Ty Wivell gets hydrated at Tough Mudder, © Andrea Greeley

Editor’s note: Ty Wivell is an avid adventure photographer and Lowepro’s National Sales Manager for the Outdoor Channel. In our completely biased opinion, he truly embodies the spirit of the Lowepro brand. Just a few days ago he participated in Vermont’s Tough Mudder adventure challenge, and along with friends Andrea Greeley and Jerry Monkman (a pro photographer and videographer from New England) documented the nerve, verve, sweat and determination of some of the 6,000+ athletes who gave it their all.  Here’s his account.

Every photo assignment has its peculiar challenges, but when I signed up to capture the ‘Tough Mudder’ from the perspective of a participant, I knew I’d be pushing my body and my gear to the extreme.

Muddy course at Tough Mudder, © Ty Wivell

Billed as the world’s “premiere adventure challenge”, the Mudder pits enthusiastic participants against a 10-mile obstacle course designed by British Special Forces to test “all-around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie.” And, with obstacles like “Everest”, “Devil’s Beard”, “Firewalker”, and “Electroshock Therapy”, the event certainly lives up to most of the hype.

The Electroshock challenge at Tough Mudder, © Ty Wivell

Firewalking at Tough Mudder, © Ty Wivell

But surviving the Mudder laden with an extra 25 lbs. of camera gear was  the least of my concerns. As a ‘participatory journalist’, I was mostly worried about ‘getting the shot’ while also protecting and readily accessing my camera gear in the midst of rock-strewn mud, bone-chilling water, dust, smoke, and fire. Not to mention running, leaping, sliding, crawling, falling, and getting zapped with 10,000 volts of electricity!

Thankfully, my Photo Sport 200 AW not only met the challenge, but proved to be a perfect companion for this shoot. The pack’s protective Ultra-Cinch Camera Chamber secured my kit in rough terrain and frequent water sprays, but also provided rapid, off-the-shoulder access to my DSLR. And, the dedicated hydration pocket was essential to augment my water supply in the 90-degree heat.  But, perhaps the pack’s most useful feature for this outing was the convenient side pockets on the hip belt, which provided quick, frequent access to my soft cloths to wipe the grime from my lenses.

Completing the Tough Mudder was an extremely satisfying experience. But, capturing its essence from the inside out was even more rewarding.  Of course, like any dedicated photographer, I’m a glutton for self-punishment, consternating over the shots I missed, and training my eye (and legs!) toward next year’s event.
Shocking…

- Ty Wivell

Watch Jerry Monkman’s Tough Mudder video and check out his site for a review of Flipside Sport 15L AW.

Do you have that favorite scuffed-up Lowepro bag that you just couldn’t live without? I do. Two of them. The Pro Runner x350 and x450 rolling backpacks. I use them for storage at the studio, then toss them in the trunk of the car for location shoots. They hold a tremendous amount of gear. I can roll them along the pavement, or pull out the hidden backpack straps and wear on my back across rough terrain.

Let me take you on a short, visual tour of why I like these bags so much. I’ll show you the smaller of the two, the x350 AW.

Inside the x350 I have a Canon 5D Mark II, 24-70mm f/4, 700-200mm f/2.8, 16-35mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.4, Speedlite 580EX, Off-Camera Shoe Cord, Gary Fong Lightsphere, Canon Remote Switch, Olympus OM-D E-M5 with 14-42mm zoom, strobe bracket, filters, memory cards, batteries, and cleaning cloth.

In the front compartment I store my Orbis Ring Flash and Rogue Flash Benders.

Most of the time, I have the backpack straps tucked away in their hidden compartments and I use the x350 as a professional rolling bag.

But if I encounter rough terrain, I can pull out the straps and belly band, and wear the x350 like a backpack. And it is incredibly comfortable.

Yes, my Pro Runner x350 has a few scuffs. But they are well earned. Because this bag has served me well on more location shoots than I can count. Both the x350 and x450 AW are my versatile workhorses.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

Fully waterproof DryZone 200 © Lowepro

The DryZone 200 is the world’s first waterproof camera backpack of its kind. Built to protect gear in some of the most challenging situations, it provides a watertight and feature-filled carrying solution.

A patented and fully watertight TIZIP™ EasySeal zipper and sealed seams serve to protect camera gear—even during complete immersion. That means no worries for your equipment investment as you canoe, kayak or take a paddleboard out into deep water.

The fully adjustable and ergonomic harness is made for comfort with lumbar support, adjustable CollarCut™ straps and DryFlo™ mesh-covered padding. This helps when you’re adventuring with a full load—this pack fits a Pro DSLR, plus 4-5 extra lenses or accessories. Or you can kit it out with a video gear.

Craig Pulsifer with Lowepro DryZone 200 © Craig Pulsifer

For pro shooter Craig Pulsifer, traversing a waterfall trail in the Phillipines was reason enough to carry his gear in a DryZone 200. He found out that “…this bag is really waterproof – even after backflips into the pool and an hour under the falls.”

Really protective and really waterproof, the DryZone 200 is just one of many designs built by Lowepro for professionals who capture images in every kind of environment.

Thanks to Derrick Story, our Lowepro photo evangelist who wears many hats as a pro photographer, writer and teacher of all things digital. We’d also like to thank our co-sponsor, Nik® Software for making this event possible. We’ll give you a little recap of the webinar: A Fresh Look at Familiar Subjects in Black and White Using Silver Efex Pro 2.

Please check back in a few days to watch Derrick’s webinar in its entirety at your convenience. You can go to our Ask the Pro page for postings of past webinars and sign-ups for upcoming events.

In today’s session, Derrick talked about learning to see subjects differently–in color versus black and white. Derrick explained how Silver Efex Pro 2 aids in overall image management workflow and when working on fun, personal projects. His personal project to share? Black and White Las Vegas. He shared great examples of how black and white can “open up” an image and change the point of view–even give us more information about the shot.

Derrick particularly enjoys street shooting with CSCs like the Olympus PEN models. He’ll use a smaller camera on a JOBY GorillaPod tripod to make it easy to capture images in a more fluid and discreet way. He packs this light kit in a DSLR Video Fastpack 150 AW (it fits his camera gear, MacBook Air and a few personal items). A very low-profile approach!

Working in Aperture (you also can use Lightroom), Derrick demonstrated how to use Silver Efex Pro 2 to view various presets of a shot, apply different tones and add different borders. He shared a ton of tips–so you’ll want to tune into the full webinar to experience this hands-on instruction for achieving the looks you want in black and white.

Derrick is a senior contributor for Macworld magazine where he writes a digital photography column, and he’s a regular presenter on the popular training site, Lynda.com. He is the author of many books, including The Digital Photography Companion (O’Reilly Media, publisher). Online, Derrick has formed a virtual camera club called The Digital Story that’s open to all photography enthusiasts. The site features weekly podcasts, daily posts, training videos, and reader-submitted photos.

Over 800 camera models

Over 200 camera bags

Pro-sized gear

DSLRs

CSCs

Video

Laptops + tablets

There’s a tool right on our web site that’s built to help you find an ideal fit for your camera. It’s the Lowepro Bagfinder.

It’s easy to use and it helps you determine which camera bag is the right fit for your DSLR or CSC camera, camcorder, lenses, tripod and other accessories. It lets you choose the style of bag you like to carry–from backpack to roller. It even gives you the best choices for pro gear with grip and without grip. Or bags with a weather-protective cover.

Some of the biggest retailers in the imagery world–like B&H and Adorama–rely on our Bagfinder tool to help customers. And it’s used in dozens of countries like Portugal, the Netherlands and Russia to help pro and enthusiast photographers fit all of their gear in an ideal carrying solution. (You can even do a Bagfinder search in more than 20 languages).

Give it a try and eliminate some of the guesswork as you search for a camera bag. It’s a good thing to find a perfect fit for your photography obsession!

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.

Editor’s note: She’s an ultra-engaged, frequently booked photographer who also writes, blogs, explores and approaches each new project with her creative POV. Sustainability and urban food systems are of particular interest to Berkeley-based Simone Anne. She recently field tested our new Urban Photo Sling (and is the featured photographer in our campaign!) and has these impressions to share on her work, her gear and how she finds inspiration.

Q&A
How did you decide to pair your interest in urban food systems with blogging and photography?

I’ve always just shot what inspires me and frankly, for this girl, food is where it’s at. I love to eat, of course, but even more than that I love learning about the social and civil aspects of food production and consumption. Food plays such a huge role in our communities, our health, and our daily lives and I know that for me what I eat in a day makes such a difference in how I feel.
I started blogging back in 2009 because it felt silly to shoot but never share my images. I even had a mini crisis where I thought that if I wasn’t shooting for somebody to see the images, it wasn’t worth shooting! Yikes. Luckily I’ve grown past that and now I shoot for fun all the time; my favorite way to end the day is a simple sunset photo walk on the streets where I live.
As my life and academic interests have become more and more entrenched in our food system, it has been only natural for my blog to grow to reflect that. As an added bonus, blogging about subjects I love means that readers and people I work with often share my inspirations. I could have never anticipated how far blogging would take me and how many fabulous people I would be able to reach, but I am so thankful for all of the opportunities it has brought me.

What type of gear helps you gather the content you need?

I keep it simple and shoot with a 5dMarkII and 50mm for most of my work. I’m also a fan of the 35mm, but for most assignments I don’t carry around more than that. Sometimes I think that as photographers we get caught up in our gear and forget that you can take fab photos with just about anything; I know I’m certainly a culprit! A simple set-up helps remind me to get back to the basics and remember that it’s color, composition and, above all, light that really make a photo great.

Most unusual item you keep in your camera bag?

I’m partial to my Golden Half Camera, which is a small 35mm toy camera that shoots half of a frame at a time. I love having it on me for when I can’t be super engaged with shooting but still want to document the adventures I’m on and the people I love hanging out with. It’s always easy for me to get caught up in shooting and while I know this has helped a lot with my career as a photographer, it’s not always the perfect headset to be in when you’re just hanging out with friends. This camera strikes the happy medium—it keeps me happy with a camera that’s easy to handle and my friends love having me more engaged with the fun at hand.

What do you like about the Urban Photo Sling?
It really is the best of both worlds for me! I love that I can easily and safely store my gear when I’m on the go (even when I’m riding my bike or on crowded public transportation!), but I don’t miss shots fumbling for gear when I do need it. With the Urban Photo Sling, everything I use to shoot is always at my fingertips! It makes both a great transportation bag and a great shooting bag and for a photographer whose job always means shooting on the go, it feels like the bag designers at Lowepro were making just for me.

What current project is inspiring you?

Friends are always asking me for good spots to adventure in and around my hometown (I rep the Bay Area!), so I’m putting together a guide just for that. I’ve always been frustrated with the lack of real lifestyle photos in most guidebooks and have always wished that I could just have a local show me around instead. You can see a lot of my favorite spots on my blog, but when it’s finished this guide is going to be a really fab resource for expeditions in my hometown—I hope that instead of seeming like tourists, readers will feel just like locals who hang out in the hippest places in town.

You can view Simone’s web site, read about her culinary, travel, and musical adventures on her blog or by following her Facebook page. If you’re feeling hipster, she’s also on Instagram and can be found sharing little square images under the handle @simone_anne