Rainforest Macro Photography in Costa Rica

Elias Peña

Founder & Lead Guide · VIVO Expeditions

July 1, 2026

Inches from the lens, a red-eyed tree frog stares back at you from a heliconia leaf. The rainforests around La Fortuna and Boca Tapada hold some of the most extraordinary macro photography subjects on earth — if you know where to look, and when.

What you can photograph

Night vs day macro

Day macro sessions focus on dew-covered insects, colorful beetles, and tropical flowers — often in gardens and trail edges with natural light. Night sessions are where Costa Rica truly shines: red-eyed tree frogs emerge after dark, glass frogs return to stream-side leaves, and katydids reveal extraordinary detail under torch and flash.

Bat photography with high-speed flash

Boca Tapada is Costa Rica's premiere destination for bat photography. Using multi-flash setups triggered by motion beams, you can freeze fishing bats inches above the water surface. Our photography partner Yehudi Hernández has pioneered this technique in the region.

Recommended gear

• 100mm f/2.8 macro lens (or 90mm equivalent)
• Ring flash or twin macro flash system
• Remote trigger / Plamp for stability
• Headlamp with red light mode (non-disruptive)
• Rain cover for gear (always)