2 hours
2:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Year-round
1+ photographers
Easy · no walking
The experience
A controlled multi-flash environment where Edward pre-installs and calibrates the entire rig: 3–4 strobes at 1/32 power, background gel, key/fill positioning, and camera settings dialled in before you arrive. Your role is to press the shutter as hummingbirds visit the pre-focused flower or feeder — the setup produces wing-frozen, magazine-quality portraits every session. Six lowland species regularly attend, with the Crowned Woodnymph and Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer as reliable stars. Ideal as a follow-up to the natural-light Hummingbird Garden session, or as a stand-alone workshop for photographers who want a technically perfect result without setting up their own strobes.



Target species
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Amazilia tzacatl
Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
Chalybura urochrysia
Crowned Woodnymph
Thalurania colombica
Long-billed Hermit
Phaethornis longirostris
Stripe-throated Hermit
Phaethornis striigularis
Black-crested Coquette (occasional)
Lophornis helenae
Edward's field tips
Configured session — do not touch the flashes or the trigger. Set camera to manual, 1/200 s (flash sync), f/11–16, ISO 400. Edward re-adjusts framing between subjects; ask before repositioning yourself.
Plan around early starts
Where to stay in Boca Tapada
Sessions start early — staying in the zone is strongly recommended. Transport is coordinated by VIVO inside the booking flow.
Other Boca Tapada sessions

Hummingbird Garden & Feeders
Six hummingbird species at close range, sugar feeders and native flowering plants.

King Vulture Photography Hide
Purpose-built ground hide with baited perch. Costa Rica's most reliable King Vulture site.

Boca Tapada Photography and Wildlife Boat Tour
Slow riverboat along Río San Carlos and Río Tres Amigos, birding at eye level from the water.


