Re: [Leica] Costa Rica

["A.H.SCHMIDT" <horst.schmidt@actek.com.au>]

Neil Frankish wrote:

> I took a trip to Costa Rica a couple of years back - I'd just got my M and
> only had a 50 Summicron. Spent a month there and went up and down both
> coasts, Monteverde, Arenal etc.
>
> The cloud forrest *is* very humid, but it posed no problems except for
> light - it can be very dark, and even 400 ASA was hardly enough sometimes.
> The other problem is the potentially very wide level of brightness within
> the frame. If you can, get up early to shoot (the day starts early there
> anyway). Otherwise I often exposed for the shadows, wanting the highlights
> to blow out (giving a sort of bleached tripical appearance. (subjects were
> prefered in the shadows, not wanting to fill in flash). The problem was
> trying to get the printer to print them that way!
>
> San Jose is not photogenic, except there is a nice indoor market that is
> worth a few frames. If I was doing it again I would push 400ASA to 800 for
> there.
>
> I never had any problem with potential theft, but I carried the M over my
> neck and shoulder, across the chest and under a vest to feel safer.
>
> One word of warning. If you hire a car (we hired a 4X4 because we were
> going more into the wilds), be ultra vigilant when you inspect the car and
> fill in the existing damage form. Insist on every tiny blemish being put
> down, especially on the windscreen. On mine there was a tiny chip/crack
> which when i pointed it out the guy said "that's nothing, it's ok" A month
> later when we returned it, they went immediately to the windscreen and
> pointed out the chip and charged US$250. Fortunately, we got the money back
> a few months later (it pays to hire through a local agent).
>
> Culturally, I found Costa Rica rather poor, though there are some little
> villages were the people proved interesting. If you're into scenics, there
> is plenty to shoot.
>
> have a good trip
>
> Neil.

  This is a great report. I enjoyed reading it. Thanks

Horst Schmidt