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.

While I was sitting in a meeting yesterday, one of my partners in crime, Frank Filice, got this look on his face. It’s a look that’s usually followed by a great idea. He said to me, “What if we did this new thing on Facebook called Free Bag Friday? Every Friday we provide the opportunity for someone in our community to get a Lowepro bag.”

It took me about 3 seconds to realize the beauty of Frank’s idea. At the fourth second, I said, “Let’s do it.” Others have come up with the idea of giving away bags on our site, but it’s the name, Free Bag Friday, that’s so cool. Here’s how it works.

Anyone can win by clicking “Like” and simply adding a brief comment to the Free Bag Friday post our our Facebook page. You have until 6am PDT Monday morning to participate. We then randomly choose the name of one of the folks who commented, and announce the lucky shooter on our Fan Page later that day Monday (with instructions on how to send us their shipping address). That’s all there is to it! This week’s Free Bag Friday prize is a SlingShot 100. Tell us how you’d use the bag… maybe you’ll win it.

We’re off to a great start with it this week. And if you don’t win, don’t worry. We’re going to do it again (and again). Way to go Frank!

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

There is probably nothing as compelling or motivating as a real life experience, but film definitely comes in a close second. And when film is devoted to bringing about positive change, we just have to applaud both the film and the filmmaker.

Evan Abramson is a New York-based photographer and filmmaker who specializes in long-term documentary projects with a specific focus on issues of social and environmental crises. His first film When the Water Ends, made in conjunction with MediaStorm,  tells a story of climate change and the semi-nomadic tribes along the Kenyan-Ethiopian border. As drought conditions worsen, they frequently come into conflict with each other as they move in search of new water sources. This pits groups and nations against one another — a problem caused by climate change and further complicated by deforestation and land degradation, and due in large part to population pressures. The biggest toll is felt by the impoverished farmers and nomads who struggle to survive as their land becomes more and more barren.

Last Stand on the Island

Currently Evan is working on Last Stand on the Island. This compelling piece is the story of Isle de Jean Charles — an island off the coast of Louisiana that is fast losing its war against the encroaching Gulf waters — and the native tribe of people who are losing their home at an alarming rate. Shrinking from 24 square miles to a mere 1/2 mile wide and a 1/4 mile long, the entire island is slowly sinking into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. For decades, oil and gas companies have been carving canals through Isle de Jean Charles allowing saltwater into marshlands and eroding everything in its path. The increasing number of hurricanes has also added to the devastation.

 The film focuses on 74-year old resident Edison Dardar’s passion for his home and his stubborn refusal to leave, even as the tribe’s Chief Albert Naquin is working hard to find a way to relocate them. 

But the clock is ticking. There is a chance this film will never be completed — and the story won’t be fully told. Evan is actively raising funds to finish this project so he can help bring awareness to the issue of coastal erosion due to industry negligence. We invite you to view the trailer. If you can, even the smallest donation could make a difference and help this story reach a wider audience. Invitations have already been received to screen Last Stand at the 2012 Human Rights Watch Film Festival and the 2012 DC Environmental Film Festival.

Good luck, Evan…

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

Last year we launched a new brochure format showcasing some of our pro photographer partners. We were honored to have stories from Michael ‘Nick’ Nichols, Steve McCurry, Douglas Kirkland, Joyce Tenneson and 12 other fabulous photographers.

Our 2011 Loweprofessionals Professional Photographer Showcase is now hot off the press — and we are really excited to bring you brand new feature articles.

Within the pages of this year’s edition, you’ll find pieces about 15 pro photographers from around the world. Their stories are sometimes larger than life, sometimes touching and poignant. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did putting it together.

Here’s a sneak peek at just one of the features….

Andreas Kieling’s life story reads much like the adventures written by his favorite authors: Robert Louis Stevenson, Jack London and Mark Twain. At the age of 16, he escaped East Germany under cover of darkness despite being shot in the back. Making a full recovery, he took to the sea, sailing around the world on cargo ships and rediscoving his love of photography.

Today, Andreas is one of the top nature/adventure photographers in the world. But our story is about a much different project he undertook — a 1400km hike, with his dog Cleo at his side, through the countryside that was once the forbidden zone between East and West Germany. This area is now referred to as the Green Line,  a protected preserve that is home to many rare species of wildlife.

We hope you enjoy reading Andreas’ story — and those of the other photographers who bring so much color and emotion into our lives. From the Olympic Games to the landscapes of Scandanavia, from photo essays about breaking news and the struggles of indigenous people to fine art prints that are nothing short of amazing — we salute them all! Enjoy….

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

For some time now, I’ve been testing a brand new backpack from Lowepro, and I want to share my thoughts with you about it. It’s called the CompuDay Photo 250. I really like this bag for everyday use. Why? For starters, it’s very light, only weighs 1.9 lb/0.9 kg. Yet inside this “not too big” exterior (32 x 20 x 43.5 cm / 12.6 x 7.9 x 17.1 in), it holds my laptop (up to 15.6″), iPad, Canon 60D with kit zoom, 50mm prime, hard drives, compact camera, and lots of personal accessories. And if you’re not toting a DSLR, the camera compartment magically compresses so you can use the space for other items.

The Lowepro CompuDay Photo 250 backpack is light, but holds an amazing amount of equipment for the photographer on the go.

The CompuDay Photo 250 has one of the most clever compartment designs I’ve ever seen. My DSLR is completely protected in the side-access pocket. I don’t have to worry about it banging against other items in the backpack. My laptop and iPad each have their own sleeves… again, protected and easy to access through the top of the bag. But there are also many smaller compartments that allow you to organize everything else you’re toting, including hard drives, small electronics, keys, pens, and even a sleeve that’s perfect for #10 envelopes.

The DSLR compartment compresses when not in use so you have that space available for other items.

This is also a great backpack for travel. The easy-grip top handle is comfortable to grab. The shoulder straps are nice and wide. And, unlike many backpacks, this one includes a trolly sleeve so you can slide it over the handle of your rolling suitcase. The CompuDay Photo 250 fits easily in overhead compartments on planes, under seats, or just about anywhere else. And it includes a side mesh pocket plus a front zipper pocket for those items you need to quickly access.

Here’s a quick run down of its main features:

• Lightweight, slim and protective design
• Dedicated storage for laptop, camera and personal electronics
• Adjust-to-fit, padded camera chamber
• Burnt orange lining
• Removable accessory pouch
• Multiple organization pockets
• Mesh-covered trolley sleeve
• Rain-flap lid
• Adjustable, lightly padded shoulder straps
• 2 SlipLock loops on shoulder straps
• Durable and water-resistant outer fabrics

There are pockets galore in this backpack to store everything you need.

The CompuDay Photo 250 should start showing up at Lowepro retailers now. Street price is around $75 US. There’s also a messenger style version of the bag that I’ll talk about in another post.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

Photojournalist Dan Powers has been a newspaper photographer since 1993 and a staff photographer for The Post Crescent in Wisconsin for the past 16 years. While he loves doing what he calls ‘community journalism’ because of the variety it offers, he’s also had the opportunity to photograph major sporting events like PGA golf, the NBA basketball finals, the U.S. Open tennis tournament, football’s championship Super Bowl games and the Beijing Summer Olympics. Being from Wisconsin, it’s a given that he’s a Green Bay Packers fan — and he’s covered most of their games since 1995.

Dan has used Lowepro gear for years. So we asked him to try out some of our newer gear and let us know what he thought. Here’s his report…

“I was excited to have an opportunity to try out the Pro Roller x300 and the S & F series. I must say they did not disappoint. I like being organized which is why I fell in love with your Pro Roller x300 rolling case.  I got it just in time to use it at Lambeau Field for a couple games, as well as the NFC Championship game pitting the Packers against the Bears. (Great game by the way.) It worked like a champ.  Not only was I able to get all of the needed camera gear packed in an organized fashion, but, it had a great padded compartment for my Mac Book Pro and an attachment for my monopod. ”

Here’s what Dan packed in his Pro Roller x300:

1. 3 Canon DSLR camera bodies
2. 14mm lens
3. 16-35 zoom lens
4. 70-200 zoom lens
5. 400mm f/2.8 lens
6. 1.4x converter
7. 580EX flash
8. Camera batteries
9. Flash card holder
10. Mac Book Pro with an assortment of accessories
11. Gitzo carbon fiber monopod
12. Travel paperwork

“The quality was top notch. As you can imagine, in Wisconsin we get a lot of sloppy weather…especially in the winter.  I found the materials used on this case very durable as it was dragged (ok…rolled) through snow, slush, water and even a little bit of mud.  The wheels were smooth and never got clogged up despite the conditions. The last feature I loved was being able to convert it from a rolling case to a backpack.  There is a great advantage to this.  Some places (stadiums and venues) make it really easy to get around so the rolling aspect is perfect.  But on occasion, I’ll find that a backpack is more handy.  The Pro Roller x300 brings you the best of both worlds in one convenient package.  Well done!

The other gear I have been using is the S & F belt system. I like keeping things light and as mobile as possible, so I found myself using the Light Utility Belt a lot. It kept things in place and was very comfortable. I am using the belt system more for daily assignments because, when I’m at a sporting event, each camera I have has a lens on it. However, for daily assignments it was great. Now, if I was only using one camera on sports assignments with a variety of lenses, I think the belt system would be a must every time!

The accessories I was drawn to were the Slim Lens Pouch 55 AW and 75 AW.  I was able to use my 16-35 with the 55AW and my 70-200 with the 75AW…with hoods attached.  Both cases kept the lenses protected and secured.  And I love the AW covers.  Quick and easy to use.  I also used the Quick Flex Pouch 55AW to hold my flash card holder, lens cleaning cloth and keys.

The belt system is really excellent.  Your SlipLock™ system works flawlessly.  I’m never worried about something coming loose. All in all I thought your products were terrific.  My colleagues were also impressed.  The gear is rugged, easy to use and just as important…functional for working photographers. What more can a photographer ask for?!  Thumbs up all around.”

Well, we couldn’t ask for any more than this great review. Thanks, Dan — and we’ll be watching for you at those Packer games!

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

After spending a week working with photographers at the Nature Photography Summit in Texas, I have a good feel for the features that interest these adventurers the most.

Our most active table in the booth was where we displayed the Pro Trekker and Vertex series. You would have thought these bags were loaded with magnets. Typically, visitors would start with a midsize Vertex, because in part I think they were attracted to their sleek design and weatherproof zippers. The Vertex series is also fairly efficient in terms of storage space vs bag size. And for many photographers, the shopping stopped right there.

But those interesting-looking Pro Trekker backpacks were hard to overlook. The feature set for the Trekkers is a bit different. You can remove the belly band and shoulder straps, making it easier to fit a Trekker in tight storage. All of the Trekkers are hydration ready. Also, the top lid removes and can be used as a fanny pack once you’re in camp. Plus, the larger Trekkers hold more gear than the large Vertexs.

By discussing the differences between these two models, I got a feel for the priorities of serious nature shooters. Each bag has to hold a long zoom on camera. It needs to hold-up in challenging weather conditions. The bag has to fit on airplanes. And it’s important that the photographer can wear the bag all day without over-tiring the back and shoulders.

At the end of the day, the preferred bag depended on the specific type of shooting engaged most often by the photographer. I’m glad that we have two distinct backpack options to offer the nature photographer who works in very demanding conditions. Personally, I like the Trekkers a bit better. But I tell you, those Vertex models look sharp.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.