I just got my hands on the new Lowepro Pro Messenger 200 and I thought I would share my initial thoughts on the bag. Now, please bear in mind that I have not had a chance to do a shoot with it yet, but I did want to share my first impressions. First and foremost, I love that the new material and strap make the bag look very modern while at the same time it feels like it is built as strong as a tank.

One of the first things I noticed with the Pro Messenger 200 is the amount of space that it has. The bag has a large main compartment that can be configured in many variations to fit your personal preference with your gear.  It will accommodate a 70-200 2.8 standing straight up in the main compartment but not attached to a camera unless reconfigured to hold the camera body horizontally. For more detailed information on  this configuration, please be sure to view this great video on the Pro Messenger 200 by Derrick Story from Lowepro. You can also view Derrick’s overview video on the Pro Messenger 200 AW Here. Also, on both sides of the main compartment are built-in accessory pouches that could hold a flash or even a small lens. The pouches have a Velcro strap built in so that you can secure your gear so you will not have to worry about things getting jostled.

The front compartment has plenty of room for an iPad or Netbook computer along with your filters, extra batteries, cables, portable hard drives, etc. You could also configure it to fit 2 Pro Body cameras instead of the iPad or Netbook along with an assortment of your gear. With this front compartment there are a number of ways that you can store gear depending on your personal taste. Built into the front compartment is the ‘All Weather’ cover that will protect the bag in the event of rain, snow or even dusty conditions.

In the back compartment of the Pro Messenger 200 you could also store an iPad or a Netbook. I would think, though, that it could be a little uncomfortable resting against your body. You could always fill it with other equipment for your kit or even small personal items that you may need. One thing that I really like is that Lowepro has made good use of this space with zippers at both the top and the bottom of the compartment doubling as a trolly sleeve.

The strap on the Pro Messenger 200 AW is very comfortable and well constructed, and I would like to note that the padding can be moved along the strap to fit where it will be the most comfortable for you. It has a camera strap keeper built into so that you snap your strap into it to keep it from slipping off of your shoulder, too.

There are 2 pouches that are built into the outside of the Pro Messanger 200 AW along with SlipLock Attachment Loops on each side above the pockets. The pockets can each hold bottles of water or a spare lens. I was able to fit my Canon 24-70 2.8L lens in both sides – it fits a little snug but it does fit. I was able to also fit my Hydro 40 oz. stainless steel water bottle in the pouches just to give you an idea of how much they can handle.

The last thing I wanted to talk about was the Lowepro FlexFlap design. You can use the full length of the flap to cover the enitre front of the bag that is attached with Velcro. You can also fold the flap in half and connect it with a built-in magnet that makes the opening of the bag silent. This would be good for weddings or other events where being as silent as possible is the key. And last but not least, you can open the flap completely and tuck it to the backside of the bag for quick, open access to gear. I especially like the ability to use the bag like this which is very similar to the way I use the Lowepro Classified 200 AW.

I am looking forward to using the new Lowepro Messenger 200 AW and hopefully soon I will be posting a full review once I get to use the bag in the field in the coming months.

Scott

Rookie lefty Matt Moore of the Tampa Bay Rays won his first playoff start on Friday against the Texas Rangers. Moore went seven innings and only gave up two hits and allowed no runs. The Rays won the game 9-0 to take a 1-0 lead in the American League Division Series with the Rangers. When Moore was with the Charlotte Stone Crabs, the High-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, I had the chance to photograph him in Lakeland, Florida at Joker Marchant Stadium on May 11, 2009.

LHP Matt Moore of the Charlotte Stone Crabs at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland Florida, May 11, 2009 (Scott Jontes)

This was the only chance I had to photograph him in the Florida State League and I actually drove to Lakeland to get photos of him for the Florida State League top prospect card set. I submitted the other photos of him that I took that night to Four Seam Images, and Topps used three of the photos I took  for their 2010 Pro Debut Card set. Not a bad outing for me that night but Matt definitely stole the show on Friday!

LHP Matt Moore of the Charlotte Stone Crabs at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland Florida, May 11, 2009 (Scott Jontes)

LHP Matt Moore of the Charlotte Stone Crabs at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland Florida, May 11, 2009 (Scott Jontes)

Gear Used
Canon Mark 3
Canon 300 28L
Lowepro Classified 200

Scott

When I am photographing wildlife, one of my favorite types of photos is the reflection shot. I actually watch the weather quite a bit before I head out for shoot and hope for little to no wind. I will even at times change my plans and go to a different spot where the surrounding areas may block the wind more than an open area. It is key for me to know the different locations in and around where I like to shoot.

Snowy Egret ©Scott Jontes

I also like to look at online maps that are available or any other resources such as park websites and other photographers to gain a little more knowledge of the area that you can use to your advantage.

Tri-Colored Heron ©Scott Jontes

Roseate Spoonbill ©Scott Jontes

One of the things that I really try to look at a lot when shooting the reflection shot is the composition. I always try to remind myself to take into account the reflection and not cut anything off. I know it seems like such a simple thing to look for in your shots, but I have made that mistake more than once by just being a little over anxious with the camera.

Tri-Colored Heron ©Scott Jontes

Bobcat ©Scott Jontes

The last photo in the set of the Bobcat is one of my favorite shots that I have taken recently.

Gear Used
Canon Mark 3
Canon 300 28L
Lowepro Compu Trekker AW

Scott

My friend Tom Priddy sent me a few screen shots of my photos that are in this week’s iPad issue of Sports Illustrated. The photos are of Delino DeShields, Jr. in the Houston Astros farm system. I took the photos at a Gulf Coast League (Rookie Ball) game last year at the Astros Spring Training Facility in  Kissimmee, FL.

Gear Used
Canon Mark 3
Canon 300mm 2.8L
Lowepro Classified 200

Scott

When you’re shooting baseball, don’t forget to try capturing some shots that are a little out of the box. When I’m covering a game, I mainly shoot stock photos for baseball card companies, but around the mid point in the season I mix it up to keep things fun. One of the shots I like to try is the frozen ball shot just to get a little different perspective on the game. This shot is easier to capture than a lot of people think and can also be taken from the stands if you can get seats behind the plate. You can try a few variations to the shot by including the batter, umpire, and catcher in the shot or just focus on the pitcher like I did.

What I like to do is take a few shots of the pitcher to get an idea of his release point and his throwing motion. I also try to watch for the ball’s flight through the frame to get the angle that I want. Then to get the actual shot, I pick a point between the mound and home plate and focus on that spot. Now switch to manual focus and time the pitches as they come into the frame for the shot. Remember to try and time the shot instead of relying on the frame rate of your camera to get the shot. My settings for this shot were f/2.8 @ 1/3200, shot with a canon 300 2.8L at ISO 320. I would try to stay at 1/3200 and above to ensure that the ball is sharp, but I think you could actually freeze the ball with a slightly slower shutter speed. In the photo below I enlarged the ball a little so you can see the detail of it more clearly.

If anyone has any questions on how I shot this please leave me a comment below and I will try to answer any questions that you may have.

Gear Used
Canon Mark 3
Canon 300 2.8L
Lowepro S&F Series

Scott

I decided to take a break from editing photos this afternoon and go take more photos to edit. I decided to drive to Ponce Inlet to take some surf shots and to spend a little time at the beach. I knew that the surf would be decent, so that motivated me a little more to take the time to go. I also knew that my friend Brad would be at the inlet and I wanted to grab a few shots of him as well.

It turned to be a good break for the afternoon and the surf was decent enough to get some nice shots. I have uploaded the rest of the photos from the afternoon on my facebook page.

Gear Used
Canon Mark 3
Canon 300 2.8L
Canon 1.4 Teleconverter
Lowepro Compu Trekker AW

Scott

That had to hurt!! That was my first thought when I looked at this photo on the back of my camera. I captured this shot a few night ago while I was shooting the Daytona Cubs and Charlotte Stone Crabs game. I just wanted to share one of those happy accidents that happens from time to time while shooting.

Gear Used
Canon Mark 3
Canon 300 2.8 L
Lowepro S&F Series

Scott

I was recently asked as to how I was able to get this shot Michael Burgess of the Daytona Cubs hitting a home run during a recent game. To tell the truth I usually do not try to get shots like this because normally when you shoot these kind of shots you can not see the players face. To get a shot like this all you need to know is your subject and the sport that you are shooting. I try to pay attention to a players tendencies and I also pay attention to the situation in the game. The players all come of out of the batters box a certain way or like in the picture below the way they throw their bat. This can all lead to some pretty inserting shots.

Jae-Hoon Ha of the Daytona Cubs (Scott Jontes)

As I had also said, knowing the situation in the game helps a great deal when shooting. In the photo below I knew that their was going to be a play at the plate. One thing I paid attention to, as I assumed this was going to happen, was the third base coach waving the player home. I also paid attention that their was a runner in scoring position and that he would probably try to score if their was a base hit before the play had even started.

Mario Mercedes of the Daytona Cubs (Scott Jontes)

By having familiarity with the game, the sport and the people in it, I am able to capture action photos much easier when I am shooting. These are just a few things that I try to look for when I am shooting baseball and any other sport

Scott

As the team photographer for the Daytona Cubs, one of my jobs is to photograph the covers for the programs that are given to all the fans as they enter the games. The cover shots are anything from action shots to planned photo shoots. For this particular cover the Daytona Cubs media director Robbie Aaron called me up and said that he wanted to do a cover that would highlight the six Daytona Cubs all stars. He asked if I had any ideas for the shoot and if we could shoot it that afternoon before the game. I talked over some ideas with one of my photographer friends and came up with the idea to do a relaxed shoot. The idea was to make it look like a self portrait by balancing the camera on the bat.

I knew that this shot would present a small challenge with making it look both appealing and also including six subjects in the shot. I decided to use sylights.com to help with the layout of the shoot. It is a great tool for laying out your photo shoots and coming up with new ideas before you even arrive on location. I ended up using a fisheye lens for the shot which may not be the ideal portrait lens, but I knew that it would give me the flexibility to shoot this shot plus give me the look I was trying to achieve. I had planned two other positions and poses but with one of the players being delayed for the shoot I had only time for a few shots before they had to be ready for the game. This happens a lot with shoots, where you may not have a s much time as you thought. That is why I like to try to use sites like sylights.com so that I already have a few ideas in mind and setups before I even arrive for the shoot.

Scott

Day 2 of the shoot turned out to be great lighting and weather so we were able to capture the shots that we had been hoping for. My goal for this day was to capture as many water drags as possible with a few other shots of them landing mixed in.

Ian Drennan of the Performance Designs Factory Team

Thomas Dellibac of the Performance Designs Factory Team

Pablo Hernandez of the Performance Designs Factory Team

To capture these shots I slowed down my shutter speed to between 1/200 and 1/125 of a second and just panned with the swoopers as the went by to give a nice motion blur to the shots. I was really happy with the way these turned out and I can not wait for the chance to use the photos for our upcoming projects.

After I finished the water drag shots I moved to the end of the course and decided to shoot some of the landing shots. The discipline that they were doing on this day is called Zone Accuracy. The idea is to drag the water through the gates and to land in the zones at the end of the course for points. These shots always seem to offer up some interesting photos and faces when they are trying to land in the zones.

Brian Vacher of the Performance Designs Factory Team

Ian Drennan of the Performance Designs Factory Team

Ian Bobo of the Performance Designs Factory Team

The day ended up being a lot of work and a lot of fun and I think the shots turned out the way I had hoped they would. Which made up for the 4:00 am wake up and 2 hour drive to the shoot.

Scott