Macro Photography

The nighttime macro will allow for you to better control the light, and to approach the subject much closer than would otherwise be possible during the day. Diopters, macro couplers, extension tubes, bellows, reverse lens mounts, etc. require just a bit of planning and testing, but are otherwise significantly cheaper than a dedicated macro lens, and can achieve comparable results.

A pirate spider (Gelanor sp.) has stalked and killed an araneid in its web. Photographed with Canon Mpe-65mm lens + Olympus ST-F8 twin flash from Posada Amazonas.

parasitoid wasp (Eupelmidae)

A parasitoid wasp (Eupelmidae) lays its eggs in a larva within a tree trunk. Canon Mpe-65mm lens + Olympus ST-F8 twin flash from Posada Amazonas.

Juvenile spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodylus)  photographed with Canon 100mm f/2.8 lens + single diffused flash. Photo from the Tambopata Research Centre.

Amazon tree boa (Corallus hortulanus) photographed with Canon 100mm f/2.8 lens + single diffused flash. Photo from the Tambopata Research Centre.

Wildlife Photography: Bird / Mammal

Telephoto lenses are an expensive investment and an indispensable tool; however, one can still manage relatively well with cheaper, high-quality optics and teleconverters. A faster (lower f/ stop lens) is especially useful in the dark rainforest understory, and when combined with teleconverters, this will allow for a certain degree of flexibility and more unique perspectives as well.

This striated heron was photographed with an effective focal length of 600mm (Canon 300mm f/2.8 + 2X TC) from a boat on Tres Chimbadas lake, near Posada Amazonas.

When shooting from a motorized boat, one should bring a zoom lens rather than a prime (fixed focal length), as one has less control over the approach and framing. Make sure that the lens has been kept dry overnight/before the boat trip (otherwise the temp./humidity change between your room and the open boat will fog your lens and potentially ruin the opportunity).

Jaguar sighting near the river By Paul Bertner

A puma launched itself down the riverbank at a group of capybaras on the way back to Puerto Maldonado

A puma launched itself down the riverbank at a group of capybaras on the way back to Puerto Maldonado. Shot handheld with a Canon 300mm f/2.8 lens from the boat. A 100-400 zoom lens would have provided a better overall picture, including the capybaras.

Capybaras huddled around their mother in the wake of the Puma attack

Landscape

I personally find landscapes to be very challenging and I often need to plan ahead or else revisit a site multiple times in order to take advantage of climatic conditions, the position of the sun, cloud, fog, etc…

Filters and a steady tripod are a staple in landscape photography and are especially important gear to have in the bag (even as so-called digital filters are becoming increasingly powerful). One should be prepared to shoot in the rain and have numerous microfibre cloths to wipe down the front element.

Lightning strikes announce an impending storm during the rainy season at the TRC. Taken with a 16-35mm lens in the rain.

Tambopata landscape photography by Paul Bertner

After all these, you should be thinking How Paul’s photography equipment looks like?

A multi-month project often involves a variety of specialty tools. While working in Ecuador, and subsequently with Rainforest Expeditions in Peru, I required several suitcases worth of equipment to accommodate in-situ, studio, camera trapping, and drone photography. wildlife photography wildlife photography wildlife photography 

I’m sure you be making your own packing list for your next adventure and I would love to know what you will be bringing to that wildlife photography expedition. So leave me a comment below.

I will leave you guys with my portfolio where you can see part of my work: https://rainforests.smugmug.com/

And remember if you want to do some wildlife photographing and you have the chance to visit Peru, don’t hesitate to visit the Amazon of Tambopata and contact my friend of Rainforest Expeditions.

Howler monkey (Alouatta villosa) posing for the photograph – Tambopata Research Center, Peru

Some questions worth asking before setting off might include:

1. What is the weather this time of the year?

Dry and rainy seasons have become increasingly unpredictable in today’s global climate, and it’s worth checking the local conditions before booking and departing.

These will depend on what you would like to photograph.

2. Will I be comfortable?

This is an especially important question and one which is often neglected, often with repercussions. Bring a hoodie for unexpected chilly weather (early morning boat rides!). For instance, Waterproof socks can be good for walking across boardwalks and keeping feet dry when boots become flooded. An easily accessible compact umbrella attached via carabiner or even a contact sheet for lying on the ground and/or providing additional cover for one’s bag. Quick-dry clothing and extra microfiber cloths to clean optics. Individual zip lock bags for both clothing and photography equipment (with silica or dehumidifier pack)

If you are starting as a wildlife photographer or are doing this just for fun, you might be able to have the best of both worlds.

While many places offer high probabilities of sighting fauna and basic accommodation, you will also find those with luxury accommodation and wildlife fauna. Your choice will depend on the purpose of your trip. However, with Rainforest Expeditions I have seen that you could have the opportunity to combine both because their lodges are very well located with the national reserve behind or even within the same reserve and have more than comfortable rooms between comfort, suites, and even deluxe suites.

3. Do I have enough flexibility in my booking to account for emergencies or change the duration of my stay?

During the rainy season, airlines will often cancel flights which may lead to lost connections and complications. Alternatively, if you wish to book a longer stay but have arrived in the peak season, there might not be any additional room.

4. Will I find the wildlife that I’m looking to photograph?

This often depends on a variety of factors including the amount of experience, amount of time, the rarity of the subject, equipment on hand, season, etc… However, one can look at communal databases like a bird and iNaturalist, and concentrate one’s efforts in high probability zones, request specific guides, ask resident researchers or your travel specialist, etc…

5. Do I have the right photo equipment?

This is deeply personal and largely depends on the kind of trip you are preparing; however, I will outline in the next section my basic tools which might serve as a reference.

6. Are there any restrictions in the area to do my activities (wildlife photography)? Eg. Research, Sampling, Drone flight, exclusion zones, etc…

Researchers, volunteers, and those with a special mandate will undoubtedly have undergone special preparations for the occasion; however, it’s worth noting that many countries, national parks, and other areas are becoming increasingly restrictive in their drone policies. Camera trapping can also present some challenges, and thus it’s always worthwhile double-checking. In Peru, for research or commercial uses, you require a permit for the National reserve of Tambopata and consider a fee for the number of days you will be filming/photographing inside the national reserve.

For nature photography as an amateur and without commercial use intentions, there is no need to request special permits for the National Reserve of Tambopata.

7. Will I be able to repair/replace my equipment while in the field?

As a general rule, I never assume that I’ll find a specialized part or cable while traveling. Where possible I carry a redundancy, otherwise, I carry a small repair kit equipped with glue, silicone, tape, specialized screws and camera plates and a variety of electrical cables which I can manually tie together without the need for solder (there are few things worse than being unable to use one’s equipment on account of a dead charger!). Consider a jeweler’s screwdriver and a multi-tool as well.

These questions can serve as a kind of checklist, and help avoid pratfalls, especially when scaling up the size of the project or the amount of equipment.

Did you find these questions useful? in my next post, you will find details of the equipment that I personally use for each type of shot including macro lenses, landscape among others

by Paul Bertner

When planning your next adventure to Peru, it’s amazing to dream about hiking the Citadel of Machu Picchu, walking around Cusco City, overflight the Nazca Lines, exploring the Amazon, or navigating at Titicaca Lake and usually, we never expect a flight delayed, canceled or unavailable. So, here we want to bring you some lights if you experience some of these situations.

But first, you have to make your trip fit on your vacations, think about your budget, choose the tours and hotels…and make sure that your flights’ connections fit in all your itinerary…the tension can take hold of us at this moment.

How can you manage all these? How to travel to Peru?

Two options:

1. You might consider looking for some help and arranging all your trip through a travel agency.
2. Encourage yourself, breathe deeply, and use online travel resources

What happens if the flight is unavailable?

This will be a worry for the ones arranging their trip by themselves. We recommend contacting your hotel or lodge. They for sure have options.

We usually offer change travel dates without extra cost, or add extra nights with a special rate or accommodate our logistics to make your adventure come true.

Finally, you are in peace again as you have all under control.

The days pass and the enthusiasm grows. And some days prior to arrival you received a flight change or cancelation… The stress comes out again.

How to deal with flight delays or cancelations when traveling to Peru

flight delayed image by Getty

If you choose the first option, trust your travel agency, they will be very helpful by managing the changes with the airline and getting you in the best options available.

But if you choose the second option, here is what you have to do step by step:

1. Contact the airline and communicate in a good manner the importance to arrive on that determining day due that all reservations depend on that flight. They might be able to find you good solutions.
2.  Contact the hotel. They might be able to help you by offering you some options such as a change of travel dates without extra charge or a good discount for an extra day if needed, at least we do.
3. Consider traveling by bus. The highway in Peru is really good and there are several formal companies that you can choose from. Make your research first. There are some routes not recommended to travel by bus.

**If you will make a tour to Tambopata, the route Cusco – Puerto Maldonado is not in good condition and there are several security issues to consider too. We do not recommend this bus ride**

 And what to do if the flight is delayed?

Remember to have all emergency numbers saved on your phone before your trip to Peru.

1. Contact your travel agency and let them know that you are stuck at the airport, they immediately will follow up this with the airline and will contact the tour operator in charge of the destination you will visit.
2. If you had to manage all your trip by yourself, contact the hotel or tour operator and they will be able to give you the best options available locally.
3. If you are waiting for more than 2 hours, the airline is obligated to offer you a small snack.

When we have delayed flights we usually wait for our guests. However, for now, we have some river transportation regulations that do not allow us to be in the river after 6 pm.

If your flight arrives after 2 pm, we have 3 options:

1. Locate you at Posada Amazonas, our closer lodge to the city without extra charge if available. FAQs
2. Locate you at another lodge on the way closer to the city without extra charge if available.

*With option 1 or 2, the next day you will join one of our fixed departures to continue with your trip.

3. If nothing is available, then we can help you book a room in the city. This will have an extra cost. The next day you will be traveling to your lodge with the first fixed departure.

When planning your trip, we also recommend booking your hotels directly and the airline tickets handled by a travel agency. So they can help you in case of any delay or cancelation. Our partners of Exito Travel will be of great help for international and domestic flights.

The most important is not to miss your trip’s goal: relax, connect, enjoy, and explore!

And tour operators, travel agencies, and hotels in Peru are always keen to help.

We hope this information will remain you calm and get you all under control again.

Have a pleasant and safe adventure!

The goal of that trip was to collect information about the “Castaña” (Brazil nut tree) production in the property of Refugio Amazonas Lodge, start my thesis to get the degree and also, try to graft mature Brazil nut trees with buds of productive trees from other parts of the region in order to enhance the production.

To start my work and accomplish the goals I needed to find “Castaña” buds from productive trees. Talking with people in the city I met a “castañero” known as Cachimba, a 65-year-old man who offered his trees so that I could prune the buds. His Brazil nut concession land was close by Valencia Lake. This lake is an oxbow lake that was part of the Madre de Dios River many years before.

Experience a Brazil Nut Trail and Camp at Rainforest Expeditions Lodges

The day I arrived everything ran perfectly; weather in the best conditions, no rain but cloudy. The tree that the worker showed me to climb for collecting the buds was only 10 minutes walking from the base camp. When I arrive at the base of the tree, I felt like being in the Avatar movie. That Brazil nut tree was considered the most productive of the land and with a longevity of around 1200 years.

This intimidating ancient tree was 55 meters tall, supporting a 30 meters wide crown. I spent the whole day climbing, collecting the buds, moving between branches. The most intense and gratifying day of work in my life. Then, with the buds in my hands, I only had between 3 and 5 days to graft them in the trees in Refugio Amazonas Lodge.

Brazil Nut Tree – Photo by Varun Swamy

As soon I got back to Refugio, the buds were installed and the “castañeros” of the land arrived. Three men with their upper bodies armed as soldiers were collecting all the coconut-like fruits of the “Castaña”. Using machetes as blades, they opened the hard shells to get the seeds, in only three hits. My work was to count how many fruits were produced in each tree.

First, I helped them find the fruits on the ground by the tree base and stack them on a small hill. Some trees have 50 fruits but there could have up to 2,000 fruits. When they started breaking the fruits I sat down close to them and counted how many they opened.

Brazil nuts on a trail

One of the days I was counting, very concentrated, all the fruits, so that I wouldn’t miss a single one and be able to get the more precise results in my thesis.

Suddenly, they were looking at me with extremely afraid faces. Their faces made me freak out; they were acting as if they were seeing a ghost. I started to look at my body because I thought I had a viper on me but I didn’t, so I realized they were looking behind me.

I turned back and saw 8 meters away from me, a female Jaguar. She was curious about the sounds of the machetes hitting the fruits. Between her front legs was a cub, a small one, probably 2 or 3 months old. That scene lasted around 10 more long seconds, no one was moving, we were paralyzed, probably without knowing if we were in a dream (encounter with a jaguar).

Then, the jaguar turned to her left and started walking into the density of the forest. The cub took two more seconds to realize his mom was gone, made two jumps out, and disappeared. After that moment I spent two years without looking at a single Jaguar.

Jaguar (Panthera Onca) By Paul Bertner

Jaguars are solitary cats, they don’t live in herds like lions. Is easy to spot them nearby the river banks during boat trips. When you travel to the Amazon, in Tambopata, you have up to a 35% chance to spot one. The territories of females are associated with the surroundings of the rivers where they can find their favorite prey: capybaras.

Learn How To Identify a Jaguar in the Amazon Rainforest Here

Males use bigger territories, up to 300 square kilometers, and can get deep inside the forest for long periods following white-lipped peccary’s herds or Tapir trails. If you saw more than one jaguar together could be a female whit its cups, maybe a couple of young brothers that are still together before taking their own way, or maybe a male and a female during the breeding season.

The incredible thing about this story is the proximity that we can have with these activities. Within everyone’s reach…The Brazil Nut Trail and even the Jungle Jaguar Search. Definitely unforgettable experiences.

Do not wait any longer for a tour of the Amazon Rainforest!

At Wired Amazon, in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest of Tambopata, Madre de Dios, Peru, we’re working with 4 groups or Taxonomic Families: Arctiinae or Tiger Moths, Cicadellidae or Leaf Hoppers, Membracidae or Treehoppers, and Ichneumonidae or Scorpion Wasps. The project is based on Citizen Science, making all guests from our Amazon ecolodges involved.

We use several types of traps, like yellow bucket traps, malaise, and light traps, to collect the insects inside the families we’re studying. The collected insects are analyzed, classified, and processed in our Open Lab to send them to their specific specialist to finally know if we have or not a new species.

After the first process inside the lodge, we send the samples to the Natural History Museum in Lima. There, the tiger’s moth specialist Juan Grados classified the specimen within physical feathers, genitalia analysis, and genetic tools. He sends the specimens, apart from Tiger Moths, to their specialists around America.

To get Genetic support, we’re using a technique known as Barcoding. For this, we’re working with Guelph University, located in Ontario, Canada, because they’re running a massive international project called Bold, which means “Barcode of Life Database”.

To increase our collection, we work hand in hand with guests who choose the “Discover New Species” activity at the lodge. Guests join the biologist team after dinner and walk to a light trap set up in the middle of the jungle. There, they learn about entomology, how to identify the groups that we’re studying, and create awareness of the relationship between insects and the whole tropical ecosystem. If that night, a guest helps us collect a New Species, they have the great opportunity to name it!! Could you imagine visiting the Peruvian Amazon Jungle and returning to your home with a New Species named by yourself? You can make this happen with Wired Amazon.

Why is it important to become a citizen scientist?

Insects are the base of all ecosystems, considered as “all those small things that support the world” (E.O Wilson). They accomplish key roles as pollination, supporting up to 80% of the production of fruits and vegetables, nutrient recycling, and decomposers of organic trash. Also, controlling pests of important human crops is the basis of any known ecosystem, with thousands of functions.

Since February 2016, more than 1,500 people have participated in the program, discovering 9 new species of tiger moths and 2 Scorpion wasps, helping us, at Wired Amazon, make science happen. Join Us.

Four new species and one new subspecies of Arctiinae (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) from the Tambopata River, Madre de Dios, Peru

Nearly every time I walk on the jungle trails in the Tambopata region of the Amazon rainforest I come across awesome wildlife.

The rainforests of Tambopata are teaming with it. It is always very rewarding seeing some of the elusive animals that reside in the Peruvian jungle. Such as the jaguar, the giant anteater, the river otters, the anaconda, the sloth, the harpy eagle or the Capuchin monkeys to name a few. But witnessing animal behavior in action right in front of you is always the most fulfilling thing that anyone can experience. Irrespective of whether you are watching a rare species or not.

Part One: The Stolen Eggs

After a long and painful morning trek, I was returning to the Refugio Amazonas jungle lodge for lunch at 1 pm, tired, thirsty, and hungry so wasn’t walking quietly anymore; in fact. At the rate I was going, I would be back in 15 minutes, leaving me enough time for a quick shower before lunch. After ten, suddenly a Brown Capuchin Monkey (Cebus apella) jumps onto a tree right in front of me. Because it is so close to me, I decide to stop and photograph it. A couple of shots later, the rest of its troop arrive and start foraging for food around me.

This seems like a good opportunity for some monkey shots so I remain with the troop and keep taking photos of the first capuchin that jumped in front of me. Even though this individual wasn’t the largest and strength, it seemed to be the leader of the troop as all the other members were following it.

Some wise-looking capuchins. Photo by Louis Guillot

Brown Capuchin

Brown Capuchin

After following them for about twenty minutes I remember that lunch is nearing so I had better get going again. Just as I start to walk away, I hear a big rustling in a nearby tree and see a Spix’s Guan (a kind of jungle turkey) fly out of the tree in a very agitated manner. Seconds later, all the capuchins rush to where the guan flew out from. It turns out this was its nest! It is commonly known that bird eggs and other small animals such as lizards constitute part of the capuchin’s diet. The first individual to enter the nest was the capuchin leader. As quickly as he entered the nest, he exits it…

But it is not empty-handed: it is carrying two of the guan’s eggs, one in each hand pressed up against its chest. While the other monkeys are distracted by the discovery of the nest, the thief tries to make a break for it. Except, how can you be quick jumping from tree to tree when you are a monkey and you cannot use your arms as you are carrying one egg in each?

So the capuchin starts hopping awkwardly from branch to branch on its two hind legs. If it wants to eat both eggs, it must get to a safe place away from its troop, as they will not hesitate to mob it to steal its treasure. To its dismay, the other monkeys quickly realize that the nest is empty and start pursuing it. The chase is on! It starts running away again. As it does it cracks a hole in one of the eggs and starts eating it! Just as I’m wondering how greedy this little capuchin is, it suddenly drops the half-eaten egg…

Was it an accident? Did the egg slip out of its hand? I think not.

Dropping the egg doesn’t only free up one of its hands, thereby increasing its agility and ability to escape but also diverts the chasing pack: the capuchins suddenly have an easy meal right on the jungle floor. They all rush to the ground and fight between themselves to try and claim the egg. This diversion, the lower load, and the freed-up hand give the capuchin leader just enough time to finish eating the second egg before the others resume the chase.

The benefits derived from dropping the egg make me believe that this action was purposeful: the leader escapes from the other capuchins (avoiding potential injury) and manages to consume one and a half eggs.

Part Two: Capuchin Monkey Feeding On Wasp Larvae

As shown in this photo, a Wild cheeky Capuchin Monkey can be seen amongst a swarm of angry wasps. In fact, when taking this photograph I didn’t notice the wasps: it was only after looking over my photos and zooming in on this one that I saw this interaction. Capuchins are known to attack and destroy wasp nests in search of the nutrient-rich wasp larvae that reside in the nest.

Once they empty the nest from the adult wasps, they can then pick out the larvae from the hexagonal cells in the nest and eat them. It does seem like a risky thing to do but Wild cheeky Capuchins Monkeys have thick hair to protect them from the wasp stings, they are also able to escape from the wasp’s thanks to their agile speed in the trees.

The benefit these larvae bring to the capuchins outweighs the risks: they obtain a rich snack with a very high protein and fat content. Although I didn’t see the capuchin destroying the nest it is very likely this is what is happening.

If this story inspires you, Tour Tambopata and visit the Amazon jungle lodges of Rainforest Expeditions.

About Me: 

I am a wildlife photographer studying zoology at the University of Bristol, UK. In 2016-17, I worked on a research project on parasitic wasps at the London Natural History Museum, reporting to the Head of Entomology, Dr. Gavin Broad. In the summer 2017, I volunteered for the Tambopata Macaw Project and fell in love with the area. I took many photos during my time as a volunteer and learned much about jungle life.

You can follow my jungle stories on my Instagram page: louis_guillot (https://www.instagram.com/louis_guillot/). You can also see my photos on my online portfolio: https://louisguillot.smugmug.com/

You can contact me here: louisjmguillot@gmail.com

by Louis Guillot