A fantastic opportunity for me today, being I am a people photographer and far enjoy including humans and their personalities in my shots - to just shooting scenery or static subjects.
I was informed by one of the local merchants, that a school in the area would be having a Snakes of Costa Rica and the Americas - presentation today - - - and I was asked if I wanted to go for some photo opportunities. I accepted even though I had no idea whether there be any real opportunities for great animal pictures or not.
Well it turns out that the snake part was of minimal value to me, but the "kid opportunity" was of much value. Many of the small children were making comments (reported to me through an interpreter) about how they knew me from the bus. One young 6 or 7 year old student came up me and shook my hand firmly as he has done previously - at a bus stop a mile down the mountainside when he came biking up to me from his home - and one evening at a soccer game after I noticed a few young boys huddled up and looking at me and egging or daring the young fellow to approach me and shake my hand.
I love it - - - that is one of the interactions that I regret that I do not have the same freedom to enjoy in Canada and the US. I'm always concerned that parents will have a major problem with my approaching, talking to and taking a picture of their child. I have even been confronted by officials when my wife and I have taken our grandchildren to a local fair and I was in the distance using a telephoto lens for for a unique perspective of them on some of the rides. I totally dislike losing that freedom to practice my craft in a way that pleases me.
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BACK TO THE SCHOOL
This school has been the home of these children, their parents and grandparents and possibly several generations before that. It is an "old school" I was told. I stood back initially and watched as the "snake guy" educated this class about how to identify dangerous and non-dangerous snakes - and the value of them - - - - being they are being killed off for no reason other than that they are snakes and could be dangerous. So I stood back and grabbed a few setup shots:
1) Entry fee was c500 ($1)
Nikon D40 f3.5 @ 1/60'th 200ISO bounced flash
2) Instruction to one of the classes before entering the Snake Room
Olympus E-510 f6.3 @ 1/200'th 400ISO
3) Love this shot
Olympus E-510 f4 @1/160'th 800ISO