Text and photos by Heather Cline 

Green-crowned Brilliant Hummingbird Green-crowned Brilliant Hummingbird, Costa RIca

If you enjoy photography (or anything in the visual arts realm) you probably look forward to traveling to new places. For me, it provides an opportunity to step away from the daily responsibilities as well as presenting new and different environments, weather, wildlife, etc. to photograph with fresh eyes. 

When I take "photography trips", I am laser focused on getting images. I treat each trip like I'm on assignment because I never know if I'll make it back and I don't want to squander the opportunity. Vacations are a little different. They are about having fun and experiencing new places with my husband, who is not a photographer. He's pretty patient but that doesn't make it okay to stand around for an hour taking 100 macro shots of flowers while he waits. 

I was fortunate to go to Costa Rica on vacation recently and it prompted me to write an article dedicated to balancing the family vacation with a love for photography. All photos in this post are from vacations we have taken over the years. 

Location & Lodging

When researching where to stay on vacation, I always look for lodging that is situated on sprawling properties with walking and hiking trails, a lot of flowers, foliage, birds, and potential landscapes. I do this because I like having the ability to quickly get out and shoot whenever I have a pocket of free time. Not having to get in the car and drive somewhere is a huge time saver and if my husband does call or text me, I can get back to the room relatively quickly so as not to abuse these little pockets of time. 

Plumerias Plumeria on the grounds of our hotel in Kauai

While in Costa Rica, we stayed at a lodge that had sloths in the trees along the property. One of the staff showed us roughly where they like to hang out. I was able to walk from our room to the trees in about 5 minutes. It was quite the treat as we were able to see 4 sloths in one day!

Three-toed sloth with baby, Costa Rica Female Three-toed Sloth with baby, Costa Rica

Another lodge had a wildlife sanctuary on site. It was another quick 5 minute walk to see birds, butterflies, frogs, monkeys, sloths, and jaguars. We were even able to do a frog tour at night and feed some of the animals in the morning. 

Jaguar, Wildlife sanctuary, Costa Rica Jaguar, wildlife sanctuary, Costa Rica

Downtime

The best time for nature photography is on the edges of the day, near sunrise and sunset. Sunset is often close to dinner time so that is usually off the table but sunrise is a great time to get out and shoot before everyone else is up and about. Not only do you have great light for landscapes, and prime viewing time for wildlife, but also give those traveling with you a chance to get up and have a cup of coffee at their own pace before you start your day. 

Three-toed sloth, Costa Rica Young male Three-toed Sloth, Costa Rica

Sometimes, not everyone wants to do the same activities on vacation. On a trip to Hawaii, my husband wanted to go golfing and I wanted to take a scenic helicopter flight. Neither of us was interested in the other activity so we did our own thing for a few hours. I used this "downtime" to get some unique images of the island. 

Aerial view of canyon, Kauai Aerial view of deep canyons on Na Pali coast, Kauai

Gear 

This one is always tough. When I take photography trips, I tend to take everything so I can be ready for anything. That isn't realistic on vacations so I limit my gear to what will fit in one backpack. That usually equates to one camera, a few lenses, batteries, and memory cards. I also pack a tripod in my luggage. Bringing a tripod may sound frivolous but it really is critical for macro and landscape shots. 

Squirrel Monkey, Costa Rica Squirrel Monkey, Costa Rica

Family models

I think we are all a little guilty of posing family members in front of landmarks or next to signs but its nice to capture family images that aren't (or at least don't look) posed. My husband is a pretty willing model so I leverage that as much as possible!

My husband on the Pipiwai Trail, Maui

Balancing a love for photography with family trips can be tough but a fun challenge as well. With a little advanced planning and flexibility, you can merge the two with successful results and ensure everyone has a memorable vacation.