Category: Photography

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Photography & Mindfulness #7

I finished the 7th class out of the total of 10 yesterday (a day after receiving) with #8 coming Saturday. I’m beginning to like a few more things about this and maybe learning something, though it is just a motivator for me to be more creative in my photography and more “mindful” of my surroundings and record that in the camera. Go to my class notes page at: PAUSE 7. RHYTHM AND MOVEMENT for more about this class. Every class has a YouTube video song and 2 other links that I share. 🙂

One of the assignments was to photograph 3 things twice each with different looks each time. One of mine was this leaf, seen from a distance in the feature photo above and up close in the photo below.

To see my other 4 photos and the interesting class links, go to my notes at:

PAUSE 7. RHYTHM AND MOVEMENT. (linked)

¡Pura Vida!

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Banded Yellow

This tiny butterfly appears at first to be plain beige with dark patches showing through from the top side (they are dark brown patches). But if you look close you can see a faint yellow band along the edge of the forward wing. The only ones I’ve seen have been in my garden and on the nearby Calle Nueva dirt road. See my other shots, including one top view showing those dark brown patches and at least one with a more obvious yellow band! 🙂 All in my gallery: Banded Yellow, Limoncito de Faja, Eurema elathea.

Banded Yellow, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Pink-spotted Cattleheart

One of the few unique butterflies I saw in May, the Pink-spotted Cattleheart (my gallery link) is found only from Mexico to Costa Rica. They like my garden. 🙂 But this one would not come out in the open like a few in my above-linked gallery. All but one in the gallery were seen in my garden, with the one exception being at Villa Caletas, Jaco, just an hour west of here. Like with a few other butterfly species, I am the #1 observer of this in Costa Rica on iNaturalist. 🙂

Pink-spotted Cattleheart, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Pink-spotted Cattleheart, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

My sick stomach is slowly getting better with meds & careful eating.

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Two Nights at Xandari

Blue-vented Hummingbird at Xandari Costa Rica

Starting today, I will spend a couple of days at Xandari Nature Resort on the outskirts of the city of Alajuela, our provincial capital. It is not exactly cheap, so two nights is enough for one of my top 3 or 4 butterfly locations while I hope they have less wind there than we do in Atenas, less than an hour away. We will see! Oops! I just had to cancel because of a sick stomach and asked if they could move my special price to another date. Hope so! Though not suppose to make changes on pre-paid specials. 🙂 Well, they did make the change to June 8-10, same reservation, just two week later and hopefully with a healthier old man! They told me that I was a special guest and they were happy to postpone the reservation. 🙂

Garden Art, Xandari Costa Rica

Here’s links to the “trip galleries” of my earlier visits to Xandari, in a resort chain with headquarters in India, adding to the exotic nature of the place with waterfalls, forest trails, birds & butterflies and some of the best flower gardens in the country, plus a small farm for their restaurant. A cool place on a hilltop overlooking downtown Alajuela and the San Jose Airport from a lush tropical forest.

Southern Guava Skipper, Xandari Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Almost Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture, Xandari Costa Rica
Sunset Xandari Costa Rica

I’ll start posting photo reports tonight, Now that will be the night of June 8! 🙂

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Great Kiskadee

One of the more common birds seen in my garden has always been the Great Kiskadee (linked to my gallery) and here are 2 shots of this tropical bird common all over Costa Rica.

Great Kiskadee, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Great Kiskadee, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Silence in Photography

See my notes on yesterday’s class on SILENCE for Photography & Mindfulness at:

Pause 6: Silence including a link to YouTube recording of song “The Sound of Silence” or find links to my collection of notes on Photography & Mindfulness. 🙂

Dina Yellow, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Pre-rain cloudiness this morning, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Great Spreadwing

This Great Spreadwing Damselfly (my gallery link) has the scientific name of  Archilestes grandis and the Spanish common name of Caballito Crucifijo Mayor. The name refers to the fact that it is one of the few damselflies that always lands with wings spread out. And this is my 4th sighting of one in my garden. It must like Atenas too! 🙂 See more photos in my gallery linked above.

¡Pura Vida!

It is still windier than usual for May, but less frequently now. I’ve photographed a lot of birds in my garden but no great photos yet. And fewer butterflies. 🙂 I’m staying home and resting this weekend because of a little stomach virus (taking medications) and want to be full of energy for my Monday to Wednesday visit to Xandari which has been a good butterfly source in the past.

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Light & Shadow + Pause 5 Class Notes

The theme of today’s online class was “Light & Shadow” and you can see my class notes and comments at Pause 5: Light & Shadow. (linked to my notes) Still not excited about the class, but this was a good photo-activity! 🙂

So I went outside at about 3pm yesterday (not the best time for long shadows, but okay). Here are a few of my shots in a gallery that won’t work in the email, so one pix for the email and then go to the online post for the gallery . . .

Every forest is light & shadow! This one across the cow pasture by the stream.
Continue reading “Light & Shadow + Pause 5 Class Notes”
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Pause 4: Sensation and Emotion Class -May 15, 2026

I am continuing the “Photography & Mindfulness” online class with #4 being day before yesterday or done yesterday for me. And of course a blog post each time with a link to my notes, comments and one or more of my photos that I think sort of relate. I’m not quite as “ethereal” or maybe it’s “psychological” as my teacher in Spain, but hoping this focus on mindfulness will help me to be more mindful and sensitive in making creative and meaningful nature photos. If interested, go to my online notes on this particular class at : Pause 4: Sensation and Emotion -May 15, 2026 NOTES.

I think that a red flower always produces more “sensation or emotion” than any other color. 🙂

And About the Feature Photo . . .

Dying Cecropia Leaf with green spots or “Green Islands”

From Google AI: “Green islands” on a browning leaf are caused by living pests or pathogens that manipulate the plant’s hormones. They excrete cytokinins (plant growth hormones) that trick the leaf into delaying its natural death and keeping its green chlorophyll active in that specific area.

¡Pura Vida!

See all of my notes from this class at my Photography & Mindfulness page.

+ My Friday Trip to Immigration

Continue reading “Pause 4: Sensation and Emotion Class -May 15, 2026”
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Photos of 350 Species!

I just published what is probably the largest Costa Rica Butterfly & Moth book available anywhere. Click the front cover below or go to this bookstore link for a free preview of all 86 pages! https://www.blurb.com/b/12881815-350-costa-rica-butterflies-and-moths

CLICK above cover image to go to a free preview of all pages.

This will probably be my last butterfly book, so I encourage you to get one now or at least go look at it. Every species includes the available English & Spanish Common Names plus the Latin Scientific Name which is available for all, while a few species don’t have “common names.” 🙂 There are three rare butterfly species included that are rarely ever seen.

And for you neighbors of mine in Residential Roca Verde, don’t forget that I have a smaller 7×7 inches book of just Roca Verde Butterflies with 180 species photographed here, mostly in my garden.

¡Pura Vida!