costs incurred because of changes will be the responsibility of each individual participant. Refunds will not be issued as a result of itinerary changes.
