MindShift Gear is a group of committed professional photographers and product designers who support conservation and protection of our natural resources and planet. Founded by the creators of Think Tank Photo and conservation photographer Daniel Beltra, MindShift is dedicated to building carrying solutions for those who are passionate about experiencing the natural world. Their slogan, “Engage with nature,” challenges people to not only become involved in outdoor activities, but to create a conversation about nature and our relationship to the environment.

The rotation180º professional features something that no other backpack does – an integrated waist pack that rotates out of the lower section to the front of the body, allowing full access to your gear. With the aid of a magnetic buckle, releasing and rotating the waist pack can be done in a few seconds, letting you quickly change lenses, filters, or other accessories.

Traditional backpacks have to be taken off and placed on the ground to fully access your gear. For photographers this is a significant problem since you are taking the backpack on and off repeatedly during a shoot. At some point this process becomes tiresome and inhibits your ability to stay in the creative “zone.”

The rotation180º professional lets photographers maintain their creative momentum when working in the field. Since the backpack does not have to be taken off, the photographer can continue walking, hiking, or climbing, focusing on taking pictures, as opposed to taking the pack on and off. In addition, sensitive camera equipment is less likely to come in contact with destructive dust, mud, water and sand.

Learn more about MindShift on http://mindshiftgear.com

Michael Durham is a nature photographer based in Portland, Oregon and recently spent an evening lighting a gigantic Oak Tree using strobes. He gave Photo Brigade an exclusive first person account of his difficult shoot.

“I knocked on the stranger’s door with some trepidation. What would they think of me, pulling into their rural gravel driveway without permission? What would they think of my request to photograph the beautiful old oak tree out in their pasture?
In the Willamette Valley in Oregon, there used to be vast oak savannas, but all that remains of these oak groves are the occasional, lonely giant sitting in a cow pasture or farmer’s field.

The gentlemen who opened the door was slightly perplexed by my desire to photograph his tree, but he was friendly. I explained that I would be photographing into the night using powerful studio strobes. “No problem” he told me, so I unloaded my gear right next to their garden.

I chose to use strobes, as opposed to painting the tree with a single light during a long exposure, because of my desire to perfectly balance the ambient light of the sky, and light on the tree.

Photographing this tree has been part of a larger project to illustrate interesting and majestic trees. By lighting them at night, I can isolate them from their background and accentuate their shape, almost as if they were a sculpture in a museum setting.

You can see more wonderful nature photography on Michael’s website.

Portland based nature photographer Michael Durham took some very cool photos of the Spotted Bat, or Euderma Maculatum for you science geeks.

I have posted this species before – but this is another excellent example of a bat that does not fit the “brown or gray” category. The spotted bat is one of the most unique bats in North America, partly because of its huge ears, but also because of the three white spots on its back, and furry white underside.

Continue reading and see more photos on Michael’s blog!