The Lowepro Urban Photo Sling 250 is your companion as you move from home, to office, to street shooting. This stylish bag can accommodate a pro DSLR with 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom attached, plus spare lenses, flashes, personal gear, and an iPad.

And it might be yours.

For your chance to win the Urban Photo Sling 250, post a comment below answering the question: “What’s your favorite city?” We’ll randomly select a comment next week, and notify everyone on our Facebook Fan Page and here.

Deadline to comment is midnight PDT, Sunday May 13, 2012. Contest is void where prohibited. One winner will be selected and receive a Urban Photo Sling 250.

Good luck!

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro

The Flipside Sport technical backpack can be deceptively simple in appearance. Even though it’s light and compact, the smaller of the two models can hold enough gear for a day’s work in the field. When I watched this video by adventure photographer Trevor Clark, I decided to experiment with packing my 10 liter Flipside Sport, then seeing how much it weighed. But before we get to my “alternative rig,” let’s take a look at how Trevor packed his 15 liter model.

As you’ll notice in the video, Trevor used the hydration system and tripod sleeve. Both of those features seemed essential for how he was shooting that day.

In this alternative packing, I put my hiking essentials in the hydration pocket (first aid kit, knife, snacks, lip balm, etc.), and a REI jacket in the tripod holder. Inside the backpack there’s a Pentax K-5 (great all weather DSLR) and two lenses. Plus I have stowed around the camera box: bandanas, stocking cap, and ground cloth. I carry a separate water bottle, and I use a Leki Photo Trekking Pole for a monopod as needed. The entire 10 liter kit, without water, weighed in at 8 pounds.

Two different approaches. And I’m sure there are a dozen more. So then the question is: how will you pack your Flipside Sport?

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

The Lowepro Pro Runner 300 AW backpack is lean, mean, and comfortable. This beauty can accommodate a standard DSLR with 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom attached, plus spare lenses, flashes, and even personal gear in its roomy front pocket. It includes: side compression straps with quick-release buckles; a Hideaway Tripod Mount system; rainflap lids; SlipLock™ attachment loops; mesh side pockets; discreet front pocket accommodates a light jacket, cell phone or MP3 player; memory card pockets on inside lid; padded mesh backpad; adjustable and padded shoulder straps; webbing grab handle.

And it might be yours.

For your chance to win the Pro Runner 300 AW, post a comment below answering the question: “Are your urban or outdoors?” Since this backpack works great in both environments, either is appropriate. We’ll randomly select a comment next week, and notify everyone on our Facebook Fan Page and here.

Deadline to comment is midnight PDT, Sunday May 6, 2012. Contest is void where prohibited. One winner will be selected and receive a Pro Runner 300 AW.

Good luck!

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro

It’s Free Bag Friday (the 13th)!

This week we’re offering a SlingShot 202 AW to one lucky winner. To participate, all you have to do is answer the question: “When do you like to use a sling bag?” Add your answer to the Comments area of this blog post. You have until midnight PST, Sunday April 15, 2012 to enter. We’ll pick a winner from the comments and notify via this blog and our Facebook page next week. As always, void where prohibited.

Good luck on this Friday the 13th, and let us know when you like to use a sling bag.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

It’s Free Bag Friday and time for you to throw your lens cap in the ring for a chance to win the Photo Traveler 150 camera/tablet backpack.

Just comment below about how you like to use your tablet (such as an iPad) and camera together. You have until midnight, Sunday, April 1 to enter. We’ll pick a winning comment next week and announce here and on our Facebook page. As always, the give-away is void where prohibited.

The Photo Traveler 150 is a nifty bag. It holds your Compact System Camera gear, or enthusiast DSLR kit. Plus, it has a dedicated pocket to store and protect your tablet computer. Combine that with its handsome urban styling, and you have a winner for casual shooting and computing when out and about.

So let us know how you like to use your camera and tablet together… and good luck!

Derrick is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

Street shooting is a passion of mine, and I’ve never enjoyed it more than I do today. The convergence of mobile devices, social networking, and a plethora of coffee shops have created a fluid working environment. Using these tools, I can shoot photos, upload them to an iPad, edit my favorite images, publish them online, finish my cup of dark roast, and hit the streets again.

Lowepro is doing its part to facilitate this workflow. They have designed a variety of tablet friendly bags that accommodate my iPad or MacBook Air, basic DSLR gear, and all the gizmos and accessories that I would need for the day.

To give you a better idea of the workflow that I use, here’s a short movie that walks you through the basic steps.

This scenario works great with the iPad 2 or The New iPad, an Apple Camera Connection Kit, and iPhoto for iOS. There are other terrific image editing apps for the iPad, including Filterstorn Pro, Photogene, and Snapseed. Also, you don’t necessarily need a cellular-connected iPad (Verizon or ATT&T) to embrace this workflow. You can use a WiFi-only tablet. But then you are at the mercy of the network that’s available where you’re working.

Regardless of how you design your own urban photography workflow, the end result should be the euphoric sensation that results from having just captured a great image and then seeing it online before your coffee gets cold.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

Pro shooter Chris McLennan has been using one of the commemorative Flipside 500 AW bags for some time now. So when we launched the

“I love the extra capacity and depth that the FlipSide 500 gives me. This makes it perfect for the Canon “one” series camera body and a range of lenses – yet it is still compact enough to make it quick and mobile. I regularly carry it on my bike or hiking when I don’t need a huge amount of gear. It easily accommodates the new Canon 300mm 2.8 lens on a camera along with several extra lenses.”

Did he say he has the Canon 300mm f/2.8 L? (Sorry, I got distracted for a minute.)

And in terms of the backpack’s usability?

“The actual Flipside feature is fantastic both for security and for being able to put the pack down in snow, sand, or a damp dirty environment, and not have the resulting discomfort against your back… Plus, its low-key looks does not attract unwanted attention.”

So even if you don’t have a 300mm f.2.8, the new Flipside 500 AW is a great outdoor backpack. Just ask Chris.

Derrick is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.