Tina and her family wanted to take beautiful family portraits on the beaches of Costa Rica while they were vacationing here. Mother nature didn't want us to. We originally were going to take the photos at Los Suenos Resort, where the family was staying for most of their trip, but as it sometimes does in July in Costa Rica, the rain storms came in. We ended up rescheduling a few times by the time we were actually able to meet, but the photos turned out beautiful so I am happy it all worked out. 

The boys just LOVED it when I asked them to put their arms around one another...not. Although you can't tell at all in the photo!

I always touch on wardrobe with my clients before they make their trip here, just to make sure everything will look cohesive in the photos. Tina was super prepared, she even emailed me a photo of the family in their outfits before hand to see what I thought. She did a great job, as you can see, the colors work perfectly with one another and with the setting.

We had scheduled an early morning family session because of the tide chart. There was a thick haze that lay over the ocean, and a cloud cover that toned down the heat of the sun. The kids had fun exploring the volcanic rock and finding sea critters in between photos. 

I love the colors of this life guard stand and surf board. It completely represents Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.

So I actually photograph a lot of other things besides weddings, but I hardly ever post about them. Since this is my blog I guess I can make the rules, so from now on I will be posting other photos and their stories in addition to wedding photography :) I hope you enjoy!

Brisas del Nara is a small tour company located in the foothills of the Cerro Nara mountain range in Costa Rica. They offer a horse back riding tour through the jungle to various waterfalls and a beautiful river, and they are now adding a new tour which is similar but done in a safari truck instead of on horses. 

I had the pleasure of trying out the tour and taking pictures for their website. It was truly an amazing experience. Butterflies would flutter up to the truck and fly along with us for portions of the ride. And since you are driving in the open air you can hear all of the jungle noises around you. The color of the river is just amazing. It is so inviting. And if the safari truck isn't exhilarating enough for you, just try the 416 foot hanging bridge that is suspended 131 feet above the ground. 

The tour starts from the Brisas del Nara site where you can enjoy beautiful views and eat a delicious breakfast. 

Along your ride you will stop to see Rio Naranjo (orange river). The color of the water was a beautiful green because we visited during the summer months. During the rainy season the river turns a muddy orange, hence the name. 

The tour guide stops at certain points along the road and brings you on small hikes to see beautiful scenes from mother nature.

For those who want to get their adrenaline going take the shaky walk across the never ending hanging bridge. You don't have to do it if you don't want to, but I say go for it!

Our last stop was a beautiful swimming hole. They had changing rooms available so we took a little bit of a longer break and jumped in for a swim. There is also a huge waterfall just a minutes walk from the swimming hole. During the dry season it is just a trickle of water, but during the rainy season I hear it is quite the site!

We finished off the afternoon back at the starting point where we enjoyed a typical Costa Rican lunch known as a casado. 

To learn more about the tours offered by Brisas del Nara visit their website: www.horsebacktour.com