Welcome to our newsletter, (yes, very late). We appreciate you looking in. This month we have just a few things to talk about.
For camera clubs and events: Vinny has designed a new program, "Packing Light; A Wildlife & Nature Photographers Transistion to Mirrorless". Please contact us if your group has an interest.
Singh-Ray Filters has announced Vinny Colucci as one of their Ambassadors and Technical Advisors. When ordering Singh-Ray filters, use the special code "vc20" and get 20% off your order from Singh-Ray. Click the link below to get to the Singh-Ray Website.
February was our Winter at the Triple D Game Farm. We had a great group and everyone came away with thousands of images. All participants did an outstanding job and I was proud of all of them.
This was our second winter Triple D trip. We all prayed for snow and on this trip, we got it.... and then some. Temperatures were at -8 degrees on some days, with even lower wind chills. This is not normal, even for Montana, this time of the year. Everyone still had an outstanding time.
We asked the group to share a few of their images. Below we have them, in no particular order, for your enjoyment.
Harvey Sopher
Joe Hancock
Hal Finch
We are announcing our February 2020 Winter in Montana Triple D event.
We already have two signed up and we are only taking 10. Sign up right away as I expect this event to fill quickly.
Winter in Montana Triple D Photography Workshop
We hope you join us for this outstanding event. If you are a mirrorless shooter, Vinny & Annette are shooting mirrorless for all their wildlife work and can help you get amazing images. Pleae advise them which mirrorless camera you intend on bringing.
Some of you might remember that the original Gura Gear Kiboko 30L was my favorite bag of all time. I started using the 30L in 2010 when I spoke with the bags designer and outstanding wildlife photographer, Andy Biggs.
Andy eventually sold off Gura but stayed on the board. Gura Gear evolved the bag through several stages to the point I no longer felt the bag was doing the job the original design did. I started hunting for another bag. I have tested several and have used several I really loved and still stand behind those reviews.
I still missed my original Kiboko 30L and made the mistake of selling it to a dear friend, Jim Allen. Every time Jim came on a workshop with us, I got jealous, but there was nothing I could do....
UNTIL NOW !
Meet the new and improved Gura Gear Kiboko 30L V2.0
Andy has gotten back involved with the new and improved version of the original. I am glad he did. I have been carrying this bag since December 2018. It is everything the original was and then some. I am over the top delighted with the design and the design improvements.
This is my typical travel configuration. Gura Gear Kiboko 30L V2.0, the original Chobe computer bag and a checked piece of luggage.
Here is what I love about the Gura Gear design. For one it will carry a ton of gear. I have had Pro level bodies, with 70-200 f/2.8, 24-70 f/2.8, 14-24 f/2.8, SP 5000 flash, 600mm f/4, 16mm fish eye and more. It all fits and it all slips into the smallest of over heads.From the Dehavilland Dash 8 twin prop to a CJ-200 regional Jet, I have never been asked to put my bag plane side. Now that I am shooting mirrorless, its plenty of room to carry a lot of extras that I use for teaching workshops, along with my camera setups. The bag only weighs in at 3.9 LB.
The parachute material is super strong and almost waterproof. It does come with a rain/sand storm cover but I have never needed it.
The real thing guys, is the butterfly opening. This opening allows me to only open up one side for access, rather than the whole flap. In tight spaces, like the trunk of a car, I don't have this big flap that eats up a lot of room.
There is plenty of room in the interior pockets as well as two outside pockets
that hold hiking stuff, filters and many accessories. Really convenient way to pack gear.
When loading the gear, one improvement that was added over the original design is this extra strap that can hold both flaps open at once. Very clever and functional. It is also handy when giving your bag a quick overview to make certain you have everything.
Whats with all that blue edging? One of the new improvements is, if you accidentally leave a zipper unzipped, you see blue. If the bag is zipped up for travel, no blue is shown. The blue color really pops, averting a potential disaster when you leave your zipper open!
My bag packed and ready to travel, no blue shown. Below, an open bag showing blue, indicating your zipper is open and not secure. (Oops, nobody likes zipper accidents.)
On the original Gura Gear Kiboko 30L, the outside zipper accessory pocket only opened 3/4 of the way unzipped, a bit difficult to work in. In fact, it was the only thing I didn't like about the original bag. Not the new 2.0 version. The outside pockets now unzip all the way making it very easy to access your gear.
Below, one of the two zipped pockets shown unzipped all the way. Shown with inside pockets and ample room to fit a ton of accessories.
The harness is outstanding. It backpacks well. With my SLR gear my pack came in at 36 LB. It wore well for several mile treks. When I loaded my mirrorless system, I was at 24 LB....a real breeze to carry.
My overall statement: This is the best bag on the market for carrying photography gear on an adventure. Not just for wildlife and nature shooting either. Next week me and my media credentials will be carrying the Kiboko 30L v-2.0 to the Sun & Fun Airshow/Flyin to do some magazine work.
The quality in design and in workmanship is second to none. As an ex- engineer turned Professional Photographer, I am real picky on my equipment. I have dragged this bag through rain, snow (-12 degrees), mud, and mountains. It holds up great and cleans up easily.
So whether on safari or shooting from an aircraft, this Kiboko is all I need in backpacks. I will, over the next year, update you on the Kiboko adventure.
Note: There is also a Kiboko 26L V2.0 and 18L V2.0. I am hoping to get these in the future to review.
Go to www.guragear.com to find where you can get yours; You won't be sorry. Just ask my friend, Jim Allen, as he won't part with the original he got from me. (The new version is even better.)
Triple D Spring time event still has openings. July 6th to the 10th we will photograph babies and adults in Montana. Check out the details and join us on an adventure to remember.
Triple D Babies (and Adults) in the Springtime Workshop
That's it for this issue. Hope you enjoyed what we had and if you have any questions, please email me: [email protected]
Enjoy the Light
Vinny & Annette Colucci