Editor’s note: Tim Sadler, our category manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa shares some really cool news with us: the Flipside 500 AW received a coveted Gear of the Year Award (GOTY) from a panel of judges that included industry experts and editorial staff from Bauer Media. The largest, privately owned publishing group in Europe, Bauer offers more than 300 titles in 15 countries, including Digital Photo and Practical Photography magazines. This year, UK marketing manager Natalie Littlehales boarded a boat in London, cruised on the Thames and accepted the GOTY award with a champagne toast. Not a bad way to receive kudos!

“Last week saw the annual UK Gear of the Year awards hosted by Bauer Media take place in London. Suppliers and retailers from around the UK boarded the William B boat and were treated to champagne and fine dining whilst the cream of the industry crop received their awards for the best product releases of the last 12 months.

The sought-after ‘GOTY’s’ are chosen by editorial teams from both Digital Photo and Practical Photography magazines and our UK team were very excited when the Flipside 500 AW won the award for Best Camera Bag of 2012.

Since launching the Flipside 500 AW earlier this year, it has become a firm favourite amongst the media and the action sports crowd – which includes the likes of professional photographers Geoff Waugh and Roo Fowler. Visit the product page to find out more or watch the video!”

– Tim

Editor’s note: Our friend Brian Smith is at it again – publishing a colorful, revealing and insightful book on his life-long craft: portrait photography. This new publication from New Riders (an imprint of Peachpit Press) is titled “Secrets of Great Portrait Photography: Photographs of the Famous and Infamous”. You can order it on Amazon or look for it in bookstores and online retailers this week. Brian took a few moments to tell us about the contents and his creative process.

Portrait photography always fascinates the observer. What is it about the art form that draws us in?
I think people are always curious to see another side of fame. Celebrity portraits have an edge when the viewer is already familiar with the subject. The photograph can either reinforce what you expect or blow apart all your preconceptions. To me it’s always more interesting to dig a bit below the surface for an image you might not expect.

You write that sometimes a photographer has as little as 15 minutes to work with a celebrity. How do you prepare for that?
If you don’t have a lot of time, you want to go in with a plan, but be ready to throw the plan out and react to the moment. I call that “planning for the unexpected”. Many of the conceptual portraits I shoot that are the result of days, weeks or even months of planning, yet some of my favorite shots were done on the fly. It can sometimes be hard to give up the reins – but improvisation can be rewarding.

Do you have a favorite anecdote from the book you can share?
Ask the unexpected and you’ll get the unexpected…

People en Espanol called me for a home shoot of Spanish, Grammy-winning singer Alejandro Sanz at his house in Miami Beach. The idea behind a “home shoot” is to capture portraits that take readers inside the stars’ homes and give them a peek at how they live. We showed up an hour and a half ahead of time to choose our locations, and Alejandro’s manager immediately took us to a room used for all his interviews and photo shoots. The room had a couch beneath a couple of his gold records. He’d probably been interviewed there a hundred times and I wanted something bolder.

Looking around the house for some bold and unexpected sites, I found an all-white grand piano under a white staircase, a room filled with Alejandro’s paints and paintings, and an elegant entrance. Having never been photographed anywhere else but the “interview” room, Alejandro excitedly approved of the new shoot locations. For our sixth and final shot, I told Alejandro that I’d love to get him in the pool. I suddenly heard a splash, and there he was – just where I wanted him. Keep the shoot interesting by getting the subject to do something new. It almost always pays off!

Is there a favorite piece of gear or little trick you use in your celebrity portrait work that might surprise aspiring photographers?
Surround yourself with people brighter than you are. Find a great crew and take care of them. The biggest mistake young photographers make is skimping on production. Great styling, hair & makeup can make a good shoot great. Bad styling, hair & makeup can ruin one. Look at celebrity portrait shoots as a collaboration and collaborate with the best.

Celebrity portrait photographer Brian Smith has captured the faces of the famous and infamous. He’s a Pulitzer Prize winner and Sony Artisan of Imagery who’s appeared on X Factor, exhibited at the Library on Congress, had cupcakes with Anne Hathaway and gotten drunk with George Clooney. His photography is syndicated by Corbis Outline and can be found on his web site and blog.

When I’m considering what bag to bring out on a shoot there are many factors that come into play. The most important, of course, is what I am shooting and what gear I need to bring. Beyond that, I need a bag that performs. When shooting portrait photography, fumbling for gear or wasting time looking for something in front of a client is not an option. I also need a solution that is discreet and doesn’t scream camera bag.  I was recently hired for a senior portrait session in Sonoma County, CA. For portraits, I lean heavily on the 70-200 2.8 lens as the compression really makes for compelling photos. I also like to have a wide angle lens to capture my subjects surrounding as well as a 50mm 1.4 which seems to be the best of both worlds. All of this gear fits nicely into my Pro Messenger 200 AW and the padded shoulder strap takes the weight and distributes it nicely, allowing me to work all day comfortably.

This particular shoot was late in the afternoon, but not as late in the day as I would have liked. In situations like this, I also like to bring my Pocket Wizard remote triggers and use my 580 EX II off camera. I position my subject in the shade and use the flash to really make him/her pop.

Here is a list of gear that I carried in my Pro Messenger 200 AW for this shoot.

• Canon 5D Mark III
• 24-105mm L
• 70-200 f 2.8
• 580 EX II Flash
• 50mm 1.4
• Pocket Wizard Mini TT1 & Flex TT5
• Polarizing Filter
• Wescott 42″ White Shoot Through Umbrella

The Results:

200mm
ISO 100
F 2.8
1/400 sec

50mm
ISO 100
F 2.8
1/250 sec

On the outside, the Lowepro Lens Exchange Case 100 AW looks like a stylish, functional, photo accessory that any photographer would want. But inside, it can hold so many things. Here are 10 of my favorites.

What will you put in your Lens Exchange Case 100 AW?

1) A Medium Zoom

It easily holds my Canon 24-105mm f/4 L zoom lens.

2) A Wide Zoom

No problem for the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L zoom either.

3) A Macro Lens

Hey, don’t forget about the 100mm macro. That’s a fun one!

4) Your Flash

Oh, I guess I should bring the flash tonight.

5) A Spare Body

Wow, the Digital Rebel fits too. I should put the 40mm pancake on it so it’s ready to shoot if I need a back-up.

6) A Compact System Camera

Maybe I should pack my Compact System Camera instead. I might draw less attention that way.

7) Photo Accessories

Love these little GorillaPods for positioning off-camera flashes in difficult locations.

8) Audio Accessories

Oh man, have to shoot video tonight. Don’t forget the mic!

9) Snacks

Kindergarten class photos… Oh no!

10) Refreshments

A drink sounds really good right now…

So is the Lowepro S&F Lens Exchange Case 100 AW our most versatile storage solution? Possibly. But before you decide, you might want to visit S&F landing page to see all of the great accessories in this pro modular system.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

Editor’s note: Our colleagues Rick and Kendra from the product design team are in Jackson Hole, Wyoming right now taking part in the Summit Series Adventure Photography Workshop. They just sent us these cool images from a day on the Snake River and we want to share them with you, too. Here’s a note from Rick.

We’re really excited to be in Wyoming at the Summit Series Adventure Photography Workshop and we’re having an amazing experience.

There’s a great group of faculty here to give helpful instruction and put us through our paces, including: pro photographers Chris Burkard, Lucas Gilman, Keith Ladzinski, and Corey Rich; as well as Sadie Quarrier of National Geographic magazine and Scott Willson of The North Face.

Kendra and I are learning a ton about shooting adventure photos as well as the business of working with editors, operating a photography business and much, much more. If you’re looking to advance your shooting skills, this series of workshops is terrific. Check out the workshop web site for more info.

– Rick

On trade show days, I usually get to work about 30 minutes before the doors open to the public. It’s interesting on the floor then. Everything is so calm.

The Lowepro booth minutes before the doors open at Photokina.

Lowepro employees are straightening the bags, checking the audio/visual, and making sure that everyone is prepared to answer the hundreds of questions that will be asked over the next eight hours. It takes stamina.

Fortunately, Photokina is also the best of all events to work. Unlike other shows, where you don’t even have a place to stash your bag while you’re manning the booth, the Lowepro space is very large with an meeting area in the center.

The center of the Lowepro booth at Photokina is the meeting area. This is when much business is conducted. It also provides a comfortable break room for employees.

This multifunctional area allows for many meetings to be scheduled at the same time. That’s very important for an international show such as Photokina when we have business partners from all over the world in town for just a week. It also provides a space for employees to take a break during long days on the show floor. This shot of the meeting area is actually 3 frames stitched together to give you a better idea of how big the space really is.

Then, once the doors open to the public, the excitement begins to build. This is our opportunity to meet with you. Not only do we get to show you the latest products that we’re proud of, we get to hear about your work and the support you need to get the job done. These conversations are an important part of the trade show experience.

Once the doors open to the public, the real fun begins.

I hope you get the chance to visit with us at an event some day. After Photokina, we’ll be setting up shop in New York in October for PhotoPlus Expo. If you’re in town, I hope you stop by to say hello.

Derrick Story is the Photography Evangelist for Lowepro.

It’s technically Thursday, but this week’s selection for Free Bag (Almost) Friday is the Rover Pro 45L AW.

When you need to carry your camera and basic camping gear to the back country, carry it all in the first technical, mountain-style photo pack of its kind: Rover Pro AW. It’s designed for active outdoor photographers who need a comfortable way to hike with heavy loads over long, varied terrain.

Have you seen the new Rover Pro 45L AW and said to yourself, “that bag was built for me?” Well, we want to give one to some lucky photographer! Here’s how you can enter to win.

Rules:

• Tweet @Lowepro
• Mention why you’d love to get this bag in the same tweet
• Use hashtag #RoverPro

Not on Twitter? No problem.

• Share a photo of your current camera bag and why you need the Rover Pro 45L AW on Instagram.
• Use hashtags #Lowepro and #RoverPro.

Not on Twitter or Instagram? Just add a comment to this blog about how you’d use the bag if you won. We’ll randomly select a winner on Tuesday, September 25. The winning comment will be posted here and on our Facebook Fan Page.

Open internationally, but void where prohibited. One winner will be chosen randomly.