Where Art Meets Nature and Adventure
/ Structure & Expectations
Ten international teams. Seven days. Three spectacular locations. Made in Paradise is the global competition where creators, models, and photographers push their talent under pressure. Every challenge fuses travel, style, and photography.
The audience chooses the winners, who gain worldwide recognition and features in leading media, with mentorship from top photographers and influencers.
/ Terrain details
Raw Locations. Nature’s Studio.
Locations prepared to challenge versatility -demanding settings that push creators to adapt, while offering potential for stunning results.
Art Villas Boutique Resort
Award-winning architecture that ranges from bold brutalist design to refined glamping experiences. Set in the Costa Rican jungle, each villa contrasts and blends with nature—creating a luxury, stylish backdrop for unforgettable visual stories.
Jungle & Rainforest
Lush nature full of life that creates both opportunities and challanges for creators. The shifting canopy light is dynamic natural studios but also demands technical precision, adaptability, and creativity to capture it well.
Waterfalls
Dynamic and dramatic visual backdrops and unique atmospheres. But also brings challenges with spray, noise, and difficult conditions that test both equipment and creativity.
Beaches
Costa Rica means “Rich Coast”- offers wild beaches where jungle meets the Pacific Ocean. Volcanic sand, dramatic rock formations, and empty stretches without tourists create stunning natural sets. Morning light and golden hours provide perfect shooting conditions, while heat, sand, and direct sun are challenging
/ How it works
[01]
Arrival & Briefing
Each team arrives in Costa Rica and is welcome in Art Villas for pre-production briefing. Here, they learn objectives of the competition, receive resource planning and guidance, and prepare equipment and strategy for the challenges ahead.
[02]
Location Rotation
Each team spends two nights at three distinct locations—Art Villas, the beach, and the waterfall. To immerse them fully in the environment, we are creating a bespoke glamping experience in these wild settings, blending comfort with the raw challenges of nature.
[03]
Team Creation
It takes planning, problem-solving, vision and a bit of luck. Each small team must organize roles, tasks, responsibilities, and resources to create winning content. We capture the making-of and the stories behind them. Evenings are dedicated to reviews, mentor guidance, and preparing for the next day’s challenges.
[04]
Craft Challenges
Each day brings special tasks designed to test creativity across different formats - photo cameras, video, Polaroid, even smartphones. Themes may include “Predators at Night,” “Nature is Sexy,” or “Indigenous Culture.” Teams select two activities to shoot, while we provide the tools, props, and unique locations that set the stage.
/ Output
photo
Still imagery that captures the intersection of human artistry and elemental power—portraits that breathe with jungle light, landscapes that reveal hidden narratives, collaborative works that couldn't exist anywhere else.
video
Moving stories that document both the creative process and finished vision—behind-the-scenes content showing the raw reality of creation in wild terrain, plus cinematic pieces that showcase the final artistic achievements.
Style
A distinctive visual language born from the unique challenges and opportunities of each location—developed through working with unpredictable natural light, untamed environments, and the pressure of limited time.
Connection
Teams don’t just create content - they build an audience. Each starts with empty social media accounts and should prove their impact by gaining followers, driving engagement, and keeping momentum alive during and after the show.
The jungle awaits those ready to push beyond the ordinary. Join the competition.
