© Joanna McCarthy

He is called a “master of color” for good reason. Rangefinder magazine referred to Eric Meola as one of a “handful of color photographers who are true innovators”. His work is informed by writers, painters, musicians and the desire to create visual metaphors with his imagery—whether intimate portraits, unique landscapes or color-saturated abstracts.

As a Canon “Explorer of Light,” Eric has lectured extensively, including such institutions as Syracuse University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Brooks (Santa Barbara) and the Art Center at Pasadena. In 2004, Graphis Editions published his first book The Last Places on Earth, a look at disappearing tribes and cultures throughout the world. In 2011, Ormond Yard Press of London published his most unusual book, the mammoth (18”x24”, 14 lbs.) edition of photographs of Bruce Springsteen—Born to Run Revisited—that was limited to 500 copies. Streets of Fire, his fifth book, will be published by HarperCollins in the fall of 2012.

We think you’ll be inspired by the intriguing, innovative and legendary photographer Eric Meola in this exclusive profile.

We’d like to thank our friend and Loweprofessional Brad Wrobleski for his Skiing, Trekking and Climbing Photography webinar. Brad likes to get way out there with his camera gear, his unique POV—and of course—his favorite Lowepro bags.

We’ll provide a short recap here. And for those of you who missed this event, or want to view it again, go to our Ask the Pro page in a few days to view the webinar in its entirety. You an also view past webinars and sign-up for upcoming education events.

Brad discussed the nuances of each of these outdoor photography activities and shared his trips for what to pack, how to store and deal with images in the field, and what bag he takes to protect his gear. Here are a few of his favorites from his Lowepro collection: DryZone 200, Toploader Pro 65 AW and the Toploader Zoom 55 AW that Brad keeps “in front and center”.

The elements play a big part in outdoor photography and Brad discussed his best ways to deal with snow, rain, sand, heat, humidity and water. Other highlights included how to ready yourself so you don’t miss a shot and how to move to get shots on the fly—both critical skills for an adventure photographer to possess. You’ll want to see how he captured a sense of action and the human element on shoots in the Canadian Rockies, Italy and canyoneering in Utah.

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!

Photographer Paul Morrison with the Limited Edition Flipside 500 AW at the Lake Louise Men’s Downhill races in 2009. © Nick Didlick

Editor’s note: Our friend and Loweprofessional Nick Didlick is a photographer, photo consultant and web designer who has tested and worked with our bags for many years. We relied on his expertise when we began the concept of our Flipside 500 AW in 2008. The Olympic Winter Games seemed like an ideal venue to test the mettle of a rugged, roomy and secure outdoor photo backpack, and Nick’s input was invaluable to the creation and reception of this purpose-built carrying solution. Here he shares the story behind the design.

“Back in 1984, while covering the Olympic Winter Games in Sarajevo, I realized that backpacks are the only way to go when covering major winter sports. Since then Lowepro has been on my back for some of the most memorable winter and summer sporting events.

In 2008, Tim Grimmer (Lowepro director of marketing and product management) came to my home in Vancouver, British Columbia on a research trip. His mission was to talk to me (really, he grilled me!) on what would be the best design for a backpack for sports photographers. The discussion was lively and included all aspects of what a winter sports photographer does and the changing roles of sports photography.

I wanted a bag that would let me ski down an Olympic Downhill course in the morning, walk up an Olympic Bobsleigh course in the afternoon, and then travel by bus and cover an Olympic Figure Skating final in the evening—all the while keeping my gear safe and dry while shooting and travelling between events. It was a challenge that I thought was going to be impossible for Tim and the team. ‘Oh, and I need this bag to carry hand warmers, sunglasses, extra gloves, crampons, and monopod,’ I added.

Tim asked what camera gear I would need to carry in it, which was really the point of the backpack and this was a difficult one to answer, because different winter sports require different lenses, and different photographers carry different lenses to the same sport. I thought about this for a long while, reflecting on all the sporting events I have covered and the sports photographers I had worked with around the world at events.

The bag, I concluded, would have to carry the following:
2 Pro DSLR bodies
A big lens: like a 400mm f/2.88, 500mm f/4 or 600mm f/4
2 or 3 extra lenses
A teleconverter
Spare batteries, CF/SD cards and a few other accessories

Nick's Limited Edition Flipside 500 AW filled with the pro-sized gear needed to cover winter sporting events. © Nick Didlick

The backpack had to have a different way of opening to protect the gear inside from blowing snow. And I didn’t want a million pockets as they are difficult to manage with cold or gloved hands. ‘Oh yeah Tim, one more thing: I need the bag to fit in the overhead baggage area of an airplane!’

I introduced Tim to my friend Paul Morrison, a Whistler-based photographer who covers extreme skiing and with whom I have spent many hours on the side of a mountain waiting for an event to start. Paul and I have different views of what a bag should be, but I always find his insights to be valuable. And we have the common vision that being ready for the picture is what counts, and that should be the primary function of the backpack. And so the challenge was laid down.

Lowepro took all of this information that Paul and I provided and months later produced the Limited Edition Flipside 500 AW. They shared these backpacks with more than 700 pro photographers who covered the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. And now, the Flipside 500 AW is available to all pros and photo enthusiasts who need a backpack that’s ready for those big moments. After all, it’s really ‘the picture that counts’.”

To learn more about Nick Didlick, please visit his web site.

He admits to chasing classmates—with camera in tow—around the playground as early as the third grade. Now Andy Katz chases adventures in places like Eastern Europe, India, Africa and the wine country of California (still with camera in tow). He’s published more than 12 books and has photographs showcased in museums, private collections and galleries—including two of his own in Boulder, Colorado and Healdsburg, California.

Read our profile and find out what inspires this photographer to create his intriguing, artistic and evocative images of people and places.

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.