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.

Want a chance to win the new Event Messenger 250? Just comment on this post about how you would use the Dual-Mode Flap design in your photography. In other words, when would you be in “secure” mode and when would you switch to “quiet” mode. You can read more about this here.

Flap set for secure mode where the hook-and-loop fastener locks against the front of the bag.

You have until midnight, Sunday March 4 PST, to place your comment. Next week, we’ll randomly choose a comment and announce the winner here and on our Lowepro Facebook page. As always, void where prohibited. And just so you know, we really are interested in how you would use this bag

Good Luck!

The new Event Messenger 250 is designed for urban photographers carrying an enthusiast DSLR, accessories, laptop, and/or a tablet. If you haven’t had a good look at it, here’s a 30-second overview with Lowepro’s own Jen recorded at WPPI, Las Vegas.

Most shooters think the bag looks great. But my view is that its more subtle features are what really separate it from the pack. For example, it has a dual action “quiet mode” and “secure mode” flap, similar to its bigger brother, the Pro Messenger, but implemented a bit differently.

Flap set for quiet mode.

In “quiet mode,” the hook-and-loop fastener strip on the inside of the flap is folded over so it doesn’t stick to the mate on the main body of the bag. When configured like this, you can open and close the bag silently, allowing you to work unnoticed. If you want more security, use the buckle to close the Messenger with confidence.

Flap set for secure mode.

Now, for those times you want to secure your gear without using the buckle, open up the hook-and-loop fastener on the inside of the flap so it exposes the “hooks” that will stick to mate on the body of the bag. The flap will now stay closed, but can be opened faster than with the buckle when you need to reach for your camera.

Also designed into the Event Messenger are the flexible storage options for your laptop (13″) or tablet. There’s a padded sleeve on the inside of the bag for extra protection when traveling. Or you can use the pocket on the back of the bag for quick access while working.

Back of Event Messenger with pocket.

The Event Messenger is an affordable ($79), clever solution for photographers who want to work and travel discretely in urban environments.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

One of the coolest features in the Lowepro booth at WPPI 2012 is the pair of airline overhead storage compartments installed with our Pro Roller display. These are standard US airline overheads. I’ve seen larger versions on the bigger jets, and slightly smaller renditions on the commuter planes, such as the one I flew from Santa Rosa, CA to Las Vegas.

For those of you who can’t come see us in person, I put together this short video with Lowepro’s own Robb Stites, who oversees the marketing of these rollers. Robb shows how easily both models of the Pro Roller Lite AW Series fit in a standard overhead compartment.

I mentioned that I flew to Las Vegas on one of those small commuter planes, and I was able to fit the Pro Roller Lite 150 AW in the overhead compartment for that flight. In it, I have a DSLR body, lenses, a micro four thirds system, flash, audio recorder, microphones, and even a tripod (yes, the tripod is inside the bag). Everything I needed to record and edit this video, plus the gear I need for other assignments while working at WPPI.

I hope the overhead compartments become a standard feature in the Lowepro booth. Maybe you’ll be able to take them for a spin one day.

Derrick Story is the Lowepro Photography Evangelist.