Palm Beach photographer Eric Striffler arrived in Costa Rica with a single carry-on and a clear brief: document a weeklong yoga and wellness retreat set against verdant jungle and Pacific coastline. The assignment was right up his alley — a mix of lifestyle storytelling, intimate portraits, and environmental details that showcase both the participants’ personal transformations and the retreat’s design, programming, and serene setting. From the first soft light of dawn to candlelit evening rituals, he worked to capture the quiet discipline of asana practice, the candid connections that form in group meals, and the sensory textures of a place built for restoration.
His approach balanced editorial sensibility with an unobtrusive presence. During morning sessions he used natural light and wide lenses to place practitioners within breath and landscape, emphasizing the relationship between movement and environment. Close-up portraits recorded the calm focus of instructors and the subtle glow of people who’d stepped away from routine into stillness. Between sessions he photographed details — woven mats drying in the sun, herbal teas steaming on wooden tables, footprints on a path leading down to the surf — images that anchor the retreat’s rhythm and offer viewers a tactile sense of being there.
Logistics and light in Costa Rica required quick adaptation. Tropical weather meant shifting plans when sudden rain softened the coast and turned the jungle luminous; it also delivered those dramatic golden-hour windows when surf, palms, and practice converged perfectly. Eric balanced handheld intimacy with carefully composed environmental frames, producing a collection that serves retreat promotion, editorial features, and lasting memories for participants. By the end of the week the photographs reflected not just poses and programming but the broader wellness narrative: intentional rest, communal nourishment, and a place designed to invite change.
