One Year With The Wildlife

For a year, the Pacific coast of Costa Rica became a place of observation.

A Year in Costa Rica: Living Among the Wild at Manuel Antonio

Based between Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park, daily life unfolded where rainforest meets ocean. Wildlife was not something encountered on occasional excursions, but a constant presence woven into the fabric of everyday life.

The mornings often began with the distant calls of howler monkeys carrying through the forest before sunrise. Sloths occupied familiar trees for weeks at a time, moving almost imperceptibly through the canopy. White-faced capuchin monkeys travelled confidently across rooftops and garden walls, while scarlet macaws, toucans, iguanas, and coatis appeared with such regularity that they became part of the landscape itself.

The rainforest demanded attention. Light shifted constantly beneath the canopy. Tropical rain arrived without warning. The changing tides, weather, and seasons shaped the rhythm of each day more than clocks or calendars.

As a photographic study, the experience became an exercise in patience. Meaningful observations often emerged not through searching, but through returning to the same places repeatedly and allowing patterns to reveal themselves over time.

Life in the region extended beyond the forest. Local markets, roadside fruit stands, and family-run cafés offered glimpses into daily life along the Pacific coast. Fresh plantains became patacones, tomatoes became pico de gallo, and meals reflected the agricultural abundance of the region. The humid air carried the scent of rain, salt water, and flowering vegetation throughout much of the year.

What remains most memorable is the sense of coexistence between people and the natural world. Wildlife moved freely through towns and neighbourhoods. Forest, beach, and community existed not as separate environments, but as interconnected parts of the same landscape.

For Lens & Legacy Studio, this period became a study in observation, documenting not only wildlife, but the relationship between place, environment, and everyday life. A reminder that understanding a landscape requires more than passing through it. It requires time, attention, and a willingness to look closely.

Field Notes are observations gathered through lived experience, documenting the landscapes, wildlife, architecture, people, and everyday details that define a place beyond its postcard image.