Pura Vida

"Pura Vida...it's Costa Rica's slogan, as well as being a way of life. The direct translation is "pure life" but it's so much more than that. It's living the good life...cherishing simple pleasures...spending time with loved ones...and enjoying a slow, relaxed pace of life." 

- John Michael Arthur

Pura Vida is a phrase I heard or said myself several times daily in the beautiful country of Costa Rica, where I just recently returned from after two weeks' vacation. Costa Rica has been on my “must see” list of places to go for several years. Warm, tropical, known for being eco-conscious, lots of flora and fauna to photograph… It had been over 10 years since my last tropical vacation, and it felt very overdue!

One highlight of this particular holiday was how thoroughly I was able to enjoy it, physically as well as emotionally. I enjoyed the company of good friends, watched the sunset on the beach every evening, ate nearly every meal outside, floated in the pool with a good book, won a card game or two...

Balancing out the gentle, unhurried pace, were also a variety of activities for the senses, including:

• Climbing hills and/or stairs daily
• Navigating a 13-cable zip line course
• Hiking through a wildlife sanctuary
• Swimming in the ocean
• Walking through the neighbourhood
• Walking along the beach
• A 60-min yoga class

As well as the sights, sounds, and smells of a foreign country; all in 30°C+ temperatures; none of which required so much as a nap afterwards.

This would have been a very different trip even a year ago. There would have been resting the full day before and after any activity, and lots of negotiating with myself about which activities might be ‘worth’ that.* I would not have done nearly as much sight-seeing. Just the daily trekking around in the golf cart (our rented mode of transportation) would have been enough of a sensory experience to tire my brain and body for the remainder of the day.

Instead, I was able to enjoy every aspect of my holiday, fully present through it all.

I am SO proud of my nervous system, and I’m proud of myself as well. I’ve done a lot of work to get to this point.

The view from my bedroom balcony
where I did my brain retraining
each day

I continued my brain retraining practices each day in Costa Rica—delighting in the ability to do my 'rounds' entirely outdoors! After 8 months, my rounds have become as routine as many people find the gym.

Now that I’m past the 6-month mark, I’ve been playing with the frequency of my rounds, weaving back in more of the other practices I’m familiar with and have come to enjoy (e.g. yoga, breathing exercises, meditation). At the very least, however, I’m finding my rounds are a nice way to start and end my day.

Especially with palm trees as my backdrop and tropical birds as my soundtrack.

My first spark of hope with my recovery came last summer when, just two weeks into my brain retraining, I realized I hadn’t needed a nap in several days. As I regain the ability to do more and more of the things I love well--like travel--my hope grows. When I have hiccups, I know they’ll pass; and, they are fewer and farther in between.

I was fortunate enough to vacation in the Nosara area, which is on the west coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, one of the world's Blue Zones. Immersed in sunshine, ocean waves, and tropical jungle, it's not hard to see why it's a Blue Zone. This vacation was not just a boost to my nervous system, but a boost to my spirit as well.

Pura vida.

*There is a huge difference between resting because I want to, and resting because I have to.

The 365-day Project that Took 8 Years (AND SOTC 365/365)

Have you ever gotten so intimate with a saskatoon berry? My yearly tradition of foraging a few cups of saskatoons from Edmonton's River Valley completed my SOTC photo challenge this past summer.*

I do love a good photo challenge. A few years ago, I turned a gratitude challenge into a photographic one; I spent the next summer hunting down instagrammable walls in Edmonton; and, I currently have an ongoing challenge to sit in a Red Chair in every one of Canada's national parks/historic sites before I die--with picture proof, of course.

My first photo challenge was a 365 project where I captured a photo of myself every single day for one year. As soon as that one was complete, I set myself up for a second 365 challenge--a photo each day straight off the camera (SOTC); no post-processing of any kind. However, 30 days in, I was struggling to keep up the creative juices. While the first 365 project was essentially photo documentation of my daily life, my Straight Off The Camera challenge was more about being able to work a subject or composition. But, you know what? Some days I just don't feel like taking photos. I doubt even professional photographers take photos every single day.

So I re-wrote the challenge. Still 365 un-processed images... with an open time line.

And so here we are.

That project started on September 1, 2012, and concluded July 27, 2020. The 365 project that took 2887 days.

I have to admit, I'm not sure if this challenge resulted in me creating more un-processed final images or not. As my photography has evolved, so has my "vision" for some of the images I compose--sometimes I create compositions that I fully intend to run through Photoshop before I even click the shutter.

However, my first love is capturing this big, beautiful world "as is"--there is a strong element of realism in my photography, and so I know my satisfaction with getting the shot I want fully in-camera has certainly increased, because sometimes the elements are against me! In this project, occasionally I got one on the first try. Other times, it took upwards of 20 shots to get the one I wanted. I also put concerted effort into capturing a variety of compositions to stretch my comfort zone.

My creative drive has taken a bit of a hit with the pandemic this year; as for so many people, my mind has often just been elsewhere. Nevertheless, I know that photography soothes my soul, and my camera is never far from my side. While I will be spending time this winter learning more about post-processing, there's nothing quite like getting it "right" in-camera. I know I will continue to stretch my compositional skills as much behind the lens as in front of the screen.

P.S. I am blogging less these days... the best way to keep up with my fine art photography is by following me on Instagram: @photosbygina.yeg.

* It also completed the life span of my camera, the shutter mechanism of which started failing minutes after this image was taken. Many digital cameras like mine have an average "mileage" of 100,000 shutter clicks. In seven years with that camera, I'm sure I reached or exceeded that. It is costly to repair the shutter when compared to the cost of a new camera body, so I upgraded to a similar but newer model. RIP Canon 70D.

SOTC 363/365

SOTC 362/365

If I can't go to the Red Chairs this year, I'll bring the red chairs to me!

SOTC 361/365

I think he sees me...

SOTC 360/365

SOTC 359/365

SOTC 358/365*

*omg, you guys, only a "week" left in this project! It's taken years!

SOTC 357/365

SOTC 356/365

SOTC 355/365

"Only in darkness can we glimpse the fullest light our soul carries for us." - Angie Weiland-Crosby

SOTC 354/365

So, it turns out five of my SOTC contributions are squirrels, and frankly, I'm surprised it's not more.

SOTC 352/365

SOTC 351/365

SOTC 350/365

SOTC 349/365

SOTC 348/365

I find that small birds are crazy-quick and hard to photograph. However, they're also great subjects, and so interesting to watch in their own right.

So I bought a bird feeder to see them more often.

Then I bought a good bird feeder to see them longer.

Finally, I bought a fancy-pants zoom lens to see them better.

And I watch. And I practice.

Ages ago I learned that with portrait photography, make sure the eyes are crisp, and try and get the catchlights if you can. Turns out that applies to any species. So I start from there and compose as I go.

Small birds are crazy-quick to photograph. Here's to sometimes being quicker.

SOTC 347/365

SOTC 343/365

Closing out summer 2019 like...

SOTC 342/365