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I just returned from a great week at the Ski Salt Lake Photo Shootout.  We had all sorts of weather from cloudy, to sunny, to snowing and everything in between, providing the backdrop for some amazing imagery.  The photographers and athletes were all great folks and it was a fantastic opportunity to meet and work with everyone. Choice of gear is always crucial for adventure photographers, and for the most part I have my “go to” pieces pretty dialed in…with one exception. For the last five years I have been looking for a pack that addressed the needs of a true backcountry photographer.  I have finally found it in Clik Elite’s new Contrejour.  The Contrejour has enough room for a professional series camera, multiple lenses, flashes and accessories.  The kicker is that it also has ample room for all my avalanche gear(shovel, probe)skins, water, food, extra layers and more.  The frame and harness are very well thought out and carries a heavy load better than anything I have used in the past.  I highly recommend the Contrejour (available fall 2010) to every photographer that spends long days outdoors off the beaten path searching for great light and fresh subjects.

Liam Doran
Breckenridge, CO
www.liamdoranphotography.com

Thanks to Adam Barker for capturing Liam in action >

JETPACK release>

ESCAPE release>

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

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>

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.

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