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Kunoor and Austin wedding in Tamarindo. from Bidrop.com on Vimeo.

Indian wedding at the Tamarindo Diria, Guanacaste Costa [...]]]> -

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Kunoor and Austin wedding in Tamarindo. from Bidrop.com on Vimeo.

Indian wedding at the Tamarindo Diria, Guanacaste Costa Rica

Wedding photography in Tamarindo Costa Rica: www.weddingbybidrop.com

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Indigo, band from Tamarindo Costa Rica, interprets “Tu verras” (Claude Nougaro). Made in Tamarindo by Bidrop.com Photography and Video in Costa Rica.

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I have been interviewed by week of life in order to be included in their remote places part of the website.

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First part is here.

Here is the second part:

4) One thing is for sure: you have good light at [...]]]> -

I have been interviewed by week of life in order to be included in their remote places part of the website.

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First part is here.

Here is the second part:

4) One thing is for sure: you have good light at your disposal during work, as the sun is the best source of light for photographers. How does the climate in Costa Rica suit your needs?
For sure the light here can be really good, but I’ll define it more like powerfully—strong and moving really quickly. Basically we have two seasons, rainy (people in tourism call it the “Green season”) and dry, I have to be precise and state that I’m talking about the pacific coast where I’m living and mainly working. The Caribbean has a different climate. So the green season has a lot of clouds, mist, and rain with a violent sun behind, so we have a beautiful diffuse light, slightly colored at the end of the afternoon; or those clouds can give the opposite effect with some really dramatic storm light with a direct sun passing black clouds, giving intense contrast. The summer (dry season) is a constant blue sky with a punishing hard sun half of the day, but beautiful mornings and sunsets. The main inconvenience is that all year long the sun is setting from 5:15 to 6:15, and lowering in the sky really quickly. The perfect Blue hour (perfect for a real estate shot) just stays for 10 to 15 minutes, so you have to be ready. I sometime miss those long European evenings that have twilight for 2 hours.

5) Since the European Union was established, there have been increasingly more debates on politics in Europe. The situation is similar in the United States. What is the situation in a place such as Costa Rica? Is anyone preoccupied with politics at all?
Well, Costa Rica just passed through a presidential election campaign, and they elected their first female president, so there was a lot of talk about national politics, but honestly as a non-voting resident, I just stayed on the surface of the talks; I’m more interested in local activism.

6) Where did you learn about the Week of Life project and what do you think about it?

I learned about it through a post on reddit.com, I browsed the website and quickly found the concept really interesting. Not long after that I registered and made my first week.
It is, as a viewer, a great way to travel through time and space; giving me the possibility to spend one week in the life of a a Tcheque photographer, a Chinese student or a designer in Samoa. From my computer screen in Costa Rica I have all these people sharing their life, their everyday life, in a beautiful way. I love it.

As a photographer or participant to the project, it gave me a subject to concentrate on for a full week, to express one day in 9 images, a morning in 3 photos. that’s an interesting challenge, it is also, as a human being, a good way to reflect on what my life is, what am I doing with it, how am I spending my days… my time… my life.

7) What would you say about awareness in your country – newspapers, magazines and information in general? What do the media focus on?
Costa Rica is a small country, so the local magazines offer a rather small output. One magazine is quite interesting, there is also, in my opinion, one interesting newspaper, doing a good job on national news: la Nacion (www.nacion.com). Sadly a lot of people here are buying cheap (in every way) tabloids full of sensational stories, graphic photographs and almost naked “models”. I get most of my news on the internet.

8 ) What would you say about Costa Rica to attract the attention of people who would like to visit this country and know nothing about it?
The classic thing would be to say that the country constitutionally abolished its army permanently in 1949, it has had 60 years of uninterrupted democracy. Maybe more important to people wanting to visit the country—Costa Rica is ranked 3rd in the world, and 1st among the Americas, in terms of the 2010 Environmental Performance Index, it plans to be the first carbon neutral country by 2021, and According to the New Economics Foundation, Costa Rica ranks first in the Happy Planet Index. It is
is the “greenest” country in the world. That says a lot about it. Another important stat is that while the country has only about 0.25% of the world’s landmass, it contains 5% of the world’s biodiversity. Around 25% of the country’s land area is in protected national parks and protected areas, the largest percentage of protected areas in the world. Everything is not perfect here of course, but it is the best I have found around the world.

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The whole interview is here.

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Wedding and elopment photography in Costa Rica: www.weddingbybidrop.com

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Photos from Toh Gouttenoire Illustrate the Tico Times article “Paradise Lost: No Condos for Oasis Investors” (by Adam Williams) about the Tamarindo development.

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Short Shrift : Hired to guard the construction site at Tamarindo Oasis, José Alberto Vargas, 59, from San José, claims he has [...]]]> -

Photos from Toh Gouttenoire Illustrate the Tico Times article “Paradise Lost: No Condos for Oasis Investors” (by Adam Williams) about the Tamarindo development.

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Short Shrift : Hired to guard the construction site at Tamarindo Oasis, José Alberto Vargas, 59, from San José, claims he has not been paid for his past year on the stalled project, only given some food.

Shells with a View: Tamarindo Oasis Condominiums, sold on promises of paradise, await resolution of a financial conflict in a case that is winding its way through Costa Rican courts.

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I had the pleasure to shoot a Jennifer and Scott on their honeymoon trip in Tamarindo, they stayed at the Capitan Suizo, which is located on a very nice and quiet part of the beach.

It was a really quick session of one hour but the sunset was perfect…

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I had the pleasure to shoot a Jennifer and Scott on their honeymoon trip in Tamarindo, they stayed at the Capitan Suizo, which is located on a very nice and quiet part of the beach.

It was a really quick session of one hour but the sunset was perfect…

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Wedding and honeymoon photography in Costa Rica

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I had great time in this intimate wedding, it was really emotional and fun at the same time…

Keep love growing…

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Here is the mail I receive [...]]]>
I love Villa Allegre in Playa langosta, it’s really a “like at home” bed and breakfast, but straight on the beach…

I had great time in this intimate wedding, it was really emotional and fun at the same time…

Keep love growing…

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Here is the mail I receive from Abby after uploading the photos:

Here’s a testimonial for you to post…feel free to use however you please – we would love to help support you however we can!

Dear Toh,

Justin & I want to tell you how happy we are with BiDrop and the photos of our wedding on Playa Langosta.  When we were looking for a photographer, we wanted someone talented and artistic, but still affordable.  Searching for a photographer across international borders was initially intimidating, but once we found you we knew we had found the right person.  Your website immediately caught my eye.  Your photos showed that you are creative and talented, and after contacting you the first time, I knew you would be easy to work with as well.  On top of it all, your price was the best that I found, making you the total package!  When we finally met in person, Justin and I both immediately felt comfortable in trusting you to capture the essence of our wedding…us.  Throughout our special day, your energy and creativity allowed us to not have to worry about the photos and focus on the important thing, our love for one another.  Our day couldn’t have gone any better; afterwards we were so excited to see our memories on film.  We had high hopes for our photos, but once we saw them, we couldn’t believe how well you captured the emotion of our day.  We can’t thank you enough for helping us to make sure the memories of our wedding will last a lifetime.  We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you as a photographer for anyone looking for the best!!!

Sincerely,

Abby & Justin Hugill

Thanks a lot Abby I was really touched…

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Photography by Toh Gouttenoire www.weddingbybidrop.com

Wedding photography in Costa Rica

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This was a shooting I made for Sol Realty, a Tamarindo based Real estate company.

The major challenge was to find the angle for the whole house shot, and the famous “twilight shot” also known as “The money shot”. This kind of cliff house is the perfect candidate [...]]]> -

This was a shooting I made for Sol Realty, a Tamarindo based Real estate company.

The major challenge was to find the angle for the whole house shot, and the famous “twilight shot” also known as “The money shot”. This kind of cliff house is the perfect candidate for an helicopter shot, times being difficult ,even if we have available a pretty inexpensive gyrocopter in Tamarindo perfect for aerial photography (adrenaline rush included….). I found access to a tower, the only spot that could give me the whole house and also the ocean, I shot it from the staircase in a realy uncomfortable position holding the tripod as still as possible over the window… There is always an angle, find it…

Real Estate photography Costa Rica

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I love to photographs events like inaugurations, concerts, parties, etc… Usually a lot of things are happening, in every corners, it keeps me running everywhere to be sure to be at the right spot at the right moment. Also, people are enjoying themeself, getting really happy and possibly buzzed… [...]]]>

I love to photographs events like inaugurations, concerts, parties, etc… Usually a lot of things are happening, in every corners, it keeps me running everywhere to be sure to be at the right spot at the right moment. Also, people are enjoying themeself, getting really happy and possibly buzzed… Which make them more relax in front of the camera…

In those events light is always challenging, because there is usually… none or let’s say very few. Flash becomes a necessity, but the on camera flash (even the best pro ones), in an open space, with none easy way to bounce it again walls or ceiling, is not giving the king of light you want to keep the party’s atmosphere… That’s why I use the Nikon CLS system, flash off camera in one hand, usually with an umbrella to soften the light, that way I can move around freely to capture quickly and smoothly what’s going on. When I shot the musicians, performers, or whatever subjects that is not moving from a given space, I set up my external flashes on stands and recreate a more dramatic light, more contrasted. Thank to 2.8 lenses and the good noise management at relative high ISO of my camera I also shoot with ambient light as soon as it possible…

Full Gallerie

“Le Beach Club” and “Bar Stage” are located on the Beach in Playa Tamarindo, (Guanacaste, Costa rica) in front of the crossrod to playa Langosta. It’s an ideal spot to spend the afternoon on the sand and to wait for the sunset and a cocktail…