Maki Kawakita recently got a new Pro Roller Attaché x50. She evidently loved it because she shared this diary entry with us. Check it out!

“Wow, what a nice new gear I have, Pro Roller Attaché x50!

There was a photoshoot right after I got my Lowepro Attaché x50, so I wanted to try it out right away. I first of all I love the size! The shoot was in New York City, and moving around in the big city with equipment isn’t an easy thing to do. Attaché x50 was small enough to take it everywhere…even in subway or bus if I needed to.

 I love how one bag fit into another bag. This is a space saving for me! The smaller bag had removable separation in it, so I put my two cameras, two lenses, meter and other related equipment in it.

 The location was narrow and small, a typical problem we have in New York City. With a few assistants, model, manager and so on, equipment can get bumped and fallen. Attaché x50’ was perfect not making the already-crowded-space more crowded. So far, I have less than 24 hours of relationship with her, but I like it very much!!!”

Thanks for sharing your diary with us, Maki. And keep us posted on your upcoming projects!

Sam is the PR and Photographer Relations Manager for Lowepro’s Worldwide Marketing team.

We traveled to the Florida Birding and Photo Fest to test our new Scope Photo Travel 350 AW. Among those giving us feedback was Melissa Southern of Next Step Photography Workshops based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Here’s a short movie of Melissa with the Scope Photo Travel.

The camera she uses in this bag is a Nikon D300s. Also, as you’re looking inside the Scope Photo Travel, keep in mind that the design allows you to open the bag in dusty or wet conditions and retrieve a piece of equipment while the other pieces stay clean and dry in their individual compartments. Melissa begins the video by showing you the bag configured in “travel” mode (airlines, etc.). The still image at the end of the movie shows the Scope Photo Travel reconfigured for “working” mode with the camera now in the center compartment (with zoom on) and the scope out for use. There are many interior design options with this backpack.

We anticipate the the Scope Photo Travel will be available in late June 2011 for around $249 US. I’ll keep you posted on our Facebook Fan Page.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

The most prestigious photo contest in Russia is the annual Golden Turtle Awards. This year, the contest drew submissions from over 15,000 photographers in 37 countries — all vying for prizes from the total prize package valued at more than 1 million rubles. The winners from all categories take part in a traveling exhibition throughout Russia and gain attention worldwide.

Our Distributor in Russia, Avras, has supported this contest for several years, providing prizes of Lowepro gear for the winners. This year, they arranged for a special, additional prize to be awarded from Lowepro giving one of the contest finalists the opportunity to be featured in our 2012 Loweprofessionals Brochure. We are delighted to give you a sneak peek at the winning image, taken by Dmitri Pavlov. A young biologist and photo enthusiast from Borok, a small town on the shore of the Rybinsk Reservoir, his goal is to use his photography to show what an amazing, and beautiful, world we live in.

Entitled A Small Cow in a Forest of Giant Streetlights, it captures a microscopic insect called a ‘springtail’ amid a forest of equally tiny mushrooms found on a rotting log in Upper Volga. It’s a bit of whimsy from an unseen world in a forest far away that shows beauty in what we might otherwise dismiss as just death and decay. The springtail itself is only 1-2 mm long but nevertheless an important part of our ecosystem.

Congratulations, Dmitri — we look forward to telling your story in the next edition of our Loweprofessionals brochure!

Sam is the PR and Photographer Relations Manager for Lowepro’s Worldwide Marketing team.

Last June, we had the priviledge of attending LOOK|between, a photographer mentorship workshop hosted by Nick Nichols and the folks at LOOK|3. It was an amazing 3 days in the beautiful countryside of Charlottesville, Virginia. But what was even more amazing was the talent we saw.

Young, up and coming photographers from all over the world had congregated to hear what some of the best experts in our industry had to say. And every evening, we were treated to multimedia presentations of their personal projects and portfolios under the stars.

One of these talented photographers was Dima Gavrysh. A gifted photojournalist, his photo essay from time spent embedded with US troops in Afghanistan was dramatic, moving and powerful. So it was wonderful to see that PDN has included him in their 2011 Top 30 Under 30 list.

Dima says he has been inspired by Magnum photographers who “covered important issues and have found an effective way to get the message across using a unique visual language that really transformed and elevated documentary photography to an art form.” To that end, Dima is pursuing his Masters degree at the Rhode Island School of design “to acquire a new visual eloquence, a new visual language.” He hopes to “find some spot where my documentary style will merge with art and allow me to create a unique vision and style that will set me apart.”

Congratulations, Dima. And to those of you who are discovering Dima for the first time, we think he is definitely someone to watch.

Sam is the PR and Photographer Relations Manager for Lowepro’s Worldwide Marketing team.

When I first started using the Versapack 200 AW, I thought of it as more of a day hike bag. But before a ride one afternoon, I saw the Versapack in my studio and thought, “that would probably be pretty good on the bike too.” So I loaded it up and took it with me for an afternoon trip. Here’s how I packed it.

So now I think of the Versapack as a biking bag that’s also great for hiking…

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

We recently posted a link to a cool video shot by Craig Pulsifer on our Facebook page. As it turns out, the video back-story is almost as interesting as the reel itself.

Craig was in the Philippines shooting a self-funded documentary about hopeful solutions for at-risk kids among Manila’s urban poor. In more posh locations, he also planned to produce stock stills and a demo video for his portfolio. We’re delighted he selected our DryZone pack for the motion piece.

But shoot day quickly turned into what Craig calls classic mayhem.

“I had lined up an incredible, 5’8″ model from Cebu (central Philippines) for the story,” he says, “but she jammed just as the assistant rolled into the driveway with the rented van.” With gear assembled, an assistant waiting and his model nowhere in sight, there was no choice but to recast the story. The trick was to find someone who was tall enough to keep their head and shoulders above water.

Stumped, Craig finally stepped in to act out as well as shoot the piece. He scouted his scenes at the beautiful Hidden Valley Springs Resort in Laguna. He rigged gear and set cameras, then dashed back and forth through each scene a few times to fill the shot list for the promo reel. Checking the footage, he’d adjust the rigging and then dash back for another take. 

Later, during post, he and composer/son Chris Pulsifer, conjured up the idea to use ‘bag sounds’ — the pack’s zipper and hardware — to lay down a percussion track in a style the two dub ‘Ambient Schtick’. We think it’s pretty cool.

FoundFolios picked up the story and  interviewed Craig about the project. And if you missed seeing the video when we posted it on Facebook, check it out:

Sam is the PR and Photographer Relations Manager for Lowepro’s Worldwide Marketing team.

Exactly one month ago, Japan sustained a devastating earthquake and an even more fatal tsunami. And before the full impact of those could be analyzed, the world watched in horror as another threat from several damaged nuclear reactors came into play. Through it all, the people of Japan have shown amazing strength, resolve, grace and resilience, even as aftershocks continue to rock their land.

Loweprofessional Maki Kawakita has a special connection to this tragedy: her family lives in Japan. Although petite in size, she can be a real force to be reckoned with – especially when she wants to make a difference. Maki has gathered an elite group of artists and photographers to join forces with Jondo.com, an online art gallery, in a fundraising project where everyone benefits.

The campaign is entitled Creative Mind [Hopeful Child] and as the project’s curator, Maki has gathered fellow Lowepro photographers Catherine Hall and John Isaac as well as Luke Chueh, Gigi Cohen, Naomi Harris, Jackie King, Cojo, Russell Hart, Rin Yamamura and Leonardo Drew creating a unique collection of selected works. Available for a limited time only, 100% of the proceeds will be going to Save the Children to support the relief work they are doing in Japan.

In Maki’s own words: ‘It is my great hope that this fundraising project will not only help Japan’s Tsunami disaster victims but also put artists together to make a difference in the world by using our unique talents.’

We are honored to involved with this effort and to be in the company of the other participating partners: Olympus, the School of Visual Arts , Werner Publishing and Von Fine Wine & Cocktails. If you can help, we greatly appreciate your support. At least, we hope you will share it with your friends and family. Remember, every bit helps.

Sam is the PR and Photographer Relations Manager for Lowepro’s Worldwide Marketing team.