Some mornings I step into the raw jungle...

With mud already on my boots, buckets of bug spray covering me from head to toe and my camera slung over my shoulder, ready for whatever the jungle decides to share with me that day. That’s the photo you see here. Me in my everyday "Costa Rica adventure clothes," about to disappear down a trail that might lead to a laughing falcon, a green heron spearing breakfast or a coati turning its head to look straight at me.

This is my life now: a wildlife and nature photographer (and storyteller) living fearlessly between the rainforest and the Pacific coast, chasing the quiet magic that makes my heart feel most alive.

And the gear that comes with me every single time? It’s all Nikon. I keep it simple, rugged and ready for anything the humidity, rain and mud can throw at it.

• Nikon Z8 body, my main workhorse. It’s weather sealed enough to handle sudden raindrops and downpours and fast enough to catch a hummingbird mid-hover or a kingfisher’s lightning dive. The image quality in low light (golden hour or misty mornings) is magic.

• Nikkor 180-600mm, my go to for birds and pretty much most wildlife. Not exactly lightweight but enough to carry on muddy trails and mountain hikes, yet sharp and fast when a scarlet macaw pair flies low over the beach or a tricolored heron strikes in the lagoon.

• Nikkor 105mm macro, for the tiny worlds I love most. Praying mantises on the jungle floor, poison dart frogs in the leaf litter, spiders in golden threads, delicate details of an orchid just after rain. It lets me get eye level without disturbing anything and seeing... everything.

• A few essentials! Weather sealed bags, rain covers (unless you use your already soaked shirt in the moment like I do), a sturdy monopod that doubles as a walking stick when the trails get slick and a backup battery.

This setup isn’t flashy or overcomplicated. It’s built for real life in the rainforest. The kind where you might be lying in mud one minute and chasing a flock of green parrots the next...

Explore the prints born from these Nikon captured moments in the shop.

What I love most is how this gear lets me stay true to my approach. Patient (kind of), ethical (always!)  and fully present. It never gets in the way of the moment. It helps me honor it. This is the equipment that has traveled with me through the transition from salty Cape Cod shores to humid barefoot jungle mornings, supporting the fearless life I chose when I decided to follow the wild pulse instead of the expected path.

If you’re dreaming of your own wildlife photography adventures in Costa Rica (or anywhere wild), I hope this gives you a real, honest look at what actually works beautifully in the field.

What’s one piece of gear that has changed how you experience nature? What are you most curious about when it comes to photographing in the jungle?