El Yunque rain forest, Puerto Rico
If you tried to send me email this past week, you noticed an out of office message regarding my trek to a Puerto Rican rain forest. Visiting a rain forest has always been on my “Bucket List”.
Why Puerto Rico? My neighbor and fellow photographer had plans for a trip to the island, and it was a great opportunity to continue my photographic journey … and finally post some more photos of record for this blog.
So, what do you shoot pictures of in a rain forest … besides the inevitable rain and trees? We decided that we needed a goal that would challenge us as nature photographers.
There are two things about a rain forest – water and trees everywhere!
Somewhere in a bar while planning the trip, we first set our sights on the Puerto Rican Parrot. But, after learning that they are almost extinct with less than 100 in the wild, we decided that that it might be a bit ambitious for just a week trek.
So, we settled on the “Tody” … a small brilliant green bird about the size of your thumb, which is unique to Puerto Rico. Of course, we had no idea that the Tody was the same color of green as almost everything else in the forest! Nor did we realize that with the dense canopy of foliage, it would be almost impossible to see one, let alone take a picture of anything in the darkness through the steady rain.
In the end, results count! We managed pictures of an extremely challenging subject in an environment that would have defeated us as photographers just a few months ago.
We won’t win any awards or get published in National Geographic. My two and only shots of a Tody will give you some idea of how small and hard they are to see in the dim light under the forest canopy.
A flitter in the canopy high above … A Tody is finally confirmed!
And, what does any of this have to do with business? Not much perhaps. But, upon further reflection, there seems to be similar parallels to achieving results:
The right equipment & tools are absolutely essential, but not sufficient
There is no substitute for the ability to execute at the moment of truth
Teamwork multiplies the opportunities for success … and enjoyment
Thanks to my photo partner Doug Smith, as a "team", we captured a respectable image of the Tody in the very wet world of the Puerto Rican rain forest ... not to mention a lifetime of memories shared over more than one rum.
Photo courtesy of Doug Smith
Finally … A brilliant Tody captured!