She’s the originator of Makirama, a wildly unique form of self-portraiture that delights viewers with its vivid color and daring themes. Conceptual photographer Maki Kawakita blends influences from both Eastern and Western cultures in her distinctive style. She’s photographed modern-day celebrities like Beyoncé and Fergie. And her clients include Time Magazine, Marie Claire, Levi Strauss, Sony and Virgin Records, among others.

Kawakita was named one of the best 100 photographers of Japan by Commercial Photography. Read our profile of her and see more images from this artist that we are proud to call one of our Loweprofessionals.

Pro Photographer Dan Bailey captured another Dan–our Lowepro colleague–giving his expert demo of the S&F Lens Exchange Case 200 AW in New York a few days ago. This one-handed, lens-exchange technique happens swiftly…in just 21 seconds.

See Dan Bailey’s video at the Photoletariot web site where he is a Senior Contributor. And if you want more details on this breakthrough design, visit our S&F Series web page. Or go to the product page for more info and images of our modular case (that also includes a built-in All Weather AW Cover to protect a valuable lens from the elements).

It’s getting a lot of attention from pros who need a quick-functioning solution as they change out lenses on the job.

In theory, we’re clear on how a bag is to preform under adverse conditions. But to actually experience its virtues takes appreciation to a new level. That’s what happened to me on Saturday, Oct. 29 in New York City with the Lowepro DSLR Video Fastpack 250 AW.

By now, you’ve probably already heard about the record-setting storm that hit New York City. Those *never* happen in October. But after teaching my class Saturday morning at PhotoPlus Expo, here’s what I was greeted with when I walked at the door of the conference center.

Anyone who has been to NYC in a storm knows there are no available cabs when this happens. I had walk back to the hotel, retrieve my suitcase, and get to the airport as soon as possible. I wanted to get home.

The latest version of our popular Fastpack series includes an AW cover. I pulled it out to protect my camera and computer gear for the slushy trek back to the hotel. Not only did the AW cover do its job, it wiped off quickly once inside and was neatly stowed in the bottom of the bag. The location of the AW cover is very important. Here’s why.

After many hours or wrangling at JFK airport (flight cancellations, terminal changes, etc.), I got a window seat near an exit door on a Delta nonstop to San Francisco. The plane had to be de-iced before we departed. My Fastpack was sitting upright at my feet during the process. Afterward, I noticed that the carpet around me was soaked. The Fastpack was sitting in these sponge-like conditions. Because the AW cover is on the bottom of the bag, it served as a barrier and protected the valuable contents.

And last, but not least, all of this is after wearing a fully packed bag for 4 days without any shoulder or back fatigue. For longer walks, such as back to the hotel, I would pull out the waist best from its hiding place and use it to stabilize the bag as I maneuvered the busy NY streets.

The DSLR Video Fastpack 250 AW was my trusty companion in the Big Apple. And it lived up to every bit of theory the designers conceived on paper when they dreamed up this amazing backpack.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

Wow! Day 3 at PPE was as stellar as the rest. We gave customers the “tour” of our new DSLR Video Fastpack AW. We launched it earlier in October, but today a lot more folks got to try it out. It’s an extension of our award-winning Fastpack series and is purpose built for multimedia photographers who shoot stills, video and capture sound.

Thanks so much to our Lowepro team on the convention center floor for their hard work, and an even bigger thanks to everyone who stopped by booth #1119 to spend time with us. As promised, we’re adding new photos, plus our Day 3 video of highlights for you.

The Lowepro team at PPE had another great day unveiling our new products, helping shooters choose the perfect bags for their work, and saying hello to our pro photographer friends, including Loweprofessionals Eric Meola and Cristina Mittermeier.

Today we showcased our travel-friendly Pro Roller Lite AW. It’s the ultra-lean and ultra-lightweight solution for shooters who carry a lot of pro-sized gear as they fly all over the world. Watch the Day 2 video and enjoy. There’s one more day of PPE tomorrow and more highlights to come from us.

Carry-on with confidence

It’s light and lean enough to carry on a plane with a complete pro camera set-up. It’s easy to operate with an angled, telescoping handle and premium wheels. It’s our most lightweight roller series to date: the Pro Roller Lite AW. Each roller weighs less than 10 pounds or 3.6 kilograms (without gear) and is sized below the standard international carry-on requirements (less than 45 linear inches or 114.3 centimeters).

We think it’s ideal for the traveling photographer. And we have two videos to illustrate how the Pro Roller Lite AW keeps gear super-organized, plus makes it easy to get from point A to point B, without hassles. One is from producer/director Michael Coleman. The next is our product overview. Take a look now and get all the details on this ultra-lean and ultra-lightweight carrying solution. We’re unveiling it at PPE in NYC this week and will share more reviews as they roll in.

Opening day at PPE is always exciting for us. We  meet some of our customers, touch base with pros who work with our gear, and get insights on the latest hardware, software and new ideas from the world of imagery.

Today we featured  Pro Messenger AW with the innovative flap and soft-sided, discreet profile. Here are highlights in our Day 1 video from the Lowepro booth (it’s #1119 if you plan to stop by Friday or Saturday) at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.

We’ll have more to share tomorrow. So please check back.