Several new product announcements will be made in Salt Lake next week at the Outdoor Retailer trade show. Read about the Escape and Jetpack in SNEWS – both packs will be available in February. Also, attendees will get a sneak peek at products available this fall including the new “Cloud Series” that breaks free from conventional camera packs with super light construction and Neoprene camera compartments. Also appearing: The Contrejour, a no-holds-barred ski pack for serious photographers who love snow sports. We’ll keep the news feed coming, stay tuned via Twitter and Facebook as well! (see the links to the right)

JETPACK release>

ESCAPE release>

I recently had the opportunity to travel down to Zion National Park with fellow photog Kevin Winzeler to check out the fall foliage at its peak. The Box Elder and Cottonwood trees were going off, making for beautiful yellows, contrasting against the red rock. Unfortunately, an unusual cold spell had pretty much stripped the maples of their red leaves, leaving the color palette somewhat one-dimensional. I’m a bit embarrassed to say this was my first time down to Zion. It didn’t disappoint, but it did overwhelm to a certain degree. Much like any other iconic photo location, Zion presents a challenge in finding original identifiable images.

The one thought I had while shooting in Zion over a short 3-day period is that you really must put in your time not only to research the locations, but, more than anything, to hopefully luck out with some dramatic weather. We were stuck with clear skies whether we liked it or not, which made for good bounce light in the Narrows, but uninteresting sunrise and sunset shoots otherwise. You see so many shots from places like Zion, that you really must score unusual weather conditions if you hope to come away with something unique and memorable.

One of the shooting opportunities most unique to Zion is found in the Narrows. Carved over time by nothing more than rushing water, this deep slot canyon harbors a plethora of otherworldly images just waiting to be captured. It’s not too common to see direct sunlight in the Narrows, but high canyon walls serve as perfect natural reflectors, sending bounce light to and fro, creating colorful glows in unusual places. Should you decide to venture this way, be prepared to wade through ankle to thigh deep (and sometimes deeper) water the entirety of the canyon. Bring a sturdy tripod, and don’t forget your polarizing filter.

My pack of choice for the Zion trip was Clikelite’s Pro Elite. This is my workhorse pack, the one that carries pretty much everything but the kitchen sink. I’m the type of photographer that most often chooses to travel heavy rather than light, and the Pro Elite excels with loads of 25 lbs. or greater. I like to afford myself every opportunity to get the best possible shot, which means taking all the gear I think I may use. One of my favorite features of this pack are the dense foam shoulder straps–super comfy especially with heavier loads carried over longer distances.

If you have the opportunity, get yourself down to Zion National Park next fall–and don’t forget your Clikelite Pack!

Adam Barker
www.adambarkerphotography.com

I’ve purchased and used many backpacks in the eternal quest for that elusive perfect pack. For the most part, I’ve used Lowe Pro’s Photo Trekker AW II, and the Compu Trekker for airline travel because of the laptop sleeve. Problems with these packs for me: the Photo Trekker weighs in at 9 lbs. empty. The Compu Trekker is just uncomfortable.

A few months ago, I stopped into my fav camera store Pictureline in Salt Lake City, desperately looking for a smaller pack to carry 1 camera body and a couple of lenses for a trip to Wyoming and Idaho. They showed me the Clik Elite Medium Nature pack…. I tried it on, and thought PERFECT…. I’ll take it.

And now those several months later, I am soooooo glad I did. The pack fits like a dream. It has an adjustable harness, so it doesn’t matter if your torso is short or tall, you can adjust the fit. It takes a couple of days wearing to mold the dense foam to my body, but then it’s the most comfortable pack I’ve ever worn. Even when I’d overstuff it with bodies and lenses.

Quality and workmanship are topnotch. The material sheds water. It cleans easily. And even with the abuse I’ve given this pack, there are no signs of wear.

I HIGHLY recommend this pack for short day trips, hiking from a vehicle or base camp etc…

OK….. time to think about replacing the 9 lb. Photo Trekker. I’m really wanting a pack that will carry 2 pro bodies, and several lenses. I took out the Click Elite Pro today, and was pleasantly surprised. Even though I loaded it up with gear (for testing) it was comfortable, and had plenty of support for the load. Lots of pockets with room for extras, including a laptop sleeve that will hold my 17” computer. And I think Clik got it right: the computer sleeve is on the outside of the pack, not against your back. I feel this allows the pack to ride correctly, and therefore be more comfortable than a pack with the laptop against my back. Same adjustable harness. Same high quality material and workmanship. You guys just do it right! Thanks tons!!!

Carolyn Guild
www.carolynguild.com

Carolyn Guild’s photographs have gained International attention. She has won numerous awards including most recently B&W Magazine’s Gold Award for Seascape/Nature, First Place at PX3 — Prix de la Photographie — Paris in the *Professional — Nature* category and several Honourable Mentions from IPS — International Photography Awards. Her work can be found in public and private collections and is exhibited in galleries and museums.

Using long exposures, Guild takes photography beyond the realistic view and into a world that explores the unseen —  transforming the natural world over time, allowing glimpses into an enchanted landscape. Her images have a  surrealistic evocative feel.

Guild, born in 1951, currently splits her residences between Mexico, California and Utah with her husband. She travels extensively to capture her transfixing black and white photographs.

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“Joe Decker, a nature photographer based in San Jose, Calif., tested five of the latest camera packs while hiking in the Sierra Nevada this fall. The photographs of the bags were taken at Pomponio State Beach, Calif.”

Read the column here>

Clik review here>

Recently, Adam Barker took his Elite Pro to Chile to capture some incredible skiing. Check out more from Adam on his site:

When  Bryce Thatcher climbed Mt. Ranier in 2004, he improvised a camera pack to keep his photo gear within reach during the summit. And the idea behind Clik Elite was born. Now Clik’s President, Bryce Thatcher shares how another Clik Elite innovation saved two of his  recent shoots for Nathan Sports:

In the 25 years I have been doing this I have not had such a hard time getting the weather to cooperate with my photos.  As always, deadlines have been tight, but usually I can count on a day or two of good weather to get the optimal lighting conditions for outdoor athletic photography.

With only one week to shoot all the photography for a 48 page catalogue—both action and studio—I was banking on good weather for our action shots.  The studio was fine and routine, but the action was difficult.
I checked the weather carefully to select the best days for action photos.  Day one was for the cover photo and a variety of inset photos.

The weather was 100% overcast with very flat light.  To make matters worse the location was in the middle of a dark forest near a stream bed.  Beautiful area,  and it would have worked well with a tripod and slow shutter speed, but it was less than ideal to stop the action of a jumping athlete—the shot we were looking for to illustrate the edgy/extreme nature of Nathan Products.

Luckily I was carrying my gear in a Nature 35 with a ClikStand,  and I had a few hand held flashes in the pack. I had a portable studio set up in no time.  The ClikStand allowed me to quickly (under 2 minutes) set up a professional light setup in the middle of a dark forest.

The same thing happened again on another day of the shoot.  Rain all day.  No light and 100% overcast.  I had hiked a long way into the Grand Teton National Park in the backcountry,  carrying my trusty Nature 35 with ClikStand. We staged another shoot against a very tight deadline, this time for the back cover.

Clik allowed me to get where I needed quickly. I carried the necessary lighting and setting up with the ClikStand allowed me to get the shots I needed quickly. These shoots simply couldn’t have been as successful without the portability and convenience of the ClikStand.

Our latest product release multifunctions to meet your needs as an adventure photographer. Peak to ravine,  now you can haul it all – we’ve mobilized the photography studio with the ClikStand.

The ClikStand pulls double duty as a pack frame that carries heavy loads with comfort so you can hike, bike, ski, or climb to the action. Once you’re there the ClikStand mounts and supports a mobile studio, and the self-supporting pack transforms to a high-functioning workstation.

Functions and Features include:

• Constructed of burly, ultralight powder-coated anodized aluminum, the ClikStand’s  design and construction keep gear out of dirt and snow.
• SpinalColumn™ (patent pending): a quick-release, ergonomic, supportive backpack frame panel that handles heavy loads then quickly converts ClikStand packs to backcountry workstations.
• Stabilizer Feet (patent pending) swing out for added stability and adjust for uneven terrain.
• ClikMount™ (patent pending) comes standard with a ¼” mount that accepts a hot shoe, camera, scope or other gear and accepts optional ball heads for added versatility.
• Super-fast Levers adjust height of ClikStand™ for optimal versatility.
• Available on three pack models: Nature 35, Large Hiker, and Pro Elite (pictured).

It’s a Pack, it’s a Photography Studio – it’s the ClikStand.

Running our Ugly Mug contest at Outdoor Retailer was definitely a highlight of the show.  Snapping photos of some of the industry’s ugliest mugs was totally fun. You can see from the earlier galleries that there was some stiff competition here, but after careful deliberation and a complex scoring process, some clear winners emerged.  Below are the daily winners, each of whom win a Medium Chestpack. Stay tuned for our Grand Prize Winner.

Daily Winner Stacey Marcus, in the market for a new job

Daily Winner Bradon Maughan of Aloha Ski & Snowboard

Daily Winner Gail Ross of Kelty

Daily Winner Nathan Salmon of Utilikilts