It's a start...

I have high hopes for this website as a place to share my photographs, stories and offer my services in photography and photographic education.

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The site will start out as a way for me to share my thoughts, images and experiences from my upcoming trip to South America beginning late June, 2026.

Journey

Moments Captured in Ecuador

Ecuador is a highly diverse South American nation named after the Equator, which slices directly through it. Ecuador has "four worlds in one". It boasts the Amazon rainforest, Andean highlands, Pacific coast, and the Galápagos Islands. The city of Quito is the world's highest official capital city at 2,850 meters above sea level.
In comparison, Denver is 1600 metres above sea level.
It pays to take it easy upon arrival.

La Lomita Retreat

La Lomita Retreat is a beautiful property tucked in the Andean Cloud Forest of Mindo, Ecuador. It is owned by an old friend of mine named Kelly Sue. Here are some photos I have taken on the property.

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Photos at La Lomita

Backyard Bird images

Mariposario Mindo

Mariposa is the Spanish word for butterfly. There are so many mariposas to randomly encounter here in Mindo. I decided to set up my macro gear and have a day of it. The local butterfly garden offered an opportunity to photograph many of the colourful, beautiful creatures.

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So I wanted this to be a blog style start to the website that was not too verbose. I owe it to you all
to share a bit about my past several days. What started as a little sniffle quickly turned into full blown
lung infection that had me burning then shivering and aching all over. That's right, welcome to the jungle! I got a lift to the nearest doctor who works 1/2 hour away. Chest x-rays, examination and a broad spectrum antibiotic injection in the rump at the whopping cost of $40. Good news was no pneumonia the bad news the infection pretty advanced. They gave me a heap of meds including more antibiotics and they are working so I am feeling half human again. So I am still staying around the property and not venturing too far. Here are some images from La Lomita grounds

Backyard Night Time Adventure

There is so much to explore in this biodiverse region. Mindo has 400 species of orchids and numerous bromeliads, which act as micro-habitats for insects and amphibians. I decided to have a look at what the night shift has to offer.
Today's post is only a sampling of what is out there. I am still not at 100% strength so it is important that I go easy and continue to only shoot on La Lomita's property. I spoke with another local property owner and he says he knows where to find the elusive (to me anyway) glass frogs. I will meet up with him soon for another night time adventure when I am closer to full strength.
Remember that you can click on the photographs to get a larger view of them.
Enjoy :-)

This is an Akari Toucan. It is the first that I have seen on this trip and the photo was taken in very low light. I hope for better shots of these magnificent creatures as time goes on. I am so excited to have an image of one.

Hummingbird Colours

Hummingbird colours are primarily created by iridescence, not true pigments. What makes their feathers so uniquely dazzling is not the colour of the feather itself, but how its microscopic structure interacts with light.
The two pictures below are of the same Hummingbird from two slightly different angles. They demonstrate how it is the actual light reflectivity that creates the beautiful colours.

This curious little mammal below is locally called the watusa. It is also know as the agouti. They are responsible for planting rainforest seeds as a result of their herbivore diet. They are much loved by people for different reasons.
Some think they are cute, some appreciate their contribution to forestation and others, well... It is a good source of protein. Sorry folks

Today's post is more a visual document of my morning walk into the town of Mindo from La Lomita. I used the run and gun approach so different than my normal style. I wanted to try to spend less than a minute, sometimes much less, on each image as I hungrily walked to get some Tigrillo for breakfast. It is a beautiful 30 minute stroll to town.

Remember to click on photos for enlarged view.

I rode the e-bike to the edge of town where there is a property called the Punto Ornitológico. The owner charges $5 dollars for entry and he has plenty of trails and viewing platforms. While I did not go during the optimal time of day, I did see some very interesting birds. Locals here can earn much more money from charging people to walk on their precious spots than farming and cattle. Eco tourism is more sustainable, lucrative and the earth and animals have a win.
Here are some of the pics from this are.
I have to say, while this was a good photography location. I am currently editing ones from another nature area in a higher location. It was fantastic!!!
Watch this space. In fact, why not consider subscribing to receive email updates when there is new content. You also get a sneak peak image of the next post.

I am so incredibly excited to finally get these images posted! This has to be, hands down, the biggest variety of bird nature photos that I have grabbed in a single day. Again, this is an owner who has transformed, over the years, the sections of his property (Las Cotingas) that ran cattle in order to expand the natural habitat of local wildlife. His name is Anderson and he charges a premium of entry $15 per person into Las Cotingas and it is so worth it! If you contact him directly, he will meet you and take you around, spot wildlife and name the creatures plus be his warm and animal loving self. Other photographers and birders were there with guides who have taken them to Las Cotingas and some paying near $300 for the day! Always start at the source by contacting the owners. It pays off in saving money and getting extremely local knowledge from the property owner. Ok, I am getting wordy so let's cut to the pics.
Remember to click on the pics for a closer look.
Enjoy

After a very eventful few weeks in the cloud forest of Mindo, this will be my last wildlife post from the beautiful area. This post is the tale of El Gallo de la Peña or The Andean Cock of the Rock in English.
El Gallo de la Peña male is a unique looking bird that is not easy to find. I read about a property owner who has a lek on his property. A lek is a gathering place for the males twice a day. They gather just before dawn and dance around and make one heck of noise from their calls. This is basically a way for the colourful males to strut their stuff and attract local females. This ritual happens again in the afternoon before dusk. This adventure day involved me waiting for my trusty driver in complete darkness in the cloud forest to meet at 4:30am. Yes, I had a torch (flashlight) but that only attracted hoards of night time insects and then the bats hunting them. I settled for peaceful complete blackness under the new Moon. It was a fifty minute drive to get to the property. After meeting the property owner, his son and myself trekked for twenty five minutes in the dark to find the lek. It paid off with so many of them putting on a show. These were my favourite pics.

There will be new content coming as I have transitioned to city life in Quito, Ecuador. After Quito I will explore Bogota
so the posts will have a different vibe but I hope you find them as interesting as I have.

Please remember to share this page freely and subscribe to get notices when new content is up and a sneak peak of the next post.

Click on the photos to enlarge them.

Thi is the end of the photo blog for my trip to the Mindo cloud forest.

Eric "at" ericbphotography.com.au

+61 467 937 391

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