Editor’s note: Award-winning photographer and bilingual journalist/author Kike Calvo is on a mission to make his cultural heritage the inspiration for his photographic work and expertise in Latin American countries. On a recent trip to Panama, he used his Lowepro DryZone Rover to carry his gear while trekking through rainforests and challenging terrain. He tells a bit of the story here. And you can read more about this and other photographic adventures, exhibits and upcoming workshops—he takes enthusiast shooters to some amazing places—on his web site and blog.
“My biggest challenge when I arrived in the United States was having a strong accent and different cultural background. But it turned out to be my biggest asset. Companies around the world hire me for their editorial and commercial shoots in Latin America.
This particular series was photographed in the heart of a nationally protected Panamanian rainforest in the Chagres Rivers, very close to the unique Soberania National Park in Panama. Inhabitants of these communities migrated to this land decades ago from the Darien Region, close to the border with Colombia. It is part of an ongoing documentation project where I combine my expeditions with my photography workshops.
I tend to carry a variety of Lowepro bags on my shoots, but in this scenario, the DryZone Rover worked very well in this humid climate. I pack it with everything from my underwater Aquatica housing to my Leica M9, plus a couple of lenses like a 50mm f/1.4 and 28mm f/2.8. This pack allows me to trek through the rainforest with the gear secure and on my back.”
