Tamarindo Beach Photo Session

It's beach day for Bethany and JT. They stayed at the Tamarindo Beach Resort in Tamarindo Costa Rica and we spent some time along the beach and playing in the waves. Bethany and JT had never been to Costa Rica but fell in love with it after watching a documentary of a couple that got trapped down there during covid and thought it sounded like fun. The Costa Rica part, not the covid part.

There's a little beach, a little jungle, a little desert, a few volcanoes. Just about everything to experience for your adventurous heart in Costa Rica.

• More Time

  - When you bring me as your personal photographer, I am not watching the clock. I am in for the adventure and the fun moments. Sometimes I provide direction when needed, but most of the time it's candids of you and your loved ones exploring and having fun. Far more relaxed than a high-pressure short session.

• Relationships

  - We have a rapport and connection. I am a very laid-back go-with-the-flow person who is more akin to an old friend vs this rigid photographer with specific expectations of their clients. It is less stress and carefree so you can focus on each other vs how the photo session is going or not going for that matter.

• Planning

  - I have traveled a lot and also love doing research on fun things to do and see. I have a keen ability to pick spots that no only look awesome but also the best times to be there. Even without visiting it prior. I get super nerdy with Google Earth and dig into locations to get that locals approach. Also have a good intuitive sense to what a place will be like and what it takes to get there. I can work with you on planning or do it for you.
• Language Barriers - Hiring a local photographer may be cheaper but it can be hard to connect with that person if you don't know the language well. It can be hard to convey the subtext of your goals when crossing cultures as well.

You totally should and bring me along to guide and capture it all. I have a few helpful tips when devising a plan for your Costa Rica adventure.

• Trip Duration

  - If you are coming to Costa Rica and wanting to experience as much as you can, you are going to need to give yourself at least 7 days. This trip was about 10 and felt pretty perfect. I like those trips where on the evening before your last day - you're about ready to go home. Was there still a lot to see? Oh yes. We mainly stayed north. Visiting the south rainforest would honestly be it's own trip. I don't see how you could do both in 10 days. It would be much too fast of a visit.

• Costa Rica is Big

  - It's a lot larger than you would expect and the roads are in good condition for the most part, but they're small and traffic can get super slow. So you are relegated to single lane roads and low speed limits. Especially when near the beach towns. If you go further inland near Arenal, it's not so bad. You have to give yourself extra time to travel.

• Rain

  - It rains. Depending on the season it rains a little or it rains a giant megaton. We went in the rainy season and every afternoon it rained a bit or a lot, then rained A LOT at night. We went around lake Arenal to see some sights and it began to rain. We waited it out and once it let up a little, parts of the road washed out and filled with mud and debris. Had people not be able to clear enough to plow through it, it would have added a 5hr detour around the lake back to where we were staying. Plan on rain and be able to adapt.

• Tours

  - there are thousands of tours you can do for the day or even for a few hours. I found great luck with ones on Viator. Most you can book and cancel without a fee if beyond 24hrs. This can be helpful when you want to stay in a town another night or if the road washes out from rain. A tip I would say is don't book a tour on a travel day. It makes things stressful to try and make it in time and with the roads and travel its too much to manage. Save a day to get to your next place then do the tour there, once you are there.

• Zip Lines

  - They are everywhere and awesome. Make sure to book them in the morning as they will cancel it in the afternoon if there is rain. And, most likely, it will rain in the afternoon. Save yourself the heartache and book the morning trip.

Drop me an email or DM or call and we can start bouncing ideas around on how to capture your amazing experiences so you can relive them every day afterward.

I am available for all destination weddings, elopements, and engagements. I love to wander.

Travel Wedding Photographer | About Travel Photographer Dylan Burr

Summer | Tamarindo Beach | Wedding/Honeymoon

Tamarindo, Costa Rica