Editor’s note: Our friend Brian Smith is at it again – publishing a colorful, revealing and insightful book on his life-long craft: portrait photography. This new publication from New Riders (an imprint of Peachpit Press) is titled “Secrets of Great Portrait Photography: Photographs of the Famous and Infamous”. You can order it on Amazon or look for it in bookstores and online retailers this week. Brian took a few moments to tell us about the contents and his creative process.

Portrait photography always fascinates the observer. What is it about the art form that draws us in?
I think people are always curious to see another side of fame. Celebrity portraits have an edge when the viewer is already familiar with the subject. The photograph can either reinforce what you expect or blow apart all your preconceptions. To me it’s always more interesting to dig a bit below the surface for an image you might not expect.

You write that sometimes a photographer has as little as 15 minutes to work with a celebrity. How do you prepare for that?
If you don’t have a lot of time, you want to go in with a plan, but be ready to throw the plan out and react to the moment. I call that “planning for the unexpected”. Many of the conceptual portraits I shoot that are the result of days, weeks or even months of planning, yet some of my favorite shots were done on the fly. It can sometimes be hard to give up the reins – but improvisation can be rewarding.

Do you have a favorite anecdote from the book you can share?
Ask the unexpected and you’ll get the unexpected…

People en Espanol called me for a home shoot of Spanish, Grammy-winning singer Alejandro Sanz at his house in Miami Beach. The idea behind a “home shoot” is to capture portraits that take readers inside the stars’ homes and give them a peek at how they live. We showed up an hour and a half ahead of time to choose our locations, and Alejandro’s manager immediately took us to a room used for all his interviews and photo shoots. The room had a couch beneath a couple of his gold records. He’d probably been interviewed there a hundred times and I wanted something bolder.

Looking around the house for some bold and unexpected sites, I found an all-white grand piano under a white staircase, a room filled with Alejandro’s paints and paintings, and an elegant entrance. Having never been photographed anywhere else but the “interview” room, Alejandro excitedly approved of the new shoot locations. For our sixth and final shot, I told Alejandro that I’d love to get him in the pool. I suddenly heard a splash, and there he was – just where I wanted him. Keep the shoot interesting by getting the subject to do something new. It almost always pays off!

Is there a favorite piece of gear or little trick you use in your celebrity portrait work that might surprise aspiring photographers?
Surround yourself with people brighter than you are. Find a great crew and take care of them. The biggest mistake young photographers make is skimping on production. Great styling, hair & makeup can make a good shoot great. Bad styling, hair & makeup can ruin one. Look at celebrity portrait shoots as a collaboration and collaborate with the best.

Celebrity portrait photographer Brian Smith has captured the faces of the famous and infamous. He’s a Pulitzer Prize winner and Sony Artisan of Imagery who’s appeared on X Factor, exhibited at the Library on Congress, had cupcakes with Anne Hathaway and gotten drunk with George Clooney. His photography is syndicated by Corbis Outline and can be found on his web site and blog.

On the outside, the Lowepro Lens Exchange Case 100 AW looks like a stylish, functional, photo accessory that any photographer would want. But inside, it can hold so many things. Here are 10 of my favorites.

What will you put in your Lens Exchange Case 100 AW?

1) A Medium Zoom

It easily holds my Canon 24-105mm f/4 L zoom lens.

2) A Wide Zoom

No problem for the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L zoom either.

3) A Macro Lens

Hey, don’t forget about the 100mm macro. That’s a fun one!

4) Your Flash

Oh, I guess I should bring the flash tonight.

5) A Spare Body

Wow, the Digital Rebel fits too. I should put the 40mm pancake on it so it’s ready to shoot if I need a back-up.

6) A Compact System Camera

Maybe I should pack my Compact System Camera instead. I might draw less attention that way.

7) Photo Accessories

Love these little GorillaPods for positioning off-camera flashes in difficult locations.

8) Audio Accessories

Oh man, have to shoot video tonight. Don’t forget the mic!

9) Snacks

Kindergarten class photos… Oh no!

10) Refreshments

A drink sounds really good right now…

So is the Lowepro S&F Lens Exchange Case 100 AW our most versatile storage solution? Possibly. But before you decide, you might want to visit S&F landing page to see all of the great accessories in this pro modular system.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

Editor’s note: Our colleagues Rick and Kendra from the product design team are in Jackson Hole, Wyoming right now taking part in the Summit Series Adventure Photography Workshop. They just sent us these cool images from a day on the Snake River and we want to share them with you, too. Here’s a note from Rick.

We’re really excited to be in Wyoming at the Summit Series Adventure Photography Workshop and we’re having an amazing experience.

There’s a great group of faculty here to give helpful instruction and put us through our paces, including: pro photographers Chris Burkard, Lucas Gilman, Keith Ladzinski, and Corey Rich; as well as Sadie Quarrier of National Geographic magazine and Scott Willson of The North Face.

Kendra and I are learning a ton about shooting adventure photos as well as the business of working with editors, operating a photography business and much, much more. If you’re looking to advance your shooting skills, this series of workshops is terrific. Check out the workshop web site for more info.

– Rick

Michael Clark with Rover Pro 45L AW. © Marc Romanelli

Internationally published outdoor photographer Michael Clark works in all kinds of extremes. He carries his valuable gear on countless assignments and ‘tortures’ it in some of the roughest conditions one can imagine. He took our Toploader Pro AW to Patagonia some time back and braved frigid conditions, rocky terrain and wild weather in order to get his amazing shots.

We are thrilled that he not only influenced the design, but tested our newest outdoor pack – the Rover Pro 45L AW – during the past few weeks.

The first mountain-style photo pack in our collection, the Rover Pro AW was built for all kinds of terrain and all kinds of outdoor shooting scenarios. Michael took his pack for a rock climbing trip in the canyons near Santa Fe, New Mexico to put it through its paces. You’ll want to read his blog for his first-hand impressions of the trampoline-style suspension system, modular camera cases, adjustable shoulder straps and other premium, wilderness-friendly features. And we know all of you gear heads will love the shots of what Michael fits in his pack. Check it out!

To learn more about Michael Clark’s most recent work and upcoming workshops, visit his web site.

Lots of us remember how it feels to break into a new career or pursue a passion (or both!). Photographer Cassady Kissam shares his experience in this full profile. The trials. The challenges. The surprises. The “happy accidents”. They’re all highlighted here in a candid piece we hope you enjoy reading.

Hey, if you have a similar experience, please share it on our Facebook page or leave a comment here.

As always, we love to hear from you.

Editor’s note: Trevor Clark is a professional photographer, adventure sports athlete and passionate observer of life. Jessie Stone is a doctor-turned-whitewater-kayaker, member of the USA Freestyle Kayak Team and passionate agent of positive change. Trevor was inspired to tell Jessie’s story of building and running a clinic that treats patients for malaria and provides outreach programs. So he took a chance on getting funding, packed a minimal camera/video kit and headed to Uganda. He shares the experience here.

What about Jessie inspired you to create not only a still and motion story, but start a fundraising effort?
Well, I think her story kind of just speaks for itself. I had known about Jessie and what she was doing for a while, but it was really when I met her at a wedding in Mexico (mutual kayaker friends) and had a chance to let her tell me about it that I knew I was going to tell her story. She was so passionate and determined that I instantly locked in on the idea of getting myself over there. Nearly two years went by with this idea in the back of my head, pulling on me, before I tried pitching it to editors. Unfortunately, that didn’t work very well as there just aren’t too many magazines with a budget to send someone to Uganda for a few weeks. I was really frustrated with the whole process and decided to just go and figure it out later. It wasn’t an easy decision. I didn’t have any jobs lined up. I didn’t have the money to float the expenses and the cost of a multimedia edit. But I didn’t want to give up on it either. I had heard about Kickstarter, but didn’t know all that much about it, so as a last ditch effort I put up a campaign and hoped for the best.

Tell us a bit about the Kickstarter idea.
Like I said, the Kickstarter campaign was a complete afterthought. This all came together right at the beginning of the crowd-sourcing/micro-funding movement and I really didn’t know all that much about it – except that it was worth a try. I was already committed to going and had purchased the flights, malaria prescription, vaccinations, etc… when I had this idea. Unfortunately, I only had two weeks until my departure so I had to set the funding goal end date for a few weeks after my return from Uganda. That meant that I would have no idea if I would get any funding or not until weeks after it was all over. With Kickstarter you have to reach your funding goal in time or you don’t receive any funding. I put it all together, then begged and pleaded with everyone I knew to help me spread the word. Here is the link to the project.

How did you imagine you would shoot this and which gear did you gather to make the job possible?
Luckily this type of water-related story fell right into the type of adventure imagery I am used to shooting, so I pretty much had all the gear and river skill set I needed to make it happen. It was pretty nutty though to pack my kayak full of gear – water-related and camera-related, and check that all the way to Entebbe, Uganda. Doing it all on my own, I knew that I would just be working out of my kayak on the river and out of my backpack on shore. With everything I was already taking, and the fact that I was the only one on the project, I just had to forego some of the fancier video techniques with cranes, sliders and all of that. It really was just me, a tripod and some bags.

Which Lowepro bags did you take along and why?
I always take the DryZone 200 on trips like this because there are always some crazy logistics on the other end. I had no idea if I was going to be getting off the plane and jumping into the back of a pickup during a rainstorm or if the place would be one huge dust cloud. It actually turned out to be both, somehow. That bag just allows me to have no concern about the safety of my main camera gear. And I can carry it on any airplane. It’s also a little less noticeable and you can move quickly with it, as I found I needed to do through some of the more populated areas. On the river I used some drybags that I have padded out with old foam and bits and pieces of other bags.

What was it like shooting in Uganda? How did you get your gear there and to the various locations? What made it easier?
Shooting in Uganda was pretty wild; it was definitely a new experience for me. When you’re in a place like that you really don’t want to have a ton of camera gear hanging off of you in front of a lot of people. It’s not that I really ever felt unsafe; it’s just that people there are in such a different position than any of us here in North America. You just don’t want to be waving it all in front of them all of the time. I really tried to be as inconspicuous as I could while still doing what I was there for. So I always just tried to carry the minimum amount of gear possible. And like I said, this wasn’t a project where I had an assistant or anything; so I couldn’t just put gear down here and there or have someone else hold it for me. I think the only way to make it manageable was to use what little amount of gear I could move freely with and make the best of it.

Are you planning other projects like this one? What’s next?
I am actually. This project has sparked a whole new direction on my work with Jessie and right now we are planning to get me back to Uganda later this year. This time, the project will be for Soft Power Health and I won’t have to do any more of my own fundraising. It’s really wild, but everything you do leads to something else.

View Trevor’s Uganda gallery, follow his blog, check out his Facebook page, and see the CNN story.

Editor’s note: Friend of Lowepro and Getty Images sports photographer Ezra Shaw covered a variety of competitions, athletes and the celebratory mood in London. He took a quick moment in his hectic schedule to share his impressions with us as well as a few awesome images. Even though the Games ended a few days ago, we’re still thrilled by the excitement caught in Ezra’s stunning photographs. Check out his London 2012 Summer Olympics gallery on his web site.

Your schedule must have been pretty exhausting. What’s it like to cover the world of amazing athletes in this fascinating city?
Overall the Olympics were great. I had a variety of events to photograph – ranging from the main events such as the Bolt in the 100m Final and Michael Phelps in the pool – to the more obscure sports like Table Tennis and Fencing. I didn’t have much of chance to get out in central London, but I was amazed by how many people were at Olympic Park everyday. In addition to selling tickets to all of the events, they also sold tickets just to enter the Olympic Park and those were sold out everyday.

What was the most challenging venue?
The most challenging venue was the Cycling Road Race – it was the first day after the Opening Ceremony and because it started and finished near Buckingham Palace, there was even more security than normal. It was also difficult to cover because it started in the city and then went out about 50 miles before finishing back at the Palace. Getty Images had a total of six photographers covering the race which made life a little easier. My main assignment was to shoot the beginning of the race as the riders headed towards Buckingham Palace and then go get set up for the finish line. The race was pretty exciting because British cyclist Mark Cavendish was favored to win and spectators lined the streets about 10 people deep near the start/finish line. Unfortunately, for the British fans, Cavendish didn’t win, but it was still a great atmosphere.

Favorite Brit-food snack that kept you on-the-go?
We tried to eat whenever we had time – unfortunately, that means that dinner was usually around midnight when we were finished shooting for the day. During the day, I drank a lot of coffee, sneaking in a meal whenever possible. I was able to have some fish and chips the other night for dinner at a pub, which made me feel like I was in London, but for the most part, the food is pretty similar to what you can find in the States. We have a few photographers that love their food, and they have sorted out a few good spots near our hotel, so whenever we did have time for a real meal, we had some really nice food.

Most surprising moment you captured?
One of the most surprising moments was when Chad le Clos of South Africa beat Michael Phelps in the 200m Butterfly. Phelps was heavily favored, and was ahead the entire race, but was beaten .05 seconds. At the end of the race, Phelps looked over and watched le Clos celebrating.