Macro Photography & Learning How to Become a Committed Person with Cynthia Bandurek

Cynthia Bandurek  (@cynthiabandurek_artphotography) is a photographer known for her expertise in macro photography, conservation projects, and scientific publications. She advocates for nature conservation through her stunning macro photography work and collaborations as a Nature First Ambassador.

In this episode expect to learn methods to take better macro photography pictures, understand the unobvious differences in opportunity in first world countries vs. developing countries, why taking chances can lead to good things, why always being a student and dedicated to learning is invaluable, and how getting out of your comfort zone makes you better.

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Go get shooting, go get editing, and stay focused.

@sethmacey
@mantis_photography
@thephotographermindset

Transcript

INTRO:

00:00.00
smacey
Hey welcome back to another episode of the photographer mindset podcast I'm your co-host Seth Macey today we had on longtime listener now turned guest Cynthia Banduric from Argentina living in Costa Rica awesome macro photographer when I think macro photography. She's the first person that comes to mind.

00:03.18
aaronmannes
And I'm your co-host Aaron Mannes

00:12.51
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

00:19.10
smacey
And know about you.

00:20.33
aaronmannes
When I see any macro photo I Wonder if it's hers. Yeah right? Um, but I think she might be the the one and only on my feed that really comes through um it she's great. First of all, she's been a supporter of the show for a long time.

00:24.70
smacey
Um, there's a very distinct look though right.

00:38.40
aaronmannes
Ah, she's finally on the show long overdue I would say she's been a cover photo artist for our show 3 times tpm artwork 3 4 times. Ah and just a really I think top notch person.

00:47.84
smacey
Um, the Tpm artwork. Yeah, 3 or 3 or 4 times. Yeah.

00:55.00
smacey
Yeah, and we mentioned the episode but english not her first language she was nervous to come on knowing how many people listen to this did it anyways, you know didn't worry about having a perfect interview said hey this scares the hell out of me I'm going to come on though.

01:08.59
aaronmannes
Um, yeah.

01:14.46
smacey
Do my best talk about what I know and a lot of people shy away from that and I hope ah people keep that like in mind right? like that's such an important skill that I think you anyone can exercise right.

01:26.34
aaronmannes
Exactly I think she had a lot of really admirable traits um, stemming from a ton of practice for gymnastics her sports as a child what that taught her about pursuing interests pursuing things. She's into. It was pretty clear that she had the blueprint for success and however you may view success. But for her her success is paramount for sure.

01:53.50
smacey
Yeah, and I think I brought up in the episode I feel like there's just such a disconnect between life in America and Canada and the western world and life in you know. South America and central America I'm not saying that it's any worse. But just there's a lot of there's not a lot of the same opportunities and I feel like there's a lot of things taken for granted and I like that we've had this episode and Carlos in such close succession because people can really start to understand if they're not from those areas that like. Have it good here like there's this is ah there's so much opportunity. So like just go do something work hard at something you know that that that doesn't necessarily come quick. Come easy right? I think ah I think that's really important I think these you know past couple up so it's especially this one is a reminder of that. Right.

02:42.34
aaronmannes
Yeah I think her quote was thank goodness now I have windows indoors right? like where she where you're living. So we're'm not going to give away that story but like that I think froze both of us in terms of a Wow we're complaining about ah a weak internet connection. You know.

02:45.19
smacey
Yeah, when she yeah.

02:59.42
aaronmannes
Like we we we can get enraged by that and she's grateful for her living situation that has actual doors and in the jungle. Yeah yeah.

03:01.79
smacey
Yeah, and not only that though, but when she didn't have windows indoors. It's like hey I'm still here doing what I love like life's good, right? And that's so so admirable if you want to see this interview. Video subscribe to the Youtube it's in the episode description quick word from the sponsor and then off we go.

INTERVIEW:

00:16.12
smacey
Cynthia how are you? How are you doing today in the humid hot land of Costa Rica?

00:16.82
Cynthia Bandurek
Cynthia.

00:22.48
aaronmannes
Yeah.

00:31.30
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, ah I am fine I'm happy to be here and happy to be with you in the and the podcast. Ah yeah, with with ah it's is's hot here or big hot weather.

00:40.54
smacey
Um, yeah, yeah.

00:46.89
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, we are getting into the rainy system. So it's really humid. So yeah, but happy.

00:47.44
aaronmannes
Um.

00:50.74
smacey
Right? Aaron have you been to Costa Rica

00:55.50
aaronmannes
I've never been. It is ah it is high on my list for sure.

00:56.83
smacey
If you want some waterfalls I mean there's tons of other stuff there too. But I went there before I was a wildlife photographer. So I have to go back sometime but I just chased waterfalls and there was not enough time in the day to see him all. It was such a beautiful beautiful place but of course you're not from. Costa Rica originally are you Cynthia you're from Argentina is that correct. How did you end up where you are that seems like a long story.

01:18.80
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, ah, that's a long story. Yeah I am from Argentina yes, from oneosites a big city. Ah, Loy City ah um three years ago I moved to Costa Rica

01:31.27
smacey
Um, okay.

01:33.23
Cynthia Bandurek
Um, was ah, not not the perfect time because we were in the pandemic situation. Um, yeah, if if you want I can't tell you all the story because to move here I It was a long process to be able to move here. Ah.

01:48.96
smacey
Um, yeah, tell us.

01:50.16
aaronmannes
Um, cost.

01:52.61
Cynthia Bandurek
You know I um I was born in the city and I was born in ah in a family with money wasn't never enough. We have all the necessary things but was difficult for me to think in doing trips or. Even photography was something difficult. So yeah, not I always have this strange relationship with money because what's always ah, always difficult to get so after there in. A couple of years ago I went through a really difficult situation and after that situation I I asked that I overcome this situation after 4 years of processing the things I realized that I was a stronger that and I thought that. And in in that moment I start to think that maybe ah these kind of things that always thought weren't for me because I couldn't afford it. Um, maybe I can find a way to make these things come true. Um, right? so. One day I was I was working at that time at the museum and a natural science museum in onesided and I decided to both buy a ticket Costa Rica so I bought a ticket in 18 installment and my my hands were shaking because.

03:22.67
Cynthia Bandurek
I never traveled before to other countries just the the the country closed Georgia and seen ah a couple of times. But yeah after that I bought a ticket and after that I realized I didn't have the money I I had the ticket but I didn't have the money to. Be here in Costa Rica so after and after they got the ticket I went to the bank and I asked for a loan and after that and two months after that I was here alone just traveling windine camera one month and yeah photographing wildlife here and especially the the smaller ones right? Yeah, so was a big change of mindset because I always saw that that kind of fly wasn't for me and I did it. Of course it took me 3 years to pay the loan. For some people. It's easier but I did it on. Yeah and after that I got home again and once you start you you can you can stop right? and so after that in 2000 that was in 2018 in two size. Thousand and nineteen I decided I want to travel again I was still paying the low one for the previous travel. So I get to put together just $900 was so I get from doing.

04:56.58
Cynthia Bandurek
And extra my work I was doing some workshops in micro photograph photography. So I got that amount of money and I bought a ticket in 18 installments and I went to equaor again alone with my camera and to do photography there. And I got back from a corior and I realized that I need more than one month in the shangle because since I am a child I love nature so deeply so deeply. So yeah and I was living in a big city didn't make sense right? So yeah, um. Ah, the time I decided that I want to move to Costa Rica on the pandemic the but the pandemic hit so I get to stagger a little bit but after that after they they open the borders again I just bought the ticket and move move here without the plan. In the middle of the pandemic and without money and I survive so here here I am yeah yes.

05:57.98
aaronmannes
Um, and he survived you're.

06:01.57
smacey
Have you ever been to the us or Canada or outside of South America but you not yet, but you definitely know you know people is a fair well you know Aaron and I right? um you I'm sure you have connections online that.

06:04.70
Cynthia Bandurek
No, not yet, not yet and not yet.

06:13.71
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah.

06:18.49
smacey
Live in those parts of the world is there something about living and because we just had a guest on from Venezuela who moved from venez yeah Carlos and I think what I understood from that is I feel like a lot of people in Canada and the us don't really understand what.

06:24.38
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah I listen to yeah.

06:36.85
smacey
Difference is in living in Argentina in places like Costa Rica what do you think people? what do people not really understand about opportunity and the things that are available does that make sense.

06:50.52
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, yeah, just chasea mashing that a minimum salary in Argentina is one hundred and fifty dollars so it's impossible. It's so difficult to you can live in Argentina with all the crisis we face because Argentina is always in crisis. Um, but if you want to go out of argentine ice is really difficult right? Yeah, yeah, they are.

07:15.32
smacey
So right? So does it. Do you have to almost if you want is it fair to say if you want more for yourself. You have to leave or move to another place.

07:26.91
Cynthia Bandurek
Um, um, maybe you can find opportunities in your country. But yeah, ah I was looking for a a life more connected with nature argentina sa countries are wonderful. Countries. It's an amazing house. Ah, beautiful landscape, beautiful national parks. Everything because we have a shngles. We have the kalaia we have we heard Patagonia we had this. Ah we have everything? Um, but yeah, it's completely difficult to live there and to get opportunities. There. It's more difficult. Ah and here is not easy too. So I move here to be connected with nature. Costa Rica has our great marketing but it's not the same to be at Costa Rica in a holiday season that move here and try to insert yourself in the economy and the in the culture. So yeah, it's it's not the same. So.

08:15.69
smacey
Right? So why macro photography. How do you? Why do you pick that? Why is that That's not something that too many people are doing What is it that attracts you to that.

08:27.68
Cynthia Bandurek
So ah, just before macro photograph photographography came for me biology so I was born with this deep sensibility for nature and that sensibility sensitivity led me to study first a career of um. Ecology that's biology focused ecosystems and then another career that's is called field naturalist that's for working in the field taking data and doing that kind of stuff and I discovered photography. In fact, when I was doing a. I work for my unique, yeah university one of the of them one I I was in the fill our reserve doing some taking data from ah ah homework that I have to do for a university and I I choose study frogs because I love them.

09:22.76
Cynthia Bandurek
So I went to our reserve at night to doing the the the home work for for for the class and I found myself in a middle of the swamp at night and for that opportunity I bought our pocket camera and really all I am I am speaking about. 2005 just on 5 2 census 6 so I bought a pocket camera and I went to the swamp to do my my shop and I found myself in the swamp and I started a shop with the camera justur a history in the the species I was studying. And I fell in love with photograph photography and why macroho photography Microro Photograph Photographography has something special when your photography for example, bears. Ah, your eyes can see the bears of course our big tele photo lens can help you to see things that are far away. But when you are doing photora micro photograph photography you are discovering all the time new things new textures even colors and even behaviors right? Those our eyes can't see that. So for me, it's amazing because allows me to discover every time something new. So.

10:40.21
aaronmannes
Yeah, it's a whole new world. Um I can't even imagine I think I'm I think I'm saving macro photography for one point in my life where I just need a complete change and to see the world in a different way I do have that in the back of my head I Seth I know you've talked about it too of like.

10:40.58
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, so.

10:57.80
aaronmannes
Like to get into that one day just we we talk about like our backyard could be just a playground of ah of bugs and insects and little thingies here and there and just take a different look at what what that world is I think would be amazing. Ah.

11:03.90
smacey
Um, yeah.

11:08.93
smacey
Um, yeah.

11:14.40
smacey
Um I think it would be nice to sorry to interrupt you I think it would be nice to step outside and I don't mean to make it sound like macro photography is easy but I would love to photograph bugs and insects and stuff but it'd be cool for once to step outside my front door maybe in a twelve meter radius

11:21.93
aaronmannes
Um.

11:31.00
smacey
Have so much to shoot as opposed to having to travel cross country for these epic animals like they're all right in your little world but you ignore them right? so.

11:38.31
aaronmannes
Yeah, yeah, it's just a different different outlook and new things. New things are very exciting. Ah you you mentioned your mindset had changed which created this push and and going through a hard time. Ah what about the hard time or that that. Area in your life where the mindset shifted where then you are able to take a chance and take a risk.. Can you talk us I mean this is the photographer mindset. Can you talk us through a little bit of as much detail as you want to, But what is that Shift. And what went away did the fear go away did the comfort go away did what whatever it was I'd I'd love for you to dig into that a little bit more.

12:29.27
Cynthia Bandurek
So ah yeah I think that I realized that that I was stronger than I thought and I was I was I think I was safely to do things that the other way would then? um.

12:43.17
Cynthia Bandurek
Ah, couldn't do it right? because when when I decided to travel the first time to Costa Rica just for a holiday my mind was no, you're crazy. You can do that I was going out to another country I was going alone to other country and I was going alone not just to be in in the. The commonplace that normal people go I was was going to go in in the middle of the shangle alone so and in the moment I decided my mind was no, you're crazy. No yeah, you have to go? No, you're crazy. No, you have to go? Yeah, you are crazy. You have to go on one day I this.

13:08.52
aaronmannes
Um.

13:18.92
Cynthia Bandurek
I visualize myself walking in some road in in Costa Rica and that moment was I am going and I decide to go. Ah yeah, and yeah, and also I think is um, the the big log.

13:30.16
aaronmannes
That's amazing.

13:37.34
Cynthia Bandurek
Big Love that I feel for nature right? that motivates me because I was living in a big city in ah, living in an avenue on a highway so imashing. My life was terrible and I was feeling sad because I need the connection with nature from what I'm nature. Um.

13:40.46
aaronmannes
Um.

13:54.80
Cynthia Bandurek
It's my place in the war. Especially the rain forest.

13:58.50
aaronmannes
So back to the Jungle you're you're mainly macro photography very close up Very I always am struck by the lighting. Um I think that you sometimes create yourself with flashes or strobes or um. Long lights that are that are on the entire time I'm not I'm not sure exactly the techniques that go into that. But um, the lighting and the focusing on these animals I am curious a little bit about the process. Um with not maybe not too much detail. But how do you go about. From finding a frog on a leaf to capturing the photo without it necessarily moving or resetting up to me. It seems difficult. It does if if I'm just thinking about it myself.

14:46.98
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, the the first challenge. Ah you ah you said is to find the animals right? because they are really small and sometimes they are really cryptic and especially in the rainforest is so lash so a lot going on and it's difficult to find the animals. So first you have to find them and I loved photography in animals at nice is is my my preference I go out ah during the day but I prefer during the night and yeah, you have to first find the animals and then to to look. Especially in the rain forestest because sometimes I I forget that that stage is to look around is something beomosis is around you because sometime you get into the ground and you put your bell into the ground to get the the perspective you want to the picture right? So you have to check.

15:32.66
aaronmannes
Um.

15:42.33
Cynthia Bandurek
Everything is okay and safe around and then you kind of start to concentrate in the in the image right? Um, it's difficult to do micro photograph photographography because you have to get get a lot of patience. But once you.

15:58.75
Cynthia Bandurek
You internalize how to work I work with flash even during the day because you know in the machot photographography. The the depth of feel is really shallow. So when you look through the viewfinder you are magnifying the subject but you are magnifying everything else.

16:03.86
aaronmannes
Um.

16:17.87
Cynthia Bandurek
So you move on your movements are magnifying too. The the breeze and the movement of the leaves are magnifying too. So it's it's a complete ows so Flash helps a lot to freeze all this this inconvenience right? so.

16:28.76
aaronmannes
Um.

16:35.52
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, and we use a diffuser because it it helped us to get um even light and also help not to the start too much the animals right? because 1 for me always animals are first before the picture. Yeah.

16:43.72
aaronmannes
Right. Great. Thank you.

16:50.92
smacey
So even more So what are the biggest challenges when doing macro photography and what lens are you are you using.

16:59.81
Cynthia Bandurek
I I have a canon sixty and I am using a canon 102.8 canon macro lens um with flash with the diffuser and sometimes I add um, close up lens that's called Rightnox this year 250 that's help you and when yourre photographing really small subjects help you with magnification. The macro lens have 1 to one magnification ratio. So with this closeup layer. You get almost 2 to 1 magnification range. So for small laniments I use that combination for big ans like frog or reptiles sts all the stuff I use just the macro lens.

17:43.62
smacey
And right. So once you've found your subject. What's the most difficult part from there on out or is it easier than you would think once you've found them.

17:53.23
Cynthia Bandurek
I Think the most difficult part is to do the focus part. Yeah because you have to choose a part of the animal you want in focus. Normally if you are facing the animal it just you have to do the focus on the eyes. And the rest of the animal we will be out of focus. So yeah, that's I think the most challenging part because once you have your yeah I don't do that? Yeah yeah.

18:17.36
aaronmannes
Have you ever focal. Do you ever focus stack I've seen that with macro to yeah I like the depth of field look especially with macro I feel like it's ah it's like a 3 D sort of you're right in it. You're in the in the environment. Um. But I've heard of people focus stacking with macro just ah if you're due to a flower or maybe some plants or leaves you might want the whole thing in Focus. Um, but I do like the differentiation of the eyes and or whatever your your main point is.

18:50.31
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah I think it's the most interesting part abouthopography and that that block but a Blur bank runs that get that 3 dimension 3 dimensionality right? yeah.

18:51.65
aaronmannes
So I was just curious.

19:04.15
aaronmannes
Um.

19:04.61
smacey
Um, what's been your most memorable or favorite animal to photograph in the macro world or insect. Even.

19:13.45
Cynthia Bandurek
So um I know I am in love with frogs I Love insects of course I love insects on Arthropods in fact and spiders that are a troubles too. Um, but frogs are yeah I Love frogs. Yeah.

19:25.31
aaronmannes
Um.

19:30.14
smacey
Um, is there anything about frogs people don't know.

19:30.45
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, and also becauseros. Ah I don't know with with this small animals. You never know because maybe you are photographing than animal an insect or even a frog that is not described at science yet. So yeah.

19:47.90
aaronmannes
that's that's interesting so there's in the united states there's birders I'm sure actually everywhere not just in the United States of course but birders who are looking for certain species of birds and they check it off their list are there froggers are you a frogger are there are there.

20:01.36
Cynthia Bandurek
I can kind of yeah.

20:04.25
aaronmannes
Other species other species that you're looking for that more common and you're like oh there's another one of those frogs I'm really looking for this very rare frog. What's the what's the rarest coolest frog you've ever seen.

20:17.30
Cynthia Bandurek
And ah last year I went to our reserve in the caribbean side of Costa Rica because you have here the really different and suspicious in the pacific side on the caribbean side. Yes, ah, um, afro yeah is is big. They they living high in the tree. It's all sometimes it's difficult to see them and it's really colorful. It's amazing. Yeah yeah.

20:42.48
smacey
Now and.

20:42.79
aaronmannes
Very cool. You have to attach a few of your favorite photos when we ah collect your files at the end of this. Um we'll ah we'll flash them up on the Youtube so people can see.

20:48.45
Cynthia Bandurek
Okay, great. Thank you.

20:53.18
smacey
Now that diffuser is that big box that you're working with and when I go on your profile right? The bigger the better. Why is that.

20:59.70
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, the bigger the better but David because ah you know that the harsh the harsh light of the soft light is depending in fact of the size of the source of light in relation with your subject. So the the bigger the source of light the softer the light the smaller the harsh the light harsher the light. So the bigger, the source of light is better and also sometimes I I am I you probably saw my pictures where I have this soft the softwalks. On the camera with the flash on camera but I like to remove the flash from the camera the camera but because you can use the light as a composition resource more and create different. Yeah, it's not always on the camera. Yeah.

21:40.34
smacey
Um, ah.

21:49.87
smacey
Um, oh.

21:55.63
smacey
So you'll be doing so you'll be doing side lighting or you'll be lighting from underneath. Yeah I was going to ask how you decided to how you decided you know how you could add an artistic element to it. Um Beyond just snapping photos of the animal.

21:55.92
Cynthia Bandurek
It's an easy way toward. Yeah yeah for up. So.

21:56.66
aaronmannes
Um, yeah, it's very name.

22:06.21
Cynthia Bandurek
So light yeah lights and also composition and always talk about perspective because it's easy to move around these small elements because you can go down up site of other side. So it is easy to look for different perspective and to create frames that are compelling for other people that because you know behind behind all my working photo photographray is the conservation side right? because Iya a necologist and and always yeah I know I was good for that. So I always try to to look the better way to to show these animals. We got eggs on yeah to get the the persons hurts and feelings. Yeah.

22:47.30
smacey
Um, right.

22:53.20
smacey
Yeah I was going to ask how your your macro work contributed to raising awareness and wildlife conservation acts.

23:00.13
Cynthia Bandurek
Ah, ah when I start doing micropho photographography in two thousand seven six in fact on one day I realized that I i. I could use Facebook to show up my show my my work right? So a lot of people start to write me um about the the thing that they once they saw my pictures they can see in the same way. These little animals. Because we know know people that say I love animals and then they see or they find a spider in the house and the first reaction is a step on them right? So imagine if the people that love animals a step on these little animals imagine that people don't love animals right. So but with my picture I started to have their reaction in people that they started to look at them in a different way and so after that reaction of people I I I yeah the the idea is doing a book born. I published my ah my book in 2017 and the book is all about that is showing using the photography to to shock these little animals that our eyes can't see to show that that the structures the colors their behaviors but also writing about.

24:14.87
aaronmannes
Um, wow.

24:30.43
Cynthia Bandurek
The stories of these monuments because that's another thing that I love about about them right? Not just the picture because I love nature and I Love not just the beauty of nature I Love all the process of Nature. So yeah, so and in the book I put all together the images that. Make the people stop and then all the stories behind Thisinema the strategies they used to survive because some of them are out of scenes like out of fiction. So yeah, it's a way that people can relate it with and I also wrote wrote up the book. Um, thinking about our daily life. So I connect our daily life life with the life of these small animals flight and this ah is a way that people can re relate with them and look at them in a different way. Yes.

25:19.98
smacey
How long did it take you to write your book is it the world of small and approach to the universe of Arthhoprod Arthro Arthropods from an artistic visual and evolutionary perspective. How long did it take you to write that.

25:24.58
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, yeah.

25:35.42
Cynthia Bandurek
Ah, it took me 4 years there's picture um yeah more than more than 10 years of photographing in the wild and for years since the moment I decided to do it I sit in a desk and start write selecting the picture.

25:38.49
smacey
Um, four years. Wow.

25:52.56
Cynthia Bandurek
And also did the design by myself because it's another thing ah going back to your question about the difficulties in South America on this this countries when you don't have the resources sometimes and things that can can be something. Good right? because in in that moment I didn't have the resources to hire a designer for doing the book. So I learned how to do it by myself. So I see I learned how to use in design. It took me a long time for years but I did the book.

26:19.50
aaronmannes
Um.

26:30.60
Cynthia Bandurek
And also ah now I have the skill so sometimes now having the resources help yeah kept doing things that other way you probably hire another person to the show. So.

26:34.66
smacey
Right.

26:40.48
smacey
Yeah, there's something to be said for that when you don't have the resources and you got that was our theme with Carlos right? You got to figure it out. You got to figure it out and then when you figure it out. You have that skill for life.

26:45.21
aaronmannes
Yeah, yeah.

26:48.76
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, yeah, yeah, the same happened with my website ah time ago I wanted to do that My website I didn't have the resources to hire ah design it Again. So I learned how to learn about myself. I Have my website I and also work for other people doing their websiteat website. So Yeah is is a scale that yeah, give me another opportunity right.

27:15.94
aaronmannes
And your your editing style is very unique to um I really like it I feel like it. It Jives with my eye and and what I like to ah do a little bit with my photos. So I'm I'm curious how that developed over the years as well and is that something you figured out on your own or. Was that through other people or people you looked up to um, what was that process because if everyone should look at your profile. You'll see some very like I think a little desaturated and. And there's there's a lot of use of shadows and light and dark and it it gives sort of a very intimate emotional view of all these animals so I'm curious where that comes from.

27:59.70
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, you know and in the beginning I didn't want to edit too much the picture because I was trying to show the people who are aware that they don't pay attention so I want to show them as as the profile right? but then ah in the pandemic I start To. Learning how to add bit more more in depth on yeah and being here in the shangli I realized that when you just shoot the the picture with your flash doesn't represent and the reality of the shangly because in the Shangle You don't have a light So The the addition that I do now. Reflects more than byron I work that the other kind of picture right? when you have just a flash from them And yeah, yeah, I started learning alone I bought some some presets on I start to look what the people do how scene change when you yeah.

28:44.61
aaronmannes
Um, awesome.

28:55.32
aaronmannes
Um, very nice I have to ask too I do notice every once in a while you'll throw up a story or a video of you. Ah, absolutely ripping on a guitar and I'm I'm curious.

28:55.38
Cynthia Bandurek
And I learned that way. Yeah, yeah, thank you? yeah.

29:12.50
aaronmannes
Ah, Seth again, it's ah it's a common theme the music and the photography or video that I don't know would you say I would say 80% 90% of our guests. It's up there.

29:23.38
smacey
Um, I mean I can play but I can't rip done.

29:25.79
aaronmannes
Yeah that's fine, but like a love for music and the I guess maybe it's maybe it's the personality type of like wanting to learn wanting to figure things out. Maybe that's the connection and then the art on top of it. But there is a really high correlation between people that. Are playing guitar or music or piano or whatever it is and doing creative work I'm curious for you which came first and tell me tell me what you find very similar about music and photography. How would you tie those 2 together if you had to say. This is what they both give me.

30:03.69
Cynthia Bandurek
I Not both are art and expression of the soul right? So yeah I think that but you know I am when I was ah really a small girl I I spend a lot of my young.

30:05.77
aaronmannes
You know.

30:20.72
Cynthia Bandurek
Years as ah, athlete right? I train from artistic gymnastic and then from cyclchronized swimming and I think that's the base of my personality right? because I trained that time 4 hours per day almost every day since five years old since I was 5 years so so give me the the the learning or that the knowledge to be consistent to put the work. You need to to to reach the things you want to do right? So I think that and those years shape my personality. Um, when I was a child. also I was a study in music and also my drawings um um my paintings I was born without seeing my my grandfather was an artist I think that runs in the family right? Um. So I started to draw when I was a child ah doing the sport and I started studying music I study some piano when I was at the nature and then I left the the sport because you know it's a lot of responsibility and when you get in the. In the in the adoles sense is difficult because all your friends want to go out and you are just I need to go to train I need to train and it it's always the same right? So I left the sport for a while and I pick up the guitar and I fell in love with the guitar. But i.

31:51.23
aaronmannes
Um, night.

31:52.00
Cynthia Bandurek
Playing guitar is is difficult. Um, you need to spend a lot the hours on the same I did with the sport 4 hours per day I did the same with the guitar. So I spent a lot of time learninging on the studying and I went to teachers that help me with that. Yeah. And I I had a band we play 5 years live. Yeah yeah and the girl bands. Yeah, and we were precars and shoting the the drop there. Yeah ah um, a boy. No it inside around didn't existing that.

32:12.64
aaronmannes
Um, you do um, ah girl. Yeah, what's the what's the Instagram for that.

32:20.36
smacey
Um, what's the name of the band.

32:27.54
aaronmannes
I.

32:30.70
Cynthia Bandurek
I am I am kind of all right? That's another things related to to my move to Costa Rica and that just it seems like people um tell you all the time that you are too old to do these kind of things of the shamp and to let everything you know. The safety or your work I yo your apartment and all the stuff I am I am old. Yeah I am older than older than eron. Yeah, and yeah I am yeah you know? yeah.

32:53.31
aaronmannes
Um, well are you jeez that's so that's a first on the show. Someone's older than me. Yes.

33:07.18
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, sorry that at that time we didn't have um Instagram and other stuff and imagine that we recorded the live show with a workman on the on the stage. So yeah now I have a.

33:16.34
aaronmannes
Ah I love it The good old days The the good old days. Well forever together. You have to bring that cassette and you have to bring the the tapes we'll play it I don't know where we're gonna play it where plays cassette tapes anymore. But we'll figure it out. Yeah, an old car.

33:25.44
Cynthia Bandurek
Okay, good.

33:31.60
smacey
Um, an old car so you're not doing macro as your full time photography right? You're working on the side. Um, yes is that true.

33:33.50
Cynthia Bandurek
0

33:34.22
aaronmannes
Right? big.

33:46.96
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, yeah, um, I'm doing ah movie here. What an easy I move as I told you in the middle of the pandemic situation without money without a plan without anything just Jumpmp into aisms and move here.

33:53.21
smacey
Right. Yeah.

34:00.38
Cynthia Bandurek
Um, yeah, and then ended up working first in our biological stations. They I moved to this large lot in the middle of the mountain offgraded without electricity I I live I live there 1 year just in a cabin made that tent. All broken that I didn't have the possibility to close the door close the the windows without electricity without how the water without internet in the middle of the shngle next to corcovado national park one of the the hospitals of biodiversity in the war I imagine.

34:25.61
aaronmannes
Um.

34:37.61
Cynthia Bandurek
Have snakes on all the animals who's going around my my my house and I didn't I couldn't close the door. So but I was living there and doing some I guide people into the forest during the day ah during the night too. So that was I worked there doing that.

34:38.30
aaronmannes
Um.

34:42.00
smacey
Um.

34:42.31
aaronmannes
Are east.

34:57.28
smacey
Um, right.

34:57.34
Cynthia Bandurek
Also with some lesson in photography and yeah then I move here when ah I am now I am I have a friend that Li how she has been living in Costaica for 20 years so she was managing an and hotel here in the Nicocha Peninsula. So um, she needed help So I came here I have in the hotel and in exchange I have a house sleep. Um, then when I Yeah yeah I have doors and windows now like I can close.

35:24.31
smacey
Um, is it an upgrade. Well yeah I mean it's the little things right? It's the little things like you're grateful for doors and windows think about that people listening right? like.

35:31.21
aaronmannes
That's funny.

35:35.28
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, yeah, but you know, but.

35:36.33
aaronmannes
Yeah, absolutely.

35:41.38
smacey
Get so mad somebody cuts us off in traffic. But we're talking about doors and windows here like what an upgrade like ah yes, that's so awesome I Love that? um.

35:47.64
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but you know that now I have windows um and doors. But I don't have that big forest. Ah I had before because I was living in the middle of the shngle. So I miss a lot that um yeah, so I move here and when I get.

35:49.72
aaronmannes
It's true.

35:58.31
aaronmannes
Right.

36:05.10
smacey
Um, you.

36:06.94
Cynthia Bandurek
Here I did some flyers I went to the little town I placed the flyers all over the town offering a guide tours in the national park that is clo here and also offering photophilesences. Um I last week I did a photos shoot for a yoga teacherter. Yeah I'm doing our um, different stuff and I am also working with nature Photographers Network is a membership from us. Yeah, so I'm helping them I am the event for the nightor.

36:31.67
smacey
Yeah.

36:37.37
smacey
Yeah wow, you just rifled off like what 15 different things that you've done or are doing and the reason I ask that question is because people I feel get so caught up on oh I got to be we talk about this all the time right? Cynthia you listen to the show you know Aaron we talk about this all the time.

36:37.54
aaronmannes
Wow! yeah.

36:55.90
smacey
<unk> like oh I gotta be full time if I'm like going to consider myself good or if I'm going to enjoy myself like this has to be I have to be a pro for people just listening and not on Youtube I to put up quotes and it's just not the case I mean you it's from you know what? you've told us and how we've. You know your your instagram like you just love photographing nature and small things and you're going to do what it takes that you have the ability to do that and enjoy yourself doing it and I think that's an important message like I'm going to go put flyers up in the town I'm going to shoot I'm going to photograph a yoga teacher I'm going to. I'm going to live in a place that doesn't have windows and doors if it allows me to do what I really want to do and that's all that matters and it's it's the ability to put the ego aside I don't care what other people think of me if other people think that I'm crazy. Or whatever that doesn't matter because I'm doing what I want to do and I'm living my life and I'm creating my path right? It's it's ah it's very difficult and we all struggle with this sometimes to not care about what other people think but I think what you've just kind of described is a great template or a great.

38:06.21
aaronmannes
Yeah, yeah, and if I could add to that Seth because that's what that was really well said I think the other piece is she learned very quickly at a young age that 4 hours of work on a skill is what it takes.

38:08.50
smacey
Inspirational story about that.

38:24.50
aaronmannes
For many many many years daily to get to a place of competition and excellence let's call it a greatness and however, that's measured. Ah and when you learn that early on or you have a skill that you can look back on like and make this skateboarding analogy to do a skateboard trick you have to. Thousands and thousands and thousands of attempts before you get it and then then it becomes easy but there could be broken bones in between scratches falling down wanting to quit and you keep those kids keep going until they get the trick and that's a reward and that's a blueprint in terms of anything else. Learning piano learning gymnastics learning guitar none of that. There's the rarest person that's an excellent guitarist after playing for 1 year unless they spent 10 hours a day you know and even still it. You can't sacrifice just time and perseverance at the same time. So I think. Ah, her her upbringing gave her the sort of like this is not going to be a quick thing like I'm okay with taking my time and just I know that if I spend 4 hours a day for 15 years I'm going to get somewhere. But I think in this day and age people are very quick to be like. Didn't happen in a month I don't have a hundred thousand followers I'm out like that that was too much work I'm done you know versus the this takes a lot of work. No matter what it is to be excellent at.

39:49.63
smacey
And when we've talked about that when people you know I I try to refrain from being too black and white about things listening back to some episodes. Sometimes I think I have that tendency but I feel like a lot of the times if you're somebody who. Try something for a month goes hard at it for a month and then it doesn't work out to your expectations. You have unrealistic expectations and it doesn't work and you go. Ah, it's not for me I quit I think you know maybe 1 of 2 things 1 you didn't like that thing enough to keep going.

40:23.83
aaronmannes
Um.

40:24.23
smacey
So good good that you're done good that you're not going to waste any more time on that thing and you can go discover something else like frogs in Costa Rica that you really like or I think what's worse and maybe these 2 aren't mutually exclusive that.

40:32.90
aaronmannes
Um.

40:42.64
smacey
It's possibly you have a tendency to just not see things through and that goes you know there's lots of different reasons for that The so the short term gratification world. We live in social media doesn't help I mean that's for your own assessment if you're somebody listening if you're.

40:54.74
aaronmannes
Are.

41:00.48
smacey
See if you're being honest with yourself and you say Wow I'm really like I've never seen anything through dig into that. Why is that you know see something through once and the next one's easier. Um, hopefully we're not going on too any tangents but it just made me think of that.

41:08.37
aaronmannes
Um.

41:16.12
aaronmannes
That's good.

41:18.83
Cynthia Bandurek
So I would add something else to the conversation because the thing is I am not just a nature photographer before that I am a biologist so for me doing the tools and um, teaching people about the the magical.

41:24.96
smacey
That right.

41:29.87
aaronmannes
Um.

41:36.20
Cynthia Bandurek
Ah, the magic scenes that and stories that you can find in nature for me, It's part of the same right? It's not just I had to work doing photorays I am not just that I am also ah an artist I am trying to to improve my my skills in illustration to.

41:47.46
smacey
Um, right.

41:54.19
Cynthia Bandurek
So yeah I am a lot of things so I can' I always I am a skill and yeah I.

41:56.90
smacey
You're a student. You're a student. Yes, so important and I think what you just said is kind of sort of blends with what I was just talking about where there's people who say I am a photographer and that's their entire identity.

42:01.00
aaronmannes
Um.

42:12.39
smacey
If that's your entire identity and you don't succeed at it or it gets taken away from you. Maybe you go blind like now what are you? What else? do you have left like you have to have the ability to so to wear more than one hat and not be so attached to to being 1 thing right. You just said you know I'm an ecologist I'm a guitar player I'm a photographer I'm a tour god I'm all these things so that if 1 gets you know I'm not so attached to 1 thing that if it gets removed from my life that I'm that my life is destroyed I think that's very important.

42:46.16
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, yeah, thought f.

42:49.66
aaronmannes
Yeah, well sets up.

42:50.50
smacey
So I don't know just made me think of that. Um worth let's go to my questions list here, but but but what are some future projects or goals you have do you have big goals down the pipeline.

43:08.66
Cynthia Bandurek
Ah, yeah, yeah, always I have goals because that's ah also ah things that sports teach me right? You always have something to reach your reaches and you need you need something else. So yeah I am trying to launch um the photo toolsurs.

43:11.70
smacey
Um, yeah.

43:25.88
Cynthia Bandurek
Here in Costa Rica working on that. Um one of my main ah aims for this year is to improve my english so a really high level so I am also taking classes taking classes.

43:37.29
smacey
Yeah, can we talk about that we got to talk about that the very it's very good. The first thing I think I want to mention this because and I'm I'm realizing I'm interrupting you and I'm I'm so sorry but I have to say this that listeners know.

43:39.63
aaronmannes
It's yeah, but so I mean it's already at a very high level I was.

43:45.67
Cynthia Bandurek
Twiceer awake and.

43:56.55
smacey
Is it before we started recording. Well first of all, Cynthia is ah like a huge supporter of the show and um, you know we've always chatted and we've always loved your work and um, it's good to have you here. But the first thing she said before we started recording is like oh I'm nervous. Right? I'm nervous and english is. It's your second language I presume. Ah, but you're still on here knowing that tons of people are going to listen to this knowing that you might make some mistakes in your english and being okay with that being okay with not having you know.

44:22.49
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, yeah.

44:23.60
aaronmannes
Um.

44:29.56
Cynthia Bandurek
Ah, that.

44:33.20
smacey
Ah, perfect. Let's say a perfect interview right? Whereas there's lots of people I mentioned to you there was somebody I reached out to and they said oh I don't I'm like I'm not really confident in my ability to talk and I said well thank you I Told him I said thank you for being honest and I appreciate it.

44:49.75
aaronmannes
Um.

44:50.38
smacey
But you do that too many times you shy away from life right? So being here doing this podcast like as you know is is going to do so many you know good things for you and not because you're not because it's our show but just because you're choosing to do something difficult and that's scary right.

45:07.67
Cynthia Bandurek
No yes, that's both time. Yeah, totally yeah, but you know that sorry no time time ago. Um, yeah.

45:07.71
aaronmannes
And you and you get through it and then you go like oh that was scary but I got through it now next time I'm scared I can remember.

45:09.49
smacey
So.

45:16.67
smacey
Um, right? So you're taking English youre yeah, go ahead. Sorry.

45:25.27
Cynthia Bandurek
Happens happens something similar because from my university they they called me to give some macro photograph photographgraphic class in the naturalist field in university and my first reaction my mind was no I can do that because I I am really an introvert um. Kind of shy so was something that it wasn't natural but I pushed myself and I did it and and the the funny things that once I was given the class I realized that I love it. I love to teach people. And I am good at that because people now I gave ah several workshop in Argentina and also here and yeah, I'm good doing that but I had to push myself through the fears to realize ah that in fact, I like it and it's the same here. And that's the things that I know I have to do to yeah to improve myself. I.

46:28.00
aaronmannes
That's pretty cool. You were you were riallying off dates like 21006 and I was thinking back to my french days and like speaking is 1 thing but then you switch over to numbers and I was like oh that's where I that's where I paused where I was like oh she she knows it. She's rattling off. Dates in the thousands. But you know you're you're you're doing great. it's it's it's always impressive to me because I am the furthest from bilingual as you could possibly be I think.

46:55.26
smacey
Um I did get 1 it I did get 1 spanish sentence down when I was in Spain it was locientto miaspeos no moi buo and that let me off the hook every time I will say though that ah.

47:04.88
aaronmannes
Yeah, there you go perfect.

47:13.46
smacey
3 four months of the duolingo apps and all that stuff is nothing compared to just throwing yourself into the chaos and trying to learn it I learned more in a week from struggling and looking silly than I did from theorizing and practicing on an app. It's just not the same.

47:17.85
Cynthia Bandurek
Long latin.

47:18.14
aaronmannes
Yeah.

47:25.13
aaronmannes
Yeah, that's true. Yeah.

47:29.48
Cynthia Bandurek
Now suddenly.

47:31.49
smacey
So I cut you off, you're you're doing English classes you're trying to do photo tours was there anything else.

47:38.78
Cynthia Bandurek
I'm Ruin Mycas in watercolor painting and trying to do some more scientific illustration. Yeah, um, yeah and I want to be a nitro doing photography because I realized the other day I was going through. Um.

47:41.12
aaronmannes
Wow.

47:56.46
Cynthia Bandurek
All albums in my computer since 2006 and I can't remember exactly the moment and I can't remember exactly where I took the picture what what was happening in the moment and that's because. When I do photograph photography and when I am nature I completely present right? So I need more of that. So my yem is something that I have to do here now each six months is to cross the border because I don't have residency here so I have to grow the border each six months so in may I have to. There. So my idea is to go to Colombia to do some pictures in in the channel. Yeah, we will see what happened.

48:40.54
aaronmannes
Very cool is Costa Rica your home now. Do you think or you is there somewhere else. You want to land. We don't know. Yeah.

48:48.38
Cynthia Bandurek
I don't know for now is Costa Rica Buta you never know I think it it has to be a place where it's nature and especially a rain forest but can be other place to yeah yeah.

48:55.35
smacey
Um, yeah.

48:58.53
aaronmannes
Pick.

49:01.15
smacey
Very cool and you have a macro book for people who want to learn right? You offer an ebook if people want to check that out in English and aspeno. Okay.

49:10.49
Cynthia Bandurek
Yeah, ebook and the ebook is in english I have in as and ah in spanish I have a course Microro photograph photographography complete course that I recorded before um, coming here.

49:25.20
Cynthia Bandurek
Soka. Um, yeah I said also presets on yeah different stuff. Yeah, and also my yeah also so my book. Ah the the world of the small I I.

49:30.81
smacey
Cool. Well we appreciate you coming on today. Yeah, where can people find that.

49:40.94
Cynthia Bandurek
I sell the the physical version just in Argentina because the the shipping costs are really high but you you can find in my website. Also the digital version to my book.

49:45.10
smacey
Um, right? Okay and we'll link that in the episode description Cynthia thanks for coming on today. Thanks for doing something scary too and thank you to the cicadas that serenaded us.

49:53.14
Cynthia Bandurek
You know? Yeah yeah, thanks, thanks to you for having me. Yeah I.

49:54.32
aaronmannes
Yeah, it was awesome. It's such a good story.

50:01.64
aaronmannes
And in the je a jaguar early on. Did you hear that jaguar like where the kitty. Yeah, thanks.

50:03.23
smacey
Can tell you're somewhere tropical. Yeah, that jaguar the cat all right all right? Thank you guys until next time see yeah.

50:10.39
Cynthia Bandurek
So fun. No thank you.