With so many current Lowepro bags featuring hydration-ready pockets, have you considered using a reservoir instead of a water bottle when on the trail? Each has their advantages. But here’s the way it often works out for me.

• For longer hikes, I typically pack the CamelBak UnBottle Insulated Reservoir (100 fl. oz.) because it provides me with enough H2O for two days of exploring. I enjoy the convenience of having water available without having to do anything more than bite on the mouthpiece that’s looped through my shoulder strap. This is a fairly big hydration unit, so I use it with overnight packs such as the Rover Pro.
• On overnight trips, I may carry an additional water bottle that I use for meals. By dividing my drinking water from my cooking water, I can better manage my assets on the trail.
• If I’m sharing water with others during a day hike, a squeeze water bottle is often a simpler way to go.

For day hikes, I use the Flipside Sport 15L AW and the Photo Sport 200 AW. Longer trips require more storage, such as with the Rover Pro 45L AW. All of these are hydration ready.

So what do you prefer? Bladder, bottle, or both? And if so, what types do you use in your Lowepro bags?

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

One of my favorite bang-around backpacks is the Photo Hatchback 16L AW. It holds my camera gear in a removable protective case, looks stylish, and is very comfortable. Another reason why I love this bag is that it will protect both of my iPads: the iPad 3 (full size) and iPad mini.

The front padded sleeve has a thin divider panel inside. I place my full size iPad in the sleeve behind the panel, and the mini in front of the panel. I can get to either device quickly, yet they are stowed securely and not banging against one another.

Just another reason why the Photo Hatchback is a great everyday backpack for all of my gear.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

Hello sports fans! In honor of the opening week of baseball season, we’re sharing a profile of legendary sports photographer Ronald C. Modra. Ron could easily could rest on his laurels with  impressive resume…

70 cover shots for Sports Illustrated and 23 years shooting for that publication.

Author and photographer of the critically acclaimed book: Reflections of the Game: Lives in Baseball (Willow Creek Press).

And a contributing photographer for Time, Newsweek, National Geographic and New York Magazine.

Next up for him: a book coming out this spring about 40 years shooting for Major League Baseball (with a forward by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig).

Ron’s love of the outdoors and saltwater fishing in his home state of Florida keeps him busy with a rod and a camera. We recently caught up with Ron and asked a few questions about the art of sports photography, his next projects and the lure (pun not intended…really!) of saltwater fishing.

Enjoy this exclusive profile of a very cool photographer!

Editor’s note: For many shooters, the best light is the first morning light. So it was for Robert Frase, enthusiast photographer and member of the Fort Worth Camera Club in Texas.

Robert and a close-knit group of photographer friends often meet and shoot in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. One pre-dawn morning this January, he drove to the chosen location – a waterfall at the end of the Trinity Trail. With his camera, extra lenses and gear tucked away in his Flipside 400 AW, Robert arrived first and made his way to the falls.  

As he searched for a good vantage point and crossed the footbridge, Robert took a misstep and fell off the retaining wall. As he fell, his gear was still on his back. He landed on the rocks below – a distance of 15 feet he later learned – and on top of his backpack. He never lost consciousness, but was injured. He picks up the story here:

“I landed on your Lowepro bag.  Apparently, it was the thickness and construction that prevented my head from slamming onto the rocks.  Yes, I was in pain – tremendous pain.  After the jolt of the fall, I wiggled my fingers and toes to make sure that I was not paralyzed.  As it was still very dark, I laid there until my friends arrived some 30 to 40 minutes later. I made it to the hospital, and as a precaution, the ER personnel put me in a neck brace and proceeded to check for spinal damage.  A CT scan was performed and I was informed that I had a compression fracture of my Lombard vertebrae L1 and L3, including disk bulging.  Currently, I am awaiting kyphoplasty surgery to repair the spinal fractures.

I truly believe that the Lowepro bag saved my life, protecting me from what could have been a paralyzing event, or even severe head trauma.  But I’m not yet done!  Later on, a friend retrieved my car along with my camera gear that was still in the trunk. Upon inspection, NOTHING was damaged from within the Flipside 400 AW pack — not my Canon 50D with the kit lens, Sekonic l-758dr spot meter, 8mm fisheye lens, Canon 10-22mm lens, remote cable release or Singh-Ray filters.

Thank you for making a superb product. You have a customer for Life!”

Robert, we hope you are feeling better and thank you for sharing your Unbelievable Story. (We included one of Robert’s dramatic, black & white images of El Capitan here and hope he gets back to shooting soon!)

Lowepro is excited to participate in WPPI 2013. And to celebrate the event, we’re giving away a big prize package each day of the Expo, March 11, 12, and 13, 2013. The Ultimate Prize Package includes (worth over $750):

• 1 Pro Roller Lite 250 AW
• 1 Pro Messenger 180 AW
• 1 Focus Tripod + Ballhead X

To participate: Share a photo on Instagram of your current camera bag and tell us why you should win. Use #Lowepro and #WPPI2013 in your post.

Or, Tweet @Lowepro; tell us why you should win. Use #WPPI2013

You may choose to post on either Twitter or Instagram. Open internationally, but void where prohibited. One daily winner will be chosen randomly.

Daily winners will be announced here and on Twitter and Facebook.

Once again, we pulled out all the stops at Europe’s biggest annual imaging show: Focus-On-Imaging. As Tim Sadler, our category manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, put it, “The pressure was on to rejuvenate the halls and make this year’s show one of the best”.

Lowepro products spotlighted at the show included the Rover Pro AW, Passport Sling II and brand new Flipside Sport 20L AW – the biggest model in our Flipside Sport AW series. For more on this high-performance adventure pack, check out the Camera Diner interview with Lowepro’s Tim Sadler at the 28 minute mark.

We were pleased to have a stellar array of speakers – and as we like to think, members of the extended Lowepro family – take part in the show and engage the crowd with their recent and upcoming projects. The inspirational list of photographers: Colin Prior, David Noton, and Catherine Connor and David Southard from Wild Arena – plus dynamic newcomers to our speaking area including: Percy Dean, Tom Bunning, Luke Massey and Rebecca Litchfield.

To quote Tim again: “Some of the crowds were wild, some of the crowds were mild, but everyone left wanting to get out with their camera and take some great shots!”

Thanks to the UK and European teams, photographers and attendees who made a few days in Birmingham, England incredibly memorable.

Editor’s note: Lots of brides-to-be say ‘I do’ – as in, I do want you to document my wedding – to internationally acclaimed South African photographer Brett Florens. He enjoys a highly successful career in wedding, commercial and fashion photography. And his editorial portrait work includes sessions with famous South African personalities such as Desmond Tutu, FW de Klerk and cricketer Jonty Rhodes.

Brett’s distinctive photographic style has earned him the honors of being selected as a Nikon® Wedding Photographer and a best-in-field exhibitor at the world’s largest, biennial imaging show, photokina.

We caught up with Brett right before his departure for WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International). He’ll be a featured presenter of “Weddings Meet Fashion” (his image made the cover of this year’s show brochure!) and a visitor to our booth to meet and greet attendees. So stay tuned for information on that by checking in on our Facebook page. For now, enjoy his tips on traveling with gear and the art and business of wedding photography.

P.S. If you’re at WPPI, stop by booth #727 and say hello. We’re giving away a some very cool prize packages each day at the show and online – one includes Brett’s “Modern Wedding Photography” DVD. Not at the show? Not a problem. You have a chance to win online. Stay tuned to our blog next week!

What do you like about working with Pro Messenger AW and Pro Roller Lite AW bags?
When shooting destination assignments, I often find that I am working on the beach or in a field or forest. I can then pack the Pro Messenger with one body and one or two essential lenses, without having to carry all my heavy gear around with me. The Pro Roller Lite is the ideal bag for a wedding photographer; the amount of gear you can pack in it, is impressive. The design is upmarket and suits my brand image. The ergonomics of the bag are very smooth and it is very sturdy, which is important in protecting all the expensive camera gear.

Your workshops and assignments take you all over the world. How do you prepare before you set out?
Two days beforehand, final confirmation with models, hair and make-up and venues are done, either by phone or email. If it’s a wedding, I confirm with the bride or the wedding coordinator on times and venues. Airline seats are also confirmed the day before.

I have been traveling to do workshops and destination weddings for a few years now and have the process of packing for shoots down to a fine art. My cabin baggage is comprised of the Pro Roller Lite 250 (containing all my camera gear). I then pack my Pro Messenger, which also goes on with me into the cabin. In this bag I don’t carry any camera gear, only my travel docs, iPad and toiletries. Then, once I arrive, I have the option of working out of either bag.

My Elinchrom Ranger RX gets safely packed into a Pelican case that is checked in. I take a minimum amount of clothing and this is packed last into the Pelican case. My wife Andrea runs through a checklist with me to confirm that I’ve got all the important documents, clothing and equipment with me! (Watch Brett packing his gear below.)

You’re a featured presenter at WPPI. What do you enjoy about teaching your craft?
Wow, this is huge for me. I have wanted to present at WPPI for a while now and I was asked to present my lecture on drawing inspiration from other photographic genres. My lecture is titled “Fashion Meets Weddings”. I love being able to share my ideas with like-minded people and it such a satisfying feeling when I see the delegates becoming more enthusiastic about their photography as a result of my teaching. I find it incredibly rewarding when I receive messages from people who have attended my workshops or presentations, about the positive influence I have had on their careers. I also enjoy listening to other educators, picking up on tips and techniques from them that will help my business.

Wedding photography is a big business these days and the competition is growing. How do you keep your creative approach fresh and relevant?
My style of wedding photography is very fashion/editorial based. I look to fashion magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and successful fashion photographers for inspiration. Fashion is always changing, and by following the lighting and posing trends in the fashion world, I keep my work current and relevant.

A few extra travel tips from Brett:

1. Book an extra day or two on an assignment; it leaves time to explore and shoot for yourself.
2. Fully charge AA batteries the day before; they generally take longer to charge.
3. Pack a pair of cotton pajamas for a long flight; change them in the restroom — they’re much more comfortable to sleep in than jeans.
4. Wear extra layers of clothes to save on baggage weight allowances; layering helps with that — smart wedding trousers on first, then jeans, T-Shirt, smart shirt and then a jacket.